16
But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
17
Then Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the Lord's battles." For Saul thought, "Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him."
18
So David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my life or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?"
19
But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.
20
Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21
So Saul said, "I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David a second time, "You shall be my son-in-law today."
22
And Saul commanded his servants, "Communicate with David secretly, and say, 'Look, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king's son-in-law.' "
23
So Saul's servants spoke those words in the hearing of David. And David said, "Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?"
24
And the servants of Saul told him, saying, "In this manner David spoke."
25
Then Saul said, "Thus you shall say to David: 'The king does not desire any dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king's enemies.' " But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26
So when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to become the king's son-in-law. Now the days had not expired;