20 (A)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 [a]be a snare to him, and that (B)the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, (C)“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, [b]“In this manner David spoke.”

25 Then Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: ‘The king does not desire any (D)dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take (E)vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” But Saul (F)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 (G)the days had not expired; 27 therefore David arose and went, he and (H)his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And (I)David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 18:21 be bait for
  2. 1 Samuel 18:24 Lit. According to these words

20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal(A) was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.(B) 21 “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare(C) to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

22 Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”

23 They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law?(D) I’m only a poor man and little known.”

24 When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, 25 Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price(E) for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge(F) on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan(G) was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

26 When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, 27 David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal(H) in marriage.

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