Then Saulsaidto David,"Hereis my olderdaughterMerab;I will giveher to you as a wife,onlybe a valiantmanfor me and fightthe LORD'Sbattles."For Saulthought,"My handshall not be against him, but let the handof the Philistinesbe against him."
He had writtenin the letter,saying,"PlaceUriahin the frontlineof the fiercestbattleand withdrawfrom him, so that he may be struckdownand die."
Whyhave you despisedthe wordof the LORDby doingevilin His sight?You have struckdownUriahthe Hittitewith the sword,have takenhis wifeto be your wife,and have killedhim with the swordof the sonsof Ammon.
Then it happened[as] the arkof the LORDcameinto the cityof Davidthat Michalthe daughterof Saullookedout of the windowand sawKingDavidleapingand dancingbeforethe LORD;and she despisedhim in her heart.
They speakfalsehoodto oneanother;With flatteringlipsand with a doubleheartthey speak.
His speechwas smootherthanbutter,But his heartwas war;His wordswere softerthanoil,Yet they were drawnswords.
He who hatesdisguises[it] with his lips,But he laysup deceitin his heart.
Whenhe speaksgraciously,do not believehim, For there are sevenabominationsin his heart.
[Though his] hatredcoversitself with guile,His wickednesswill be revealedbefore the assembly.
Thereforeit is saidin the Bookof the Warsof the LORD,"Wahebin Suphah,And the wadisof the Arnon,
So Mosessaidto them, "Ifyou will dothis,ifyou will armyourselves beforethe LORDfor the war,
while your servants,everyonewho is armedfor war,will crossoverin the presenceof the LORDto battle,justas my lordsays."
Mosessaidto them, "Ifthe sonsof Gadand the sonsof Reuben,everyonewho is armedfor battle,will crosswith you overthe Jordanin the presenceof the LORD,and the landis subduedbeforeyou, then you shall givethem the landof Gileadfor a possession;
"The handof the witnessesshall be firstagainst him to puthim to death,and afterwardthe handof allthe people.So you shall purgethe evilfrom your midst.
Now the sonsof Saulwere Jonathanand Ishviand Malchi-shua;and the namesof his twodaughters[were these]: the nameof the firstbornMeraband the nameof the youngerMichal.
The menof Israelsaid,"Have you seenthismanwho is comingup? Surelyhe is comingup to defyIsrael.And it will be that the kingwill enrichthe manwhokillshim with greatrichesand will givehim his daughterand makehis father'shousefreein Israel."
"Your servanthas killedboththe lionand the bear;and thisuncircumcisedPhilistinewill be like oneof them, sincehe has tauntedthe armiesof the livingGod."
and that allthisassemblymay knowthat the LORDdoes not deliverby swordor by spear;for the battleis the LORD'Sand He will giveyou into our hands."
Saulthought,"I will giveher to him that she may becomea snareto him, and that the handof the Philistinesmay be against him." Therefore Saulsaidto David,"For a secondtimeyou may be my son-in-lawtoday."
Saulthen said,"Thusyou shall sayto David,'The kingdoes not desireany dowryexcepta hundredforeskinsof the Philistines,to takevengeanceon the king'senemies.'"Now Saulplannedto make Davidfallby the handof the Philistines.
Davidroseup and went,he and his men,and struckdowntwo hundredmenamong the Philistines.Then Davidbroughttheir foreskins,and they gavethem in fullnumber to the king,that he might becomethe king'sson-in-law.So Saulgavehim Michalhis daughterfor a wife.
"Pleaseforgivethe transgressionof your maidservant;for the LORDwill certainlymakefor my lordan enduringhouse,becausemy lordis fightingthe battlesof the LORD,and evilwill not be foundin you allyour days.
Now when Davidcameto Ziklag,he sent[some] of the spoilto the eldersof Judah,to his friends,saying,"Behold,a giftfor you from the spoilof the enemiesof the LORD:
