1 Samuel 25

1When SamuelH8050 diedH4191, allH3605 IsraelH3478 gatheredH6908 to mournH5594 for him; and they buried himH6912 at his homeH1004 in RamahH7414.

Then DavidH1732 set outH6965 and went downH3381 toH413 the WildernessH4057 of ParanH6290.1

David, Nabal, and Abigail

2Now there was a manH376 in MaonH4584 whose businessH4639 was in CarmelH3760. He was a veryH3966 wealthyH1419 manH376 with a thousandH505 goatsH5795 and threeH7969 thousandH505 sheepH6629, which he wasH1961 shearingH1494 in CarmelH3760. 3HisH376 nameH8034 was NabalH5037, and his wife’sH802 nameH8034 was AbigailH26. She was an intelligentH2896H7922 and beautifulH3303H8389 womanH802, but her husbandH376, a CalebiteH3820, was harshH7186 and evilH7451 in his dealingsH4611H1931.

4While DavidH1732 was in the wildernessH4057, he heardH8085 thatH3588 NabalH5037 was shearingH1494 sheepH6629. 5So DavidH1732 sentH7971 tenH6235 young menH5288 and instructed themH559H1732H5288, “Go upH5927 toH413 NabalH5037 at CarmelH3760. Greet himH7592H7965 in my nameH8034 6and say to himH559, ‘Long life to youH2416, and peaceH7965 to youH859 and to your houseH1004H7965 and to allH3605 thatH834 belongs to youH7965. 7NowH6258 I hearH8085 thatH3588 it is time for shearingH1494. When your shepherdsH7462 wereH1961 with usH5973, we did notH3808 harass themH3637, and nothingH3808H3972 of theirs was missingH6485 the wholeH3605 timeH3117 they wereH1961 in CarmelH3760. 8AskH7592 your young menH5288, and they will tellH5046 you. So let my young menH5288 findH4672 favor with youH2580H5869, forH3588 we have comeH935 onH5921 the dayH3117 of a feastH2896. PleaseH4994 giveH5414 whateverH834 you can spareH4672H3027 to your servantsH5650 and to your sonH1121 DavidH1732.’”

9When David’sH1732 young menH5288 arrivedH935, they relayedH1696 allH3605 theseH428H8034 wordsH1697 toH413 NabalH5037 on behalf of DavidH1732. Then they waitedH5117.

10

But NabalH5037 askedH559 themH5650H1732, “WhoH4310 is DavidH1732? WhoH4310 is this son ofH1121 JesseH3448? ManyH7231 servantsH5650 these daysH3117 are breaking awayH6555H376 fromH6440 their mastersH113. 11Why should I takeH3947 my breadH3899 andH853 waterH4325 and the meatH2878 I have slaughteredH2873 for my shearersH1494, and give themH5414 to these menH582 whose originH335H2088H1992 I do notH3808 knowH3045?”

12So David’sH1732 menH5288 turned aroundH2015H1870 and went backH7725H935, and they relayedH5046 to him allH3605 theseH428 wordsH1697.

13And DavidH1732 saidH559 to his menH582, “Strap onH2296 your swordsH2719!” So DavidH1732 andH1571 all his menH376 strapped onH2296 their swordsH2719H2296, and about fourH702 hundredH3967 menH376 followedH5927H310 DavidH1732, while two hundredH3967 stayedH3427 withH5921 the suppliesH3627.

14Meanwhile, oneH259 of Nabal’sH5288 young menH5288H559 informedH5046 Nabal’sH5037 wifeH802 AbigailH26, “LookH2009, DavidH1732 sentH7971 messengersH4397 from the wildernessH4057 to greetH1288 our masterH113, but he screamedH5860 at them. 15Yet these menH582 were veryH3966 goodH2896 to us. When we wereH1961 in the fieldH7704, we were notH3808 harassedH3637, and nothingH3808H3972 of ours went missingH6485 the wholeH3605 timeH3117 we livedH1980 among themH854. 16They wereH1961 a wallH2346 around usH5921, bothH1571 dayH3119 andH1571 nightH3915, the wholeH3605 timeH3117 we wereH1961 herdingH7462 our sheepH6629 near themH5973. 17NowH6258 consider carefullyH3045H7200 whatH4100 you must doH6213, becauseH3588 disasterH7451 loomsH3615 overH413 our masterH113 andH5921 allH3605 his householdH1004. For heH1931 is such a scoundrelH1121H1100 that nobody can speakH1696 to himH413!”

Abigail Intercedes for Nabal

18Then AbigailH26 hurriedH4116 and tookH3947 two hundredH3967 loaves of breadH3899, twoH8147 skinsH5035 of wineH3196, fiveH2568 butcheredH6213 sheepH6629, fiveH2568 seahsH5429 of roasted grainH7039,2 a hundredH3967 clusters of raisinsH6778, and two hundredH3967 cakes of figsH1690. She loaded themH7760 onH5921 donkeysH2543 19and saidH559 to her young menH5288, “GoH5674 ahead of meH6440. I will beH2005 right behind youH310H935.” But she did notH3808 tellH5046 her husbandH376 NabalH5037.

20

AsH1931 Abigail came ridingH7392H5921 her donkeyH2543 into a mountainH3381H2022 ravineH5643, she sawH2009 DavidH1732 and his menH582 coming downH3381 toward herH7122, and she metH6298 themH853.

21Now DavidH1732 had justH389 saidH559, “In vainH8267 I have protectedH8104 allH3605 thatH834 belonged to this manH2088 in the wildernessH4057. NothingH3808H3605 thatH834 belongs to him has gone missingH6485, yet he has paid me backH7725 evilH7451 forH8478 goodH2896. 22May GodH430 punishH3541H6213 DavidH1732,3 and ever soH3541 severelyH3254, if I letH518 oneH3605 maleH834 belonging to Nabal surviveH7604 untilH5704 morningH1242.”

23When AbigailH26 sawH7200 DavidH1732, she quicklyH4116 got offH3381 the donkeyH5921H2543, fellH5307H5921 facedownH6440, and bowedH7812H776 beforeH639 himH1732. 24She fellH5307 atH5921 his feetH7272 and saidH559, “My lordH113, may the blame beH5771 on me aloneH589, but pleaseH4994 let your servantH519 speakH1696 to youH241; hearH8085 the wordsH1697 of your servantH519. 25My lordH113 should pay noH408H4994 attentionH7760H3820 toH413 thisH2088H5921 scoundrelH1100H376 NabalH5037,4 forH3588 heH1931 lives up to his nameH8034H3651: His nameH8034 means FoolH5037, and follyH5039 accompanies himH5973. IH589, your servantH519, did notH3808 seeH7200 my lord’sH113 young menH5288 whomH834 you sentH7971.

26NowH6258, my lordH113, as surely as the LORDH3068 livesH2416 and youH5315 yourself liveH2416, since the LORDH3068 has held you backH4513 fromH935 bloodshedH1818 and from avengingH3467 yourself with your own handH3027, may your enemiesH341 and those who seekH1245 harmH7451 forH413 my lordH113 beH1961 like NabalH5037.

27NowH6258 let thisH2063 giftH1293 your servantH8198 has broughtH935 to my lordH113 be givenH5414 to the young menH5288 who followH1980H7272 you. 28PleaseH4994 forgiveH5375 your servant’sH519 offenseH6588, forH3588 the LORDH3068 will surely makeH6213 a lastingH539 dynastyH1004 for my lordH113, becauseH3588 heH113 fightsH3898 the LORD’sH3068 battlesH4421. May no evilH7451H3808 be foundH4672 in you as long as you liveH3117.

29And should someoneH6965H120 pursue youH7291 and seekH1245 your lifeH5315, then the lifeH5315 of my lordH113 will beH1961 bound securelyH6887 byH854 the LORDH3068 your GodH430 in the bundleH6872 of the livingH2416. ButH853 He shall fling awayH7049H8432 the livesH5315 of your enemiesH341 like stones from a slingH7050.5

30

WhenH3588 the LORDH3068 has doneH6213 for my lordH113 allH3605 the goodH2896 He promisedH1696, and when He has appointed youH6680 rulerH5057H5921 overH5921 IsraelH3478, 31then my lordH113 will haveH1961 noH3808H2063 remorseH6330 or guiltH4383 of conscienceH3820 over needlessH2600 bloodshedH8210H1818 and revengeH3467. And when the LORDH3068 has dealt wellH3190 with my lordH113, may you rememberH2142 your servantH519.”

32Then DavidH1732 saidH559 to AbigailH26, “BlessedH1288 be the LORDH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, whoH834 sent youH7971 to meet meH7122 thisH2088 dayH3117! 33BlessedH1288 is your discernmentH2940, and blessedH1288 are youH859, becauseH834 todayH3117H2088H935 you kept meH3607 from bloodshedH1818 and from avenging myselfH3467 by my own handH3027. 34OtherwiseH199, as surely as the LORDH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, livesH2416, whoH834 has restrained meH4513 from harmingH7489 youH853, if you had notH3588H3884 comeH935 quicklyH4116 to meet meH7122, then surelyH3588 noH518 maleH8366 belonging to NabalH5037 would have been left aliveH3498 byH5704 morningH1242 lightH216.”

35Then DavidH1732 acceptedH3947 from her handH3027 whatH834 she had broughtH935 him, and he saidH559 to her, “GoH5927 homeH1004 in peaceH7965. SeeH7200, I have heededH8085 your voiceH6963 and granted your requestH5375H6440.”

36When AbigailH26 returnedH935 toH413 NabalH5037, thereH2009 he was in the houseH1004H4960, holding a feastH4960 fit for a kingH4428, in highH2895 spiritsH3820 and veryH5704H3966 drunkH7910. So sheH3808 toldH5046 him nothingH6996 untilH5704 morningH1242 lightH216.

37

In the morningH1242 when NabalH5037 was soberH3318H3196, his wifeH802 toldH5046 him about theseH428 eventsH1697, and his heartH3820 failedH4191 within himH7130, and heH1931 becameH1961 like a stoneH68. 38About tenH6235 days laterH3117, the LORDH3068 struckH5062 NabalH5037 deadH4191.

David Marries Abigail

39On hearingH8085 thatH3588 NabalH5037 was deadH4191, DavidH1732 saidH559, “BlessedH1288 be the LORDH3068, whoH834 has upheldH7378 my causeH7379 againstH3027 the reproachH2781 of NabalH5037 andH853 has restrainedH2820 His servantH5650 from evilH7451. ForH853 the LORDH3068 has broughtH7725 the wickednessH7451 of NabalH5037 down upon his own headH7218.”

Then DavidH1732 sentH7971 wordH1696 to AbigailH26, askingH3947 her to become his wifeH802. 40WhenH1732 his servantsH5650 cameH935 toH413 AbigailH26 at CarmelH3760, they saidH1696, “DavidH1732 has sent usH7971 to take youH413H3947 as his wifeH802.”

41She aroseH6965, bowedH7812 facedownH639H776, and saidH559, “Here isH2009 your servantH519, ready to serveH8198 and to washH7364 the feetH7272 of my lord’sH113 servantsH5650.”

42So AbigailH26 hurriedH4116 and got onH7392H5921 a donkeyH2543, and attendedH1980 by fiveH2568 of her maidensH5291H7272, she followedH1980H310 David’sH1732 messengersH4397 and becameH1961 his wifeH802.

43DavidH1732 had alsoH853 marriedH3947 AhinoamH293 of JezreelH3157. So she and Abigail were bothH8147H1961 hisH1571 wivesH802. 44But SaulH7586 had givenH5414 his daughterH1323 MichalH4324, David’sH1732 wifeH802, to PaltiH64066 sonH1121 of LaishH3919, whoH834 was from GallimH1554.