5And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, including Saul's servants. 6And it came be as they returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, joyfully singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with timbrels and other instruments of music. 7And as they danced, the women sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten-thousands”.

8And that saying displeased and angered Saul; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten-thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands; and what can he have more, except my kingdom?” 9And Saul watched David with envy from that day onward. 10And on the next day, the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in his house; and David played his harp, as at other times; and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. 11And Saul hurled the javelin; for he said, “I will pin David to the wall with it”. And David escaped from his presence twice.

12And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD 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. 14And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. 15Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was all the more afraid of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in among them. 17And Saul said to David, “I will give my elder daughter, Merab, to you in marriage; only be valiant for me, and fight the LORD's battles”. For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.” 18And 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?” 19But at the time when Saul's daughter, Merab, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel, the Meholathite, in marriage.

20And Michal, Saul's younger daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and that pleased him. 21And 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, “You shall this day be my son-in-law in the one of the two”. 22And Saul commanded his servants, saying, “Speak with David privately, and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you: now therefore be the king's son-in-law’”. 23And Saul's servants spoke those words to David. And David said, “Does it seem a light thing to you to be a king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?” 24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, “On this manner spoke David”. 25And Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies’”. But Saul thought to cause David to die at the hand of the Philistines. 26And when Saul’s servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. And the appointed days had not expired. 27So David arose, he and his men, and went, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal, his daughter, in marriage. 28And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him. 29And Saul was all the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy the rest of his days. 30Then, after the commanders of the Philistines went out; to battle, David behaved himself more wisely than all the other officers of Saul; so that his name was much esteemed.