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.

Now Samuel died. All Israel gathered together and was filled with sorrow for him. They buried him at his house in Ramah. Then David got ready and went down to the desert of Paran.

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.

There was a man in Maon who worked in Carmel. The man was very rich. He had 3, 000 sheep and 1, 000 goats. He was cutting the wool from 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 man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. The woman was of good understanding and beautiful. But the man was bad and sinful in his ways. He was a Calebite.

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

David heard in the desert that Nabal was cutting the wool from 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;

So David sent ten young men, saying to them, “Go up to Carmel. Visit Nabal and greet him for me.

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

Say to him, ‘Have a long life. Peace be to you. Peace be to your family. And peace be 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.

I have heard that you have men who cut the wool from your sheep. Now your shepherds have been with us, and we have not done them any wrong. And they have not missed anything all the time 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. So let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a special day. I ask you to give whatever you have ready 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.

When David’s young men came, they said all this to Nabal in David’s name. Then they 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.

But Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are leaving their owners.

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?

Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my wool cutters, and give it to men when I do not know where they came 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 away and returned to David and told him all this.

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.

David said to his men, “Every man put on his sword!” So every man put on his sword, and David put on his sword also. About 400 men went up behind David, while 200 stayed with their things.

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.

But one of the young men told Nabal’s wife Abigail, “See, David sent men from the desert to greet our owner, and he spoke against 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 David’s men were very good to us. They did not do anything wrong to us. And we did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them.

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 night and day, all the time we were with them taking care of 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.

So know this and think about what you should do. For bad plans have been made against our owner and all his family. He is such a sinful man that no one can 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.

In a hurry Abigail took 200 loaves of bread, two bottles of wine, five sheep ready to eat, five baskets of dry grain, 100 vines of dried grapes and 200 loaves 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.

She said to her young men, “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.

As she went on her donkey and came down hidden by the mountain, David and his men came 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, “It was for nothing that I have watched over all this man has in the desert, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him. He has paid me bad 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 the same to David and more, if I leave until morning as much as one male alive of all who belong to him.”

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

When Abigail saw David, she got off her donkey in a hurry. Then she put her face to the ground in front of David.

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.

She fell at his feet and said, “Let the sin be on me alone, my lord. I beg you, let your woman servant speak to you. Listen to the words of your woman servant.

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.

I beg you, do not let my lord think about this sinful man, Nabal. For he is like his name. Nabal is his name and he is foolish. But I your woman servant did not see my lord’s young men 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.

So now, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, let the Lord keep you from being guilty of blood. Let Him keep you from punishing with your own hand. And let those who hate you and those who want to hurt my lord be like 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.

Now let this gift which your woman servant has brought to my lord 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.

I beg you, forgive the sin of your woman servant. For the Lord will be sure to make my lord a family that will last. Because my lord is fighting the Lord’s battles. Sin will not be found in you as long as you live.

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.

If men rise up to come after you and try to kill you, then the life of my lord will be taken care of by the Lord your God. But He will throw away the lives of those who hate you, as a rock is thrown from 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,

The Lord will do to my lord all the good that He has promised you. He will make 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.

Then my lord will have no reason to feel sorry or guilty because of killing without cause or punishing by my lord’s own hand. When the Lord does good things for my lord, remember your woman servant.”

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, “Thanks be to 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.

May thanks be given for your wisdom, and thanks be to you. You have kept me this day from being guilty of blood, and from punishing 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.

The Lord God of Israel has kept me from hurting you. And as the Lord lives, if you had not been quick to come to meet me, for sure not one male would have been left to Nabal until the morning.”

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 what she had brought him. He said to her, “Go up to your house in peace. See, I have listened to you and have done what you asked.”

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.

Abigail came to Nabal and saw that he was having a special supper in his house, like the special supper of a king. Nabal’s heart was full of joy, because he was very drunk. So she did not tell him anything until the morning.

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.

But in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things. And his heart died within him so that he became like a stone.

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

The Lord made Nabal die about ten days later.

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.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Thanks be to the Lord, Who has punished Nabal for putting me to shame. He has kept His servant from sin. And the Lord has turned the sin of Nabal upon himself.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to be 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 David’s servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, “David has sent us to you, to take you as 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.

She stood up and then put her face to the ground, and said, “See, your woman servant will serve you by washing the feet of my lord’s servants.”

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.

Then she got ready in a hurry and traveled on a donkey, with her five young women who followed her. She followed the men David had sent, and became his wife.

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

David had taken Ahinoam of Jezreel also. They both became his wives.

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

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