16. But all Israel and Judah loved David because he went out and came in before them.
17. And Saul said to David, Behold I will give thee my elder daughter Merab to wife; only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord’s battles. For Saul said to himself, My hand shall not be against him, but the hand of the Philistines shall be against him.
18. And David said unto 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. And it came to pass at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David that she was given unto Adriel, the Meholathite, to wife.
20. But Michal, Saul’s other daughter, loved David, and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21. And 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, Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law with the other one.
22. And Saul commanded his slaves, saying, Speak with David secretly and say, Behold, the king has delight in thee, and all his slaves love thee; now, therefore, be the king’s son-in-law.
23. And Saul’s slaves spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?
24. And the slaves of Saul told him, saying, David spoke these words.
25. And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The desire of the king is not in any dowry, but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. For Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.