¹⁷ One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my oldest daughter Merab as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real soldier by fighting the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought to himself, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.”

¹⁸ “Who am I that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” David exclaimed. “My father’s family is nothing!”

¹⁹ But when the time arrived for the wedding, Saul married her to Adriel, a man from Meholath, instead.