¹⁷ Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah^[a](A) of roasted grain^(B) and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. ¹⁸ Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers^(C) are and bring back some assurance^[b] from them. ¹⁹ They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”

²⁰ Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry.

¹⁹ So^[a] when the time came for Merab,^(A) Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.^(B)

²⁰ Now Saul’s daughter Michal^(C) was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.^{(D) 21} “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare^(E) to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

²² Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”

²³ They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law?^(F) I’m only a poor man and little known.”

²⁴ When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, ²⁵ Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price^(G) for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge^(H) on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan^(I) was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

²⁶ When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, ²⁷ David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal^(J) in marriage.

²⁸ When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal^(K) loved David, ²⁹ Saul became still more afraid^(L) of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

³⁰ The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success^(M) than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.