BibleStudyIt 1 samuel 25
- 1 samuel Chapter 25
25 Then Samuel died. All the Israelites met together and they were very sad. Then they buried Samuel at his home in Ramah.
David went down to the Paran desert.
2-3 There was a very rich man who lived at Maon. His name was Nabal. He was a descendant of Caleb. His wife's name was Abigail. She was wise and beautiful. But Nabal was a cruel man who did evil things.
Nabal had some land near Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. He was with his men in Carmel as they cut the wool from his sheep.
4 While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was cutting the wool from his sheep. 5 So David sent ten young men to meet with Nabal. He said to them, ‘Go to Carmel and find Nabal. Tell him that David says “hello”. 6 Then give him this message: “We hope that you and your family are all well. We hope that everything you have is doing well. 7 David has heard that you are now cutting the wool from your sheep. When your shepherds were with us near Carmel, we did not hurt them. We did not take anything from them. 8 Your servants will tell you that, if you ask them. Now we have come to you at this special holiday time. So please be kind to the young men that David has sent to see you. They are your servants as well as his servants. Please give any extra food that you have to these young men and to your good friend David.” ’
9 David's men went to Carmel. They gave David's message to Nabal. They waited for Nabal to reply. 10 Nabal answered David's young men, ‘Who is this David? Do I know this son of Jesse? Many servants run away from their masters these days. 11 I have food and drink for the men who are cutting the wool from my sheep. I have cooked meat for them to eat. But I will not give anything to you. You might have come from anywhere!’
12 David's young men left Nabal. They returned to David and they told him everything that Nabal had said. 13 David said to his men, ‘Tie your swords onto your belts.’ So they all did that. David put his sword on his belt too. About 400 men went with David. About 200 men stayed at their camp.
14 One of Nabal's servants spoke to Nabal's wife, Abigail. He said to her, ‘David sent some of his men from the desert to say “hello” to our master. But our master insulted them. 15 David's men have been very kind to us. When we were with them in the fields, they did not hurt us. They did not take anything from us the whole time that we were there. 16 They kept us safe while we took care of Nabal's sheep. They kept us safe all the time, during the day and at night. 17 So please think carefully about this. Decide what you can do. If you do nothing, there will be great trouble for our master and all his family and servants. He is such a wicked man that he will not listen to anyone.’
18 Abigail quickly got some food. She got 200 loaves of bread, two leather bags of wine, five sheep that she had cooked, and five jars of grain that she had cooked. She also got 100 blocks of raisins and 200 blocks of dried figs. She put all these things on some donkeys. 19 She said to her servants, ‘You go first and I will follow you.’ But she did not tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.
20 Abigail rode her donkey along the path beside a mountain. Then she saw David and his men as they were coming towards her. So they all met each other. 21 David had just said to his men, ‘I kept Nabal's people and all his things safe in the desert. We did not take anything from him. But that has not helped us. I was kind to him, but he has done an evil thing to me in return. 22 I pray that God will punish me if I do not kill all the men in Nabal's family by tomorrow morning.’
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey. She bent her body down low on the ground to respect David. 24 She lay down at his feet. She said to David, ‘My master, I am the one who is guilty. I am your servant. Please let me say something and please listen to me. 25 Please sir, do not think about that wicked man Nabal. His name means “fool” and he really is a fool. But as for me, I did not see the young men that you sent.
26 I know this as surely as the Lord lives and as surely as you live: The Lord has stopped you from killing anyone today. You could have done that, but he has not let you do it. I pray that God will punish all your enemies in the same way that he will punish Nabal. 27 My master, please accept these gifts that I have brought for you and for your men. 28 I am your servant. Please forgive me for any sin. I know that the Lord will always choose someone from your family to be Israel's king. The Lord will do that because you fight battles on his behalf. I pray that you will not do any evil thing in your whole life. 29 People may chase after you and try to kill you. But the Lord your God will always keep you safe. He will throw your enemies away like someone who throws a stone from his sling. 30 The Lord will surely do for you all the good things that he has promised to do. He will make you the ruler of the Israelites. 31 When that happens, you will not feel sorry for something bad that you might have done today. You could have killed people today for no good reason. You could have tried to punish these people yourself. So please remember me when the Lord has helped you to rule as king.’
32 David said to Abigail, ‘I praise the Lord , Israel's God. He has sent you to meet me here today. 33 I thank you for your wisdom. May the Lord bless you because of what you have done to help me. You have stopped me from killing people today. I would have punished these people myself. 34 But the Lord has not let me hurt you. As surely as the Lord , Israel's God, lives, I would have killed all the men in Nabal's family before dawn. But you came quickly to meet me.’
35 David accepted Abigail's gifts that she had brought with her. He said to her, ‘Go back to your home and do not be afraid. I have listened to what you have said. I will do what you have asked for.’
36 Abigail returned to her husband, Nabal. He was eating a big feast with people in his house. It was as good as a king's feast. Nabal was happy and drunk. So Abigail did not tell him anything until the next morning.
37 The next morning, Nabal was no longer drunk. So Abigail told him about everything that she had done. Nabal's heart failed. His body became like a stone. 38 About ten days after that, the Lord caused Nabal to die.
39 David heard the news that Nabal had died. He said, ‘I praise the Lord . He has shown that I was right. Nabal insulted me but the Lord has punished him for that. The Lord stopped me from doing an evil thing. Now he has punished Nabal for the evil thing that he did.’
Then David sent a message to Abigail to ask her to marry him. 40 David's servants went to Carmel. They said to Abigail, ‘David has sent us to you. We must take you back with us to become his wife.’
41 Abigail bent her body down low so that her face touched the ground. She said, ‘I am happy to be David's servant. I am ready to wash the feet of his servants.’
42 Abigail quickly prepared her donkey to go with David's men. She took with her five young girls to be her servants. Abigail went to David and she became his wife.
43 David had already married Ahinoam from Jezreel town. So these two women became his wives. 44 Saul's daughter Michal had been David's wife. But Saul had then given her to Palti as his wife. Palti was the son of Laish, who came from Gallim town.
25 Samuel died. All the Israelites met together and mourned his death. They buried him at his home in Ramah.
Then David moved to the desert of Maon. [ a ] 2 There was a very rich man living in Maon. He had 3000 sheep and 1000 goats. That man was in Carmel taking care of some business. He went there to cut the wool from his sheep. 3 This man’s name was Nabal. [ b ] He was from Caleb’s family. Nabal’s wife was named Abigail. She was a wise and beautiful woman, but Nabal was a mean and cruel man.
4 David was in the desert when he heard that Nabal was cutting the wool from his sheep. 5 David sent ten young men to talk to Nabal. He told them, “Go to Carmel. Find Nabal and tell him ‘Hello’ for me.” 6 David gave them this message for Nabal: “May you and your family be well and all that you own be well. 7 I heard that you are cutting wool from your sheep. Your shepherds were with us for a while, and we did nothing wrong to them. We never took anything from your shepherds while they were at Carmel. 8 Ask your servants and they will tell you this is true. Please be kind to my young men. We come to you now, at this happy time. Please give these young men anything you can. Please do this for me, your friend [ c ] David.”
9 David’s men went to Nabal. They gave his message to Nabal, 10 but Nabal said, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? There are many slaves who have run away from their masters these days. 11 I have bread and water, and I have the meat I killed for my servants who cut the wool from my sheep. But I won’t give them to men I don’t even know.”
12 David’s men went back and told him everything that Nabal had said. 13 David’s response was, “Put on your swords.” So David and his men put on their swords. About 400 men went with David while 200 of them stayed with the supplies.
14 One of Nabal’s servants spoke to Nabal’s wife Abigail. The servant said, “David sent messengers from the desert to meet our master, but Nabal was rude to them. 15 These men were very good to us while we were out in the fields with the sheep. David’s men were with us the whole time, and they never did anything wrong to us. They did not take anything from us. 16 His men protected us night and day. They were like a wall around us—they protected us while we were with them caring for the sheep. 17 Nabal was foolish to say what he did. Terrible trouble is coming to our master and all his family. You need to think of something to do.”
18 Abigail quickly gathered up 200 loaves of bread, two full wine bags, five cooked sheep, about a bushel [ d ] of cooked grain, about 2 quarts [ e ] of raisins, and 200 cakes of pressed figs. She put them on donkeys. 19 Then Abigail told her servants, “Go on. I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband.
20 Abigail rode her donkey down to the other side of the mountain. She met David and his men coming from the other direction.
21 David was saying, “I protected Nabal’s property in the desert. I made sure not one of his sheep was missing. I did all that for nothing. I was good to him, but he was rude to me. 22 I swear, [ f ] I won’t let even one man in Nabal’s family live until tomorrow morning.”
23 Just then Abigail arrived. When she saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down with her face to the ground in front of him. 24 Abigail fell at his feet and said, “Sir, please let me talk to you. Listen to what I say. Blame me for what happened. 25 I didn’t see the men you sent. Sir, don’t pay any attention to that worthless man, Nabal. His name means ‘Foolish,’ and that is what he is. 26 The Lord has kept you from killing innocent people. As surely as the Lord lives and you as well, may your enemies and anyone else who wants to harm you be as cursed as Nabal is. 27 Now, I am bringing this gift to you. Please give these things to your men. 28 Please forgive me for doing wrong. I know the Lord will make your family strong because you fight his battles. People will never find anything bad about you as long as you live. 29 If someone chases you to kill you, the Lord your God will save your life. But he will throw away your enemies like a stone from a sling. 30 The Lord promised to do many good things for you, and he will keep his promises. He will make you leader over Israel. 31 So don’t do anything that would make you guilty of killing innocent people. Please don’t fall into that trap. Please remember me when the Lord blesses you.”
32 David answered Abigail, “Praise the Lord , the God of Israel. Praise God for sending you to meet me. 33 God bless you for your good judgment. You kept me from killing innocent people today. 34 As surely as the Lord , the God of Israel, lives, if you hadn’t come quickly to meet me, not one man in Nabal’s family would have lived until tomorrow morning. But the Lord prevented me from hurting you.”
35 Then David accepted Abigail’s gifts. He told her, “Go home in peace. I have listened to your request, and I will do what you asked.”
36 Abigail went back to Nabal, who was in the house. He had been eating like a king, and he was drunk and feeling good. So Abigail told Nabal nothing until the next morning. 37 The next morning, Nabal was sober, so his wife told him everything. He had a heart attack and became as stiff as a rock. 38 About ten days later, the Lord gave him a stroke and Nabal died.
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise the Lord ! He judged Nabal to be wrong for insulting me and kept me from doing something wrong. The Lord made Nabal pay for what he did.”
Then David sent a message to Abigail and asked her to be his wife. 40 His servants went to Carmel with this message, “David sent us to get you. He wants you to be his wife.”
41 Abigail bowed her face to the ground. She said, “I am willing to be your slave woman, even if it is only to wash the feet of my master’s servants.”
42 Abigail quickly got on a donkey and brought five of her maids with her. They followed David’s messengers. So Abigail became David’s wife. 43 David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. Both Ahinoam and Abigail were David’s wives. 44 David was also married to Saul’s daughter Michal, but Saul had taken her away from him and had given her to a man named Palti, son of Laish. Palti was from the town named Gallim.
25 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.
8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
9 And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?
12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.
18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
19 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.
20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert on the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.
21 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.
22 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,
24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.
25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.
26 Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
27 And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.
28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord , and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.
29 Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.
30 And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;
31 That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.
32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:
33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
34 For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.
36 And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.
39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord , that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.
40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife.
41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
42 And Abigail hasted, and arose and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.
44 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.
25 ( A ) Then Samuel died; and all Israel assembled and ( B ) mourned for him, and they ( C ) buried him at his house in Ramah. And David set out and went down to the ( D ) wilderness of Paran.
2 Now there was a man in ( E ) Maon whose business was in ( F ) Carmel; and the man was very [ a ] rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And it came about while ( G ) he was shearing his sheep in Carmel 3 (now the man’s name was Nabal, and his ( H ) wife’s name was Abigail. And the woman was [ b ] intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was ( I ) a Calebite), 4 that David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5 So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel and [ c ] visit Nabal, and greet him in my name; 6 and this is what you shall say: ‘ [ d ] Have a long life, ( J ) peace to you, and peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! 7 Now then, I have heard ( K ) that you have shearers. Now, your shepherds have been with us; we have not harmed them, ( L ) nor has anything of theirs gone missing all the days they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on ( M ) a [ e ] festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.’”
9 When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal in accordance with all these words in David’s name; then they waited. 10 But Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “ ( N ) Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master. 11 Shall I then ( O ) take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men [ f ] whose origin I do not know?” 12 So David’s young men made their way back and returned; and they came and informed him in accordance with all these words. 13 Then David said to his men, “Each of you strap on his sword.” So each man strapped on his sword. And David also strapped on his sword, and about ( P ) four hundred men went up behind David, while two hundred ( Q ) stayed with the baggage.
14 Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers from the wilderness to [ g ] ( R ) greet our master, and he spoke to them in anger. 15 Yet the men were very good to us, and we were not ( S ) harmed, nor did anything go missing [ h ] as long as we went with them, while we were in the fields. 16 ( T ) They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the time we were with them tending the sheep. 17 Now then, be aware and [ i ] consider what you should do, because harm is plotted against our master and against all his household; and he is such a [ j ] worthless man that no one can speak to him.”
18 Then Abigail hurried and ( U ) 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 cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and she loaded them on donkeys. 19 Then she said to her young men, “ ( V ) Go on ahead of me; behold, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 And it happened 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 Now David had said, “It is certainly for nothing that I have guarded everything that this man has in the wilderness, so that nothing has gone missing of all that belonged to him! For he has ( W ) returned me evil for good. 22 ( X ) May God do so to the enemies of David, and more so, ( Y ) if by morning I leave alive as much as one [ k ] male of any who belong to him.”
23 When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from her donkey, and fell on her face in front of David ( Z ) and bowed herself to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said, “On me [ l ] alone, my lord, be the blame. And please let your slave speak [ m ] to you, and listen to the words of your slave. 25 Please do not let my lord [ n ] pay attention to this [ o ] worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. [ p ] Nabal is his name, and stupidity is with him; but I your slave did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.
26 “Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, since the Lord has restrained you from [ q ] shedding blood, and ( AA ) from [ r ] avenging yourself by your own hand, now then, ( AB ) may your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be like Nabal. 27 And now let ( AC ) this [ s ] gift which your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who [ t ] accompany my lord. 28 Please forgive ( AD ) the offense of your slave; for ( AE ) the Lord will certainly make for my lord an [ u ] enduring house, because my lord is ( AF ) fighting the battles of the Lord , and ( AG ) evil will not be found in you all your days. 29 Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your [ v ] life, then the [ w ] life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; but the [ x ] lives of your enemies ( AH ) He will sling out [ y ] as from the hollow of a sling. 30 And when the Lord does for my lord in accordance with all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and ( AI ) appoints you ruler over Israel, 31 this will not become an obstacle to you, or a [ z ] troubled heart to my lord, both by having shed blood without cause and by my lord’s having [ aa ] avenged himself. ( AJ ) When the Lord deals well with my lord, then remember your slave.”
32 Then David said to Abigail, “ ( AK ) Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, 33 and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, ( AL ) who have kept me this day from [ ab ] bloodshed and from [ ac ] avenging myself by my own hand. 34 Nevertheless, as the Lord God of Israel lives, ( AM ) who has restrained me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, there certainly would not have been left to Nabal until the morning light as much as one [ ad ] male.” 35 So David accepted from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, “ ( AN ) Go up to your house in peace. See, I have listened to [ ae ] you and [ af ] ( AO ) granted your request.”
36 Then Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was having ( AP ) a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was cheerful within him, ( AQ ) for he was very drunk; so ( AR ) she did not tell him anything [ ag ] at all until the morning light. 37 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 About ten days later, ( AS ) the Lord struck Nabal and he died.
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord , who has ( AT ) pleaded the cause of the shame inflicted on me by the hand of Nabal, and ( AU ) has kept back His servant from evil. The Lord has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent [ ah ] ( AV ) a proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife. 40 When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife.” 41 And she got up ( AW ) and bowed with her face to the ground, and said, “Behold, your slave is a servant ( AX ) to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” 42 Then ( AY ) Abigail got up quickly, and rode on a donkey, with her five female attendants who [ ai ] accompanied her; and she followed the messengers of David and became his wife.
43 David had also taken Ahinoam of ( AZ ) Jezreel, and ( BA ) they both became his wives.
44 But Saul had given his daughter ( BB ) Michal, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from ( BC ) Gallim.
25 Now Samuel died, ( A ) and all Israel assembled and mourned ( B ) for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. ( C ) Then David moved down into the Desert of Paran. [ a ]
2 A certain man in Maon, ( D ) who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. ( E ) He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing ( F ) in Carmel. 3 His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. ( G ) She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite. ( H )
4 While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. 5 So he sent ten young men and said to them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. 6 Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health ( I ) to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours! ( J )
7 “‘Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat ( K ) them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. 8 Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever ( L ) you can find for them.’”
9 When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David’s name. Then they waited.
10 Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who ( M ) is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. 11 Why should I take my bread ( N ) and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”
12 David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word. 13 David said to his men ( O ) , “Each of you strap on your sword!” So they did, and David strapped his on as well. About four hundred men went ( P ) up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies. ( Q )
14 One of the servants told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings, ( R ) but he hurled insults at them. 15 Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat ( S ) us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. ( T ) 16 Night and day they were a wall ( U ) around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them. 17 Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked ( V ) man that no one can talk to him.”
18 Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs [ b ] of roasted grain, ( W ) a hundred cakes of raisins ( X ) and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. ( Y ) 19 Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead; ( Z ) I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell ( AA ) her husband Nabal.
20 As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. 21 David had just said, “It’s been useless—all my watching over this fellow’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing. ( AB ) He has paid ( AC ) me back evil ( AD ) for good. 22 May God deal with David, [ c ] be it ever so severely, ( AE ) if by morning I leave alive one male ( AF ) of all who belong to him!”
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. ( AG ) 24 She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, ( AH ) and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. 25 Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool ( AI ) , ( AJ ) and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. 26 And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed ( AK ) and from avenging ( AL ) yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal. ( AM ) 27 And let this gift, ( AN ) which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.
28 “Please forgive ( AO ) your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting ( AP ) dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord ’s battles, ( AQ ) and no wrongdoing ( AR ) will be found in you as long as you live. 29 Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, ( AS ) the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl ( AT ) away as from the pocket of a sling. ( AU ) 30 When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler ( AV ) over Israel, 31 my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember ( AW ) your servant.” ( AX )
32 David said to Abigail, “Praise ( AY ) be to the Lord , the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. 33 May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed ( AZ ) this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. 34 Otherwise, as surely as the Lord , the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal ( BA ) would have been left alive by daybreak.”
35 Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted ( BB ) your request.”
36 When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high ( BC ) spirits and very drunk. ( BD ) So she told ( BE ) him nothing at all until daybreak. 37 Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone. ( BF ) 38 About ten days later, the Lord struck ( BG ) Nabal and he died.
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord , who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.”
Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. 40 His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”
41 She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” 42 Abigail ( BH ) quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife. 43 David had also married Ahinoam ( BI ) of Jezreel, and they both were his wives. ( BJ ) 44 But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel [ d ] ( BK ) son of Laish, who was from Gallim. ( BL )