1 N ow Samuel died, and all the Israelites assembled and mourned for him, and buried him at his house in Ramah. David arose and went to the Wilderness of Paran.

Then Samuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and lamented for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah. And David arose and went down to the Wilderness of Paran. David and the Wife of Nabal

2 A very rich man was in Maon, whose possessions and business were in Carmel. He had 3, 000 sheep and 1, 000 goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3 T he man’s name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail; she was a woman of good understanding, and beautiful. But the man was rough and evil in his doings; he was a Calebite.

The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.

4 D avid heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep,

5 A nd David sent out ten young men and said to, Go up to Carmel to Nabal and greet him in my name;

David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.

6 A nd salute him thus: Peace be to you and to your house and to all that you have.

And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have!

7 I have heard that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us and we did them no harm, and they missed nothing all the time they were in Carmel.

Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel.

8 A sk your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your sight, for we come at an opportune time. I pray you, give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.

Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’”

9 A nd when David’s young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name of David, and then paused.

So when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited.

10 A nd Nabal answered David’s servants and said, Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who are each breaking away from his master.

Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master.

11 S hall I then take my bread and my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they belong?

Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?”

12 S o David’s young men turned away, and came and told him all that was said.

So David’s young men turned on their heels and went back; and they came and told him all these words.

13 A nd David said to his men, Every man gird on his sword. And they did so, and David also girded on his sword; and there went up after David about 400 men, and 200 remained with the baggage.

Then David said to his men, “Every man gird on his sword.” So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with David, and two hundred stayed with the supplies.

14 B ut one of Nabal’s young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he railed at them.

Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled them.

15 B ut David’s men were very good to us, and we were not harmed, nor did we miss anything as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields.

But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied them, when we were in the fields.

16 T hey were a wall to us night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep.

They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep.

17 S o know this and consider what you will do, for evil is determined against our master and all his house. For he is such a wicked man that one cannot speak to him.

Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him.”

18 T hen Abigail made haste and took 200 loaves, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five measures of parched grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys.

Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys.

19 A nd she said to her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

And she said to her servants, “Go on before me; see, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

20 A s she rode on her donkey, she came down hidden by the mountain, and behold, David and his men came down opposite her, and she met them.

So it was, as she rode on the donkey, that she went down under cover of the hill; and there were David and his men, coming down toward her, and she met them.

21 N ow David had said, Surely in vain have I protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him; and he has repaid me evil for good.

Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good.

22 M ay God do so, and more also, to David if I leave of all who belong to him one male alive by morning.

May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light.”

23 W hen Abigail saw David, she hastened and lighted off the donkey, and fell before David on her face and did obeisance.

Now when Abigail saw David, she dismounted quickly from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground.

24 K neeling at his feet she said, Upon me alone let this guilt be, my lord. And let your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your presence, and hear the words of your handmaid.

So she fell at his feet and said: “On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant.

25 L et not my lord, I pray you, regard this foolish and wicked fellow Nabal, for as his name is, so is he—Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I, your handmaid, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent.

Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.

26 S o now, my lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, seeing that the Lord has prevented you from bloodguiltiness and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal.

Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, since the Lord has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal.

27 A nd now this gift, which your handmaid has brought my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.

And now this present which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.

28 F orgive, I pray you, the trespass of your handmaid, for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the Lord’s battles, and evil has not been found in you all your days.

Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For the Lord will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord, and evil is not found in you throughout your days.

29 T hough man is risen up to pursue you and to seek your life, yet the life of my lord shall be bound in the living bundle with the Lord your God. And the lives of your enemies—them shall He sling out as out of the center of a sling.

Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling.

30 A nd when the Lord has done to my lord according to all the good that He has promised concerning you and has made you ruler over Israel,

And it shall come to pass, when the Lord has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel,

31 T his shall be no staggering grief to you or cause for pangs of conscience to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause or that my lord has avenged himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then '> earnestly] remember your handmaid.

that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.”

32 A nd David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who sent you this day to meet me.

Then David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me!

33 A nd blessed be your discretion and advice, and blessed be you who have kept me today from bloodguiltiness and from avenging myself with my own hand.

And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand.

34 F or as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, Who has prevented me from hurting you, if you had not hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning there would not have been left so much as one male to Nabal.

For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal!”

35 S o David accepted what she had brought him and said to her, Go up in peace to your house. See, I have hearkened to your voice and have granted your petition.

So David received from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. See, I have heeded your voice and respected your person.”

36 A nd Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house like the feast of a king. And heart was merry, for he was very drunk; so she told him nothing at all until the morning light.

Now Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was, holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; therefore she told him nothing, little or much, until morning light.

37 B ut in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife told him these things, his heart died within him and he became a stone.

So it was, in the morning, when the wine had gone from Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became like a stone.

38 A nd about ten days after that, the Lord smote Nabal and he died.

Then it happened, after about ten days, that the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.

39 W hen David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, Who has pleaded the cause of my reproach at the hand of Nabal, and kept His servant from evil. For the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him as his wife.

So when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil! For the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head.” And David sent and proposed to Abigail, to take her as his wife.

40 A nd when the servants of David had come to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, David sent us to you to take you to him to be his wife.

When the servants of David had come to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her saying, “David sent us to you, to ask you to become his wife.”

41 A nd she arose and bowed herself to the earth and said, Behold, let your handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.

Then she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, “Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.”

42 A nd Abigail hastened and arose and rode on a donkey, with five of her maids who followed her, and she went after the messengers of David and became his wife.

So Abigail rose in haste and rode on a donkey, attended by five of her maidens; and she followed the messengers of David, and became his wife.

43 D avid also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives.

David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and so both of them were his wives.

44 S aul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.