¹ 我想醫治以色列的時候，以法蓮的罪孽和撒瑪利亞的罪惡就顯露出來。他們行事虛謊，內有賊人入室偷竊，外有強盜成群騷擾。

² 他們心裡並不思想我記念他們的一切惡；他們所行的現在纏繞他們，都在我面前。

³ 他們行惡使君王歡喜，說謊使首領喜樂。

⁴ 他們都是行淫的，像火爐被烤餅的燒熱，從摶麵到發麵的時候，暫不使火著旺。

⁵ 在我們王宴樂的日子，首領因酒的烈性成病；王與褻慢人拉手。

⁶ 首領埋伏的時候，心中熱如火爐，就如烤餅的整夜睡臥，到了早晨火氣炎炎。

⁷ 眾民也熱如火爐，燒滅他們的官長。他們的君王都仆倒而死；他們中間無一人求告我。

⁸ 以法蓮與列邦人攙雜；以法蓮是沒有翻過的餅。

⁹ 外邦人吞吃他勞力得來的，他卻不知道；頭髮斑白，他也不覺得。

¹⁰ 以色列的驕傲當面見證自己，雖遭遇這一切，他們仍不歸向耶和華─他們的神，也不尋求他。

¹¹ 以法蓮好像鴿子愚蠢無知；他們求告埃及，投奔亞述。

¹² 他們去的時候，我必將我的網撒在他們身上；我要打下他們，如同空中的鳥。我必按他們會眾所聽見的懲罰他們。

¹³ 他們因離棄我，必定有禍；因違背我，必被毀滅。我雖要救贖他們，他們卻向我說謊。

¹⁴ 他們並不誠心哀求我，乃在床上呼號；他們為求五穀新酒聚集，仍然悖逆我。

¹⁵ 我雖教導他們，堅固他們的膀臂，他們竟圖謀抗拒我。

¹⁶ 他們歸向，卻不歸向至上者；他們如同翻背的弓。他們的首領必因舌頭的狂傲倒在刀下；這在埃及地必作人的譏笑。

¹ It happened, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

² Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

³ Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

⁴ Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him, and gave it to David, and his clothing, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his sash.

⁵ David went out wherever Saul sent him, [and] behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

⁶ It happened as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music.

⁷ The women sang one to another as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands."

⁸ Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?"

⁹ Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

¹⁰ It happened on the next day, that an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;

¹¹ and Saul threw the spear; for he said, "I will pin David even to the wall!" David escaped from his presence twice.

¹² Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and was departed from Saul.

¹³ Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

¹⁴ David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Yahweh was with him.

¹⁵ When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him.

¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.

¹⁷ Saul said to David, "Behold, my elder daughter Merab, I will give her to you as wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight Yahweh's battles." For Saul said, "Don't let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him."

¹⁸ David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?"

¹⁹ But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.

²⁰ Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

²¹ Saul said, I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David, "You shall this day be my son-in-law a second time."

²² Saul commanded his servants, "Talk with David secretly, and say, 'Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you: now therefore be the king's son-in-law.'"

²³ Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, "Does it seems to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?"

²⁴ The servants of Saul told him, saying, "David spoke like this."

²⁵ Saul said, "You shall tell David, 'The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies.'" Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

²⁶ When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. The days were not expired;

²⁷ and David arose and went, he and his men, and killed of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.

²⁸ Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David; and Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him.

²⁹ Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David's enemy continually.

³⁰ Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it happened, as often as they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was highly esteemed.