¹⁷ Then Saul said to David, “^(A)Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife, only be a valiant man for me and fight ^(B)the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but ^(C)let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” ¹⁸ But David said to Saul, “^(D)Who am I, and who is my family, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” ¹⁹ So it came about at the time that Merab, Saul’s daughter, was to be given to David, that she was given instead to ^(E)Adriel ^(F)the Meholathite as a wife.

David Marries Saul’s Daughter

²⁰ Now ^(G)Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they informed Saul, the thing was pleasing ^[a]to him. ²¹ For Saul thought, “I will give her to him so that she may become a trap for him, and ^(H)that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David, “^(I)For a second time you may become my son-in-law, today.” ²² Then Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in secret, saying, ‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now then, become the king’s son-in-law.’” ²³ So Saul’s servants spoke these words ^[b]to David. But David said, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law, ^(J)since I am only a poor man and insignificant?” ²⁴ Then Saul’s servants reported to him, saying, “^[c]These are the words David spoke.” ²⁵ Saul then said, “This is what you shall say to David: ‘The king does not desire any ^(K)dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, ^(L)to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’” But ^(M)Saul plotted to have David fall by the hand of the Philistines. ²⁶ When his servants told David these words, ^[d]it pleased David to become the king’s son-in-law. So ^[e](N)before the time had expired, ²⁷ David set out and went, ^(O)he and his men, and fatally struck two hundred men among the Philistines. Then ^(P)David brought their foreskins, and they presented all two hundred of them to the king, so that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife. ²⁸ When Saul saw and realized that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, ²⁹ then Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.

³⁰ Then the commanders of the Philistines ^(Q)went to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David ^(R)was more ^[f]successful than all the servants of Saul. So his name was held in high esteem.