1 S amuel 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.

Then Samuel died; and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him, and buried him at his house in Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran. Nabal and Abigail

2 T here 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.

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

3 N ow 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.

(now the man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was a Calebite),

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

that David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

5 D avid 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.

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

6 T ell him, ‘Long life to you! Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.

and thus you shall say, ‘ Have a long life, peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.

7 N ow 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.

Now I have heard that you have shearers; now your shepherds have been with us and we have not insulted them, nor have they missed anything all the days they were in Carmel.

8 A sk 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.’”

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

9 W hen David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal all those words in the name of David, and waited.

When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in David’s name; then they waited.

10 N abal 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.

But Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “ Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master.

11 S hall 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?”

Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men whose origin I do not know?”

12 S o David’s young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him all these words.

So David’s young men retraced their way and went back; and they came and told him according to all these words.

13 D avid 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.

David said to his men, “Each of you gird on his sword.” So each man girded on his sword. And David also girded on his sword, and about four hundred men went up behind David while two hundred stayed with the baggage.

14 B ut 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.

But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, and he scorned them.

15 B ut 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.

Yet the men were very good to us, and we were not insulted, nor did we miss anything as long as we went about with them, while we were in the fields.

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

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

17 N ow 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.”

Now therefore, know and consider what you should do, for evil is plotted against our master and against all his household; and he is such a worthless man that no one can speak to him.” Abigail Intercedes

18 T hen 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.

Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread and two jugs of wine and five sheep already prepared and five measures of roasted grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys.

19 S he said to her young men, “Go on before me. Behold, I am coming after you.” But she didn’t tell her husband, Nabal.

She said to her young men, “ Go on before me; behold, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

20 A s 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.

It came about as she was riding on her donkey and coming down by the hidden part of the mountain, that behold, David and his men were coming down toward her; so she met them.

21 N ow 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.

Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have guarded all that this man has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him; and he has returned me evil for good.

22 G od 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.”

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

23 W hen Abigail saw David, she hurried and got off of her donkey, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground.

When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from her donkey, and fell on her face before David and bowed herself to the ground.

24 S he 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.

She fell at his feet and said, “On me alone, my lord, be the blame. And please let your maidservant speak to you, and listen to the words of your maidservant.

25 P lease 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.

Please do not let my lord pay attention to this worthless man, 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 N ow 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.

“Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, since the Lord has restrained you from shedding blood, and from avenging yourself by your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be as Nabal.

27 N ow this present which your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.

Now let this gift which your maidservant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who accompany my lord.

28 P lease 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.

Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for the Lord will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil will not be found in you all your days.

29 T hough 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.

Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; but the lives of your enemies He will sling out as from the hollow of a sling.

30 I t 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,

And when the Lord does for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and appoints you ruler over Israel,

31 t hat 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.”

this will not cause grief or a troubled heart to my lord, both by having shed blood without cause and by my lord having avenged himself. When the Lord deals well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.”

32 D avid said to Abigail, “Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me!

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

33 B lessed is your discretion, and blessed are you, who have kept me today from blood guiltiness, and from avenging myself with my own hand.

and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand.

34 F or 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.”

Nevertheless, as the Lord God of Israel lives, who has restrained me from harming you, unless you had come quickly to meet me, surely there would not have been left to Nabal until the morning light as much as one male.”

35 S o 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.”

So David received from her hand what she had brought him and said to her, “ Go up to your house in peace. See, I have listened to you and granted your request.”

36 A bigail 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.

Then Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, 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; so she did not tell him anything at all until the morning light.

37 I n 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.

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 as a stone.

38 A bout ten days later, Yahweh struck Nabal, so that he died.

About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died. David Marries Abigail

39 W hen 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.

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 back His servant from evil. The Lord has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent a proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife.

40 W hen 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.”

When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you to take you as his wife.”

41 S he 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.”

She arose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, “Behold, your maidservant is a maid to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.”

42 A bigail 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.

Then Abigail quickly arose, and rode on a donkey, with her five maidens who attended her; 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 had also taken Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives.

44 N ow Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the 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 from Gallim.