13 Saul sent David away and made him a commander over 1000 soldiers. This put David out among the men even more as they went into battle and returned.
14 The Lord was with David, so he was successful in everything.
15 Saul saw how successful David was and became even more afraid of him.
16 But all the people in Israel and Judah loved David because he was out among them and led them into battle.
17 One day Saul said to David, “Here is my oldest daughter, Merab. I will let you marry her. Then you will be like a son to me and you will be a real soldier. Then you will go and fight the Lord’S battles.” Saul was really thinking, “Now I won’t have to kill David. I will let the Philistines kill him for me.”
18 But David said, “I am not an important man from an important family. I can’t marry the king’s daughter.”
19 So when the time came for David to marry Saul’s daughter, Saul let her marry Adriel from Meholah.