1 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 to the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
6 And thus shall you say to him that lives in prosperity, Peace be both to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.
7 And now I have heard that you have shearers: now your shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing to them, all the while they were in Carmel.
8 Ask your young men, and they will show you. Why let the young men find favor in your eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray you, whatever comes to your hand to your servants, and to your son David.
9 And when David' young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
10 And Nabal answered David' 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 to men, whom I know not from where they be?
12 So David' young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
13 And David said to his men, Gird you 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 stayed by the stuff.
14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal' 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 to 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 to us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
17 Now therefore know and consider what you will 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 to 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 has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him: and he has requited me evil for good.
22 So and more also do God to the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that urinates against the wall.
23 And when Abigail saw David, she hurried, 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, On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be: and let your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your audience, and hear the words of your handmaid.
25 Let not my lord, I pray you, 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 your handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom you did send.
26 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, seeing the LORD has withheld you from coming to shed blood, and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
27 And now this blessing which your handmaid has brought to my lord, let it even be given to the young men that follow my lord.
28 I pray you, forgive the trespass of your handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fights the battles of the LORD, and evil has not been found in you all your days.
29 Yet a man is risen to pursue you, and to seek your soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD your God; and the souls of your 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 has spoken concerning you, and shall have appointed you ruler over Israel;
31 That this shall be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood causeless, or that my lord has avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid.
32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent you this day to meet me:
33 And blessed be your advice, and blessed be you, which have kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with my own hand.
34 For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel lives, which has kept me back from hurting you, except you had hurried and come to meet me, surely there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light any that urinates against the wall.
35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said to her, Go up in peace to your house; see, I have listened to your voice, and have accepted your person.
36 And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal' heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: why 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 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 communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.
40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, David sent us to you, to take you to him to wife.
41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let your handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
42 And Abigail hurried, and arose and rode on 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' wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.
1 And Samuel died; and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him, and buried him at his home at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2 And there was a man in Maon whose business was 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 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 dealings. And he was of the house of Caleb.
4 When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep,
5 David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, Go up to Carmel, and when you have come to Nabal, and asked after his welfare in my name,
6 you shall say to him: Long life and peace to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have!
7 Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we have not hurt them, nor has there been anything missing from them all the days they were in Carmel.
8 Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let the young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a pleasant day. Please give whatever your hand finds to your servants and to your son David.
9 And when Davids young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited.
10 And Nabal answered Davids servants, and said, Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days breaking away each one from his master.
11 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 So Davids young men turned around on their way, returned and came and reported to him all these words.
13 And 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 up after David, and two hundred stayed with the supplies.
14 Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabals wife, saying, Behold, David had sent messengers from the wilderness to bless our master; and he yelled at them.
15 But the men were very good to us, and we have not been shamed, nor have we missed anything all the days we have traversed with them, when we were in the fields.
16 They have been a wall to us both by night and day, all the days we were with them keeping the sheep.
17 Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is a son of worthlessness, that no one can speak to him.
18 Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already done, five measures of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys.
19 And she said to her servants, Go on before me; behold, I am coming after you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
20 And so it was, as she rode on the donkey, that she went down under cover of the hill; and behold, David and his men were coming down toward her; and she met them.
21 Now David had thought to himself, Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing has been missing of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good.
22 God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave to him by morning light any of those who urinate against a wall.
23 Now when Abigail saw David, she hastened to dismount from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and prostrated to the ground.
24 And she fell at his feet and said: On me, my lord, on me be this iniquity! And please let your handmaid speak in your ears, and hear the words of your handmaid.
25 Please, let not my lord set his heart on this man of worthlessness, 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 the young men of my lord whom you sent.
26 Now therefore, my lord, as Jehovah lives and as your soul lives, since Jehovah has held you back from coming to blood and from delivering yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek evil upon my lord be as Nabal.
27 And now this blessing which your handmaid has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who travel on foot with my lord.
28 Please forgive the trespass of your handmaid; for Jehovah will bring about to prepare an established house for my lord, because my lord is fighting the battles of Jehovah, and evil is not found in you all your days.
29 If a man arises to pursue you and seek your soul, the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life with Jehovah your God; and the souls of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling.
30 And it shall come to pass, when Jehovah has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel,
31 that this will not be a matter of conscience, nor stumbling of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has delivered himself. But when Jehovah has dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid.
32 And David said to Abigail: Blessed is Jehovah the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me!
33 And blessed is your discernment and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to blood and from delivering myself with my own hand.
34 For indeed, as Jehovah the God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hastened and come to meet me, surely by morning light there would not have been left to Nabal any who urinate against a wall!
35 So David received from her hand what she had brought to him, and said to her, Go up to your house in peace. Behold, I have heeded your voice and respected your face.
36 And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabals heart was merry within him, for he was exceedingly drunk; therefore she did not tell him a word, little or much, until morning light.
37 And it came to pass in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, and his wife had informed him of these things, that his heart died within him, and he became like a stone.
38 And it came to pass, after about ten days, that Jehovah struck Nabal, and he died.
39 And when David heard that Nabal had died, he said, Blessed is Jehovah, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach at the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil! For Jehovah has returned the evil of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and spoke to Abigail, to take her as his wife.
40 And 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 for a wife.
41 And she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, Behold, your handmaid, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
42 And Abigail hurried and rose up and rode on a donkey, with five of her maidens going on foot; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; both of them were his wives.
44 And Saul had given Michal his daughter, Davids wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.