1 Samuel 18:12-30

¹² Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. ¹³ So Saul removed him from his presence, and made him a commander of a thousand; and David marched out and came in, leading the army. ¹⁴ David had success in all his undertakings; for the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David; for it was he who marched out and came in leading them. ¹⁷ Then Saul said to David, "Here is my elder 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, "I will not raise a hand against him; let the Philistines deal with him." ¹⁸ David said to Saul, "Who am I and who are my kinsfolk, my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?" ¹⁹ But at the time when Saul's daughter Merab should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife. ²⁰ Now Saul's daughter Michal loved David. Saul was told, and the thing pleased him. ²¹ Saul thought, "Let me give her to him that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David a second time, "You shall now be my son-in-law." ²² Saul commanded his servants, "Speak to David in private and say, "See, the king is delighted with you, and all his servants love you; now then, become the king's son-in-law.' " ²³ So Saul's servants reported these words to David in private. And David said, "Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and of no repute?" ²⁴ The servants of Saul told him, "This is what David said." ²⁵ Then Saul said, "Thus shall you say to David, "The king desires no marriage present except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged on the king's enemies.' " Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. ²⁶ When his servants told David these words, David was well pleased to be the king's son-in-law. Before the time had expired, ²⁷ David rose and went, along with his men, and killed one hundred of the Philistines; and David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife. ²⁸ But when Saul realized that the Lord was with David, and that Saul's daughter Michal loved him, ²⁹ Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy from that time forward. ³⁰ Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle; and as often as they came out, David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his fame became very great.