1 Samuel 18:20-30

Common English Bible

²⁰ Now Saul’s younger daughter Michal loved David. When this was reported to Saul, he was happy about it. ²¹ I’ll give her to him, Saul thought; she’ll cause him problems, and the Philistines will be against him.

So Saul said to David a second time, “Become my son-in-law now.”

²² Saul instructed his servants, “Tell David in private: ‘Look, the king likes you, and all his servants love you. You should become the king’s son-in-law.’”

²³ Saul’s servants whispered these things in David’s ear. But David said, “Do you think it’s a simple matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I don’t! I’m poor and insignificant.”

²⁴ Saul’s servants reported what David said, ²⁵ and Saul replied, “Tell David this: ‘The king doesn’t want any bridal gift, just a hundred Philistine foreskins as vengeance on the king’s enemies.’” (Saul was hoping that David would die at the hands of the Philistines.) ²⁶ When the servants reported this to David, he was happy to become the king’s son-in-law. Even before the allotted time had expired,^{[a] 27} David got up and went with his soldiers and killed one hundred Philistines.^[b] David brought their foreskins and counted them out for the king so he could become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to him in marriage.

²⁸ When Saul knew for certain that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved him, ²⁹ then Saul was even more afraid of David. Saul was David’s enemy for the rest of his life.^{[c] 30} And whenever the Philistine commanders came out for battle, David would have more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, so his fame spread widely.