1 Samuel 18:20-30

New American Standard Bible 1995

David Marries Saul’s Daughter

²⁰ Now ^(A)Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul, the thing was agreeable ^[a]to him. ²¹ Saul thought, “I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and ^(B)that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David, “^(C)For a second time you may be my son-in-law today.” ²² Then Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David secretly, saying, ‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now therefore, 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, ^(D)since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?” ²⁴ The servants of Saul reported to him ^[c]according to these words which David spoke. ²⁵ Saul then said, “Thus you shall say to David, ‘The king does not desire any ^(E)dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, ^(F)to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’” Now ^(G)Saul planned to make 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. ^[e](H)Before the days had expired ²⁷ David rose up and went, ^(I)he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then ^(J)David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a wife. ²⁸ When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, ²⁹ then Saul was even more afraid of David. Thus Saul was David’s enemy continually.

³⁰ Then the commanders of the Philistines ^(K)went out to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David ^(L)behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed.