1 Samuel 18:17-29

International Children’s Bible

Saul’s Daughter and David

¹⁷ Saul said to David, “You’re a brave soldier. And you fight the Lord’s battles. Here is my older daughter Merab. I will let you marry her.” Saul had decided, “I won’t have to kill David. The Philistines will do that!”

¹⁸ But David said, “I am not good enough for this honor. And my family is not important enough for me to become the king’s son-in-law.” ¹⁹ So when the time came for Saul’s daughter Merab to marry David, Saul gave her instead to Adriel of Meholah.

²⁰ Now Saul’s other daughter Michal loved David. When they told Saul about Michal loving David, he was pleased. ²¹ He thought, “I will let Michal marry David. Then she will become a trap for him. And the Philistines will defeat him.” So Saul said to David a second time, “You may become my son-in-law.”

²² And Saul gave an order to his servants. He told them, “Speak to David in private. Say, ‘Look, the king is pleased with you. His servants like you. You should become his son-in-law.’”

²³ Saul’s servants said these words to David. But David answered, “Do you think it is easy to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man. Nobody knows me.”

²⁴ Then Saul’s servants told him what David had said. ²⁵ Saul said, “Say to David, ‘The king doesn’t want you to pay a large price for the bride. All he wants is 100 Philistine foreskins. Then he will be even with his enemies.’” Saul planned to let the Philistines kill David.

²⁶ Saul’s servants told David these words. David was pleased that he could become the king’s son-in-law. ²⁷ So he and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines. David took all their foreskins and brought them to Saul. He wanted to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal for his wife. ²⁸ Saul saw that the Lord was with David. He also saw that his daughter Michal loved David. ²⁹ So he became even more afraid of David. And he was David’s enemy all his life.