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1 Samuel 18:13-27

1 Samuel 18:13-27 AMP

So Saul had David removed from his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand; and he publicly associated with the people. David acted wisely and prospered in all his ways, and the LORD was with him. When Saul saw that he was prospering greatly, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he publicly associated with them. Then Saul said to David, “Behold I will give you my older daughter Merab as a wife; only be brave for me and fight the LORD’S battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was [instead] given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife. Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and when they told Saul, it pleased him. Saul said, “I will give her to him so that she may become a snare (bad influence, source of trouble) to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David for a second time, “You shall be my son-in-law today.” Then Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David secretly, saying, ‘Listen, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now then, become the king’s son-in-law.’ ” So Saul’s servants spoke these words to David. But David said, “Is it a trivial thing in your sight to become a king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and insignificant?” The servants of Saul told him what David said. Then Saul said, “This is what you shall say to David: ‘The king wants no dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” Now Saul’s intention was to cause David’s death at the hand of the Philistines. When his servants told David these words, it pleased him to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the time [for the marriage] arrived, David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred Philistine men, and David brought their foreskins [as proof of death] and presented every one of them to the king, so that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal, his [younger] daughter, as a wife.