1 Samuel 18

“Saul has slain his thousands,

and David his ten thousands.”

⁸Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have credited David with ten thousands, and they have only credited me with thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?” ⁹Saul watched David from that day and forward. ¹⁰On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; ¹¹and Saul threw the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice. ¹²Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and had departed from Saul. ¹³Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

¹⁴David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Yahweh was with him. ¹⁵When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him. ¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them. ¹⁷Saul said to David, “Behold, my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you as wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight Yahweh’s battles.” For Saul said, “Don’t let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.”

¹⁸David 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?”

¹⁹But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.

²⁰Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. ²¹Saul 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 today be my son-in-law.”

²²Saul commanded his servants, “Talk with David secretly, and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore be the king’s son-in-law.’ ”

²³Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and little known?”

²⁴The servants of Saul told him, saying, “David spoke like this.”

²⁵Saul said, “Tell David, ‘The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’ ” Now Saul thought he would make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. ²⁶When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the deadline, ²⁷David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife. ²⁸Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him. ²⁹Saul was even more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually.

³⁰Then the princes of the Philistines went out; and as often as they went out, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.