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.

Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and mourned for him, and buried him at his house at Ramah. Then David arose, and went down to the wilderness 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, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great. 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.

Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail. This woman was intelligent and had a beautiful face; but the man was surly 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.

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, and 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.

Tell him, ‘Long life to you! Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, 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.

Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds have now been with us, and we didn’t harm them, neither 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 the young men find favor in your eyes; for we come on a good 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.

When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal all those 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.

Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days.

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, my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men who I don’t know where they come 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 way, and went back, and 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.

David said to his men, “Every man put on his sword!” Every man put on his sword. David also put on his sword. About four hundred men followed David, and two hundred stayed by the baggage.

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 Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to Greet our master; and he insulted 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 harmed, and we didn’t miss anything, as long as we went with 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 by day, all the while 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 evil is determined against our master, and against all his house; for he is such a worthless fellow that one can’t 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 hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two bottles of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five seahs of parched grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid 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. Behold, I am coming after you.” But she didn’t 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 rode on her donkey, and came down by the covert of the mountain, that behold, 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, “Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him. He has returned 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.

God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that belongs to him by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall.”

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 hurried and got off of her donkey, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself 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.

She fell at his feet, and said, “On me, my lord, on me be the blame! Please let your servant speak in your ears. Hear the words of your 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.

Please don’t let my lord pay attention to this worthless fellow, Nabal; for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; but I, your servant, didn’t 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.

Now therefore, my lord, as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, since Yahweh has withheld you from blood guiltiness, and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now therefore let your enemies, and those who seek evil to 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.

Now this present which your servant 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 servant. For Yahweh will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights Yahweh’s battles. Evil will not be found in you all 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.

Though men may rise up to pursue you, and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord will be bound in the bundle of life with Yahweh your God. He will sling out the souls of your enemies, as from the hollow 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,

It will come to pass, when Yahweh has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you prince 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 shall 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. When Yahweh has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant.”

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

David said to Abigail, “Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who sent you today 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.

Blessed is your discretion, and blessed are you, who have kept me today from blood guiltiness, 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 Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, who has withheld me from harming you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely there wouldn’t have been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall.”

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 that which she had brought him. Then he said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. Behold, I have listened to your voice, and have granted your request.”

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 behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. Therefore she told him nothing, until the 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.

In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

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

About ten days later, Yahweh struck Nabal, so that 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.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed is Yahweh, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil. Yahweh has returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head.” David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to himself as 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 had come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you, to take you to him as 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 arose, and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said, “Behold, your servant is 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.

Abigail hurried, and arose, and rode on a donkey, with five ladies of hers who followed her; and she went after 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 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.

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