²⁵ Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no marriage present except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged on the king’s enemies.’ ” Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.^(A)

David Marries Michal

¹⁷ Then Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife; only be valiant for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I will not raise a hand against him; let the Philistines deal with him.”^(A)

Saul’s Rash Oath

²⁴ Now Saul committed a very rash act on that day.^[a] He had laid an oath on the troops, saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food before it is evening and I have been avenged on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted food.^(A)

¹² Put the marriage present and gift as high as you like, and I will give whatever you ask me; only give me the young woman to be my wife.”^(A)

⁸ Hushai continued, “You know that your father and his men are warriors and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he will not spend the night with the troops.^{(A) 9} Even now he has hidden himself in one of the pits or in some other place. And when some of our troops^[a] fall at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’ ¹⁰ Then even the valiant warrior whose heart is like the heart of a lion will utterly melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a warrior and that those who are with him are valiant warriors.^{(B) 11} But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beer-sheba, like the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person.

³⁶ Your servant has killed both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.”

²⁶ David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”^(A)

³ So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath-haaraloth.^[a]

Social and Religious Laws

¹⁶ “When a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife.^{(A) 17} But if her father refuses to give her to him, he shall pay an amount equal to the bride-price for virgins.

¹⁸ Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”^(A)