1 Samuel 25:4-37

4that DavidH1732 heardH8085 in the wildernessH4057 that NabalH5037 was shearingH1494 his sheepH6629. 5So DavidH1732 sentH7971 tenH6235 youngH5288 menH5288; and DavidH1732 saidH559 to the youngH5288 menH5288, “GoH5927 upH5927 to CarmelH3760 and 1visitH935H413 NabalH5037, and greetH7592H7965 him in my nameH8034; 6and thisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 you shall sayH559: ‘2Have a long lifeH2416, 3peaceH7965 to you, and peaceH7965 to your houseH1004, and peaceH7965 to allH3605 that you have! 7NowH6258 then, I have heardH8085 4that you have shearersH1494. NowH6258, your shepherdsH7462 have beenH1961 with us; we have not harmedH3637 them, 5norH3808 has anythingH3972 of theirs goneH6485 missingH6485 allH3605 the daysH3117 they were in CarmelH3760. 8AskH7592 your youngH5288 menH5288 and they will tellH5046 you. Therefore let my youngH5288 menH5288 findH4672 favorH2580 in your eyesH5869, for we have comeH935 on 6a 7festiveH2896 dayH3117. PleaseH4994 giveH5414 whateverH834 you findH4672 at handH3027 to your servantsH5650 and to your sonH1121 DavidH1732.’”

9When David’sH1732 youngH5288 menH5288 cameH935, they spokeH1696 to NabalH5037 in accordance with allH3605 theseH428 wordsH1697 in David’sH1732 nameH8034; then they waitedH5117. 10But NabalH5037 answeredH6030 David’sH1732 servantsH5650 and saidH559, “8WhoH4310 is DavidH1732? And whoH4310 is the sonH1121 of JesseH3448? There areH7231 manyH7231 servantsH5650 todayH3117 who are eachH376 breakingH6555 awayH6555 from his masterH113. 11Shall I then 9takeH3947 my breadH3899 and my waterH4325 and my meatH2878 that I have slaughteredH2873 for my shearersH1494, and giveH5414 it to menH376 10whoseH834 originH4480H2088H335 I do not knowH3045?” 12So David’sH1732 youngH5288 menH5288 madeH2015 their wayH1870 backH2015 and returnedH7725; and they cameH935 and informedH5046 him in accordance with allH3605 theseH428 wordsH1697. 13Then DavidH1732 saidH559 to his menH376, “EachH376 of you strapH2296 onH2296 his swordH2719.” So eachH376 manH376 strappedH2296 onH2296 his swordH2719. And DavidH1732 alsoH1571 strappedH2296 onH2296 his swordH2719, and about 11fourH702 hundredH3967 menH376 wentH5927 upH5927 behindH310 DavidH1732, while two hundredH3967 12stayedH3427 with the baggageH3627.

14Now oneH259 of the youngH5288 menH5288 toldH5046 AbigailH26, Nabal’sH5037 wifeH802, sayingH559, “BeholdH2009, DavidH1732 sentH7971 messengersH4397 from the wildernessH4057 to 1314greetH1288 our masterH113, and he spokeH5860 to them inH5860 angerH5860. 15Yet the menH376 were veryH3966 goodH2896 to us, and we were not 15harmedH3637, norH3808 did anythingH3972 goH6485 missingH6485 16asH3605H3117 longH3605H3117 as we wentH1980 with them, while we were in the fieldsH7704. 1617They were a wallH2346 to us bothH1571 by nightH3915 and by dayH3119, allH3605 the timeH3117 we were with them tendingH7462 the sheepH6629. 17NowH6258 then, beH3045 awareH3045 and 18considerH7200 whatH4100 you should doH6213, becauseH3588 harmH7463 is plottedH3615 againstH413 our masterH113 and againstH5921 allH3605 his householdH1004; and he is suchH4480 a 19worthlessH1100 manH1121 thatH4480 noH4480 one can speakH1696 to him.”

18Then AbigailH26 hurriedH4116 and 20tookH3947 two hundredH3967 loaves of breadH3899 and twoH8147 jugsH5035 of wineH3196, and fiveH2568 sheepH6629 already preparedH6213 and fiveH2568 measuresH5429 of roastedH7039 grainH7039, and a hundredH3967 cakesH6778 ofH6778 raisinsH6778 and two hundredH3967 cakesH1690 ofH1690 figsH1690, and she loadedH7760 them on donkeysH2543. 19Then she saidH559 to her youngH5288 menH5288, “21GoH5674 onH5674 aheadH6440 of me; beholdH2009, I am comingH935 afterH310 you.” But she did not tellH5046 her husbandH376 NabalH5037. 20And it happenedH1961 as she was ridingH7392 on her donkeyH2543 and comingH3381 downH3381 by the hiddenH5643 partH5643 of the mountainH2022, that beholdH2009, DavidH1732 and his menH376 were comingH3381 downH3381 towardH7122 her; so she metH6298 them. 21Now DavidH1732 had saidH559, “It is certainlyH389 for nothingH8267 that I have guardedH8104 everythingH3605 that thisH2088 man has in the wildernessH4057, so that nothingH3808H3972 has goneH6485 missingH6485 of allH3605 that belonged to him! For he has 22returnedH7725 me evilH7463 for goodH2899. 2223May GodH430 doH6213 soH3541 to the enemiesH340 of DavidH1732, and moreH3254 soH3541, 24ifH518 by morningH1242 I leaveH7604 aliveH7604 as much as one 25maleH8366H7023 of anyH3605 whoH834 belong to him.”

23When AbigailH26 sawH7200 DavidH1732, she hurriedH4116 and dismountedH3381 from her donkeyH2543, and fellH5307 on her faceH6440 in frontH639 of DavidH1732 26and bowedH2331 herself to the groundH776. 24She fellH5307 at his feetH7272 and saidH559, “On me 27aloneH589, my lordH113, be the blameH5771. And pleaseH4994 let your slaveH519 speakH1696 28to you, and listenH8085 to the wordsH1697 of your slaveH519. 25PleaseH4994 do not let my lordH113 29payH7760 attentionH3820 to thisH2088 30worthlessH1100 manH376, NabalH5037, for as his nameH8034 is, soH3651 is he. 31NabalH5037 is his nameH8034, and stupidityH5039 is with him; but I your slaveH519 did not seeH7200 the youngH5288 menH5288 of my lordH113 whomH834 you sentH7971.

26“NowH6258 then, my lordH113, as the LordH3068 livesH2416, and as your soulH5315 livesH2416, sinceH834 the LordH3068 has restrainedH4513 you from 32sheddingH935 bloodH1818, and 33from 34avengingH3467 yourself by your own handH3027, nowH6258 then, 35may your enemiesH340 and those who seekH1245 evilH7463 againstH413 my lordH113, be like NabalH5037. 27And nowH6258 let 36thisH2088 37giftH1293 whichH834 your servantH8198 has broughtH935 to my lordH113 be givenH5414 to the youngH5288 menH5288 who 38accompanyH1980H7272 my lordH113. 28PleaseH4994 forgiveH5375 39the offenseH6588 of your slaveH519; for 40the LordH3068 will certainlyH6213 makeH6213 for my lordH113 an 41enduringH539 houseH1004, becauseH3588 my lordH113 is 42fightingH3898 the battlesH4421 of the LordH3068, and 43evilH7463 will not be foundH4672 in you allH4480 your daysH3117. 29Should anyoneH120 riseH6965 upH6965 to pursueH7291 you and to seekH1245 your 44lifeH5315, then the 45lifeH5315 of my lordH113 shall be boundH6887 in the bundleH6872 of the livingH2416 with the LordH3068 your GodH430; but the 46livesH5315 of your enemiesH340 47He will slingH7049 outH7049 48as from the hollowH3709 of a slingH7050. 30And whenH3588 the LordH3068 doesH6213 for my lordH3068 in accordance with allH3605 the goodH2899 that He has spokenH1696 concerningH5921 you, and 49appointsH6680 you rulerH5057 overH5921 IsraelH3478, 31thisH2088 will not become an obstacleH6330 to you, or a 50troubledH4383 heartH3820 to my lordH113, both by having shedH8210 bloodH1818 withoutH2600 causeH2600 and by my lord’sH113 having 51avengedH3467 himself. 52When the LordH3068 dealsH3190 wellH3190 with my lordH113, then rememberH2142 your slaveH519.”

32Then DavidH1732 saidH559 to AbigailH26, “53BlessedH1288 be the LordH3068 GodH430 of IsraelH3478, whoH834 sentH7971 you thisH2088 dayH3117 to meetH7122 me, 33and blessedH1288 be your discernmentH2940, and blessedH1288 be you, 54whoH834 have keptH3607 me thisH2088 dayH3117 from 55bloodshedH935H1818 and from 56avengingH3467 myself by my own handH3027. 34NeverthelessH199, as the LordH3068 GodH430 of IsraelH3478 livesH2416, 57whoH834 has restrainedH4513 me from harmingH7489 you, ifH3588H3884 you had not comeH935 quicklyH4116 to meetH7122 me, there certainlyH3588H518 would not have been leftH3498 to NabalH5037 untilH5704 the morningH1242 lightH216 as much as one 58maleH8366H7023.” 35So DavidH1732 acceptedH3947 from her handH3027 whatH834 she had broughtH935 him, and saidH559 to her, “59GoH5927 upH5927 to your houseH1004 in peaceH7965. SeeH7200, I have listenedH8085 to 60you and 6162grantedH5375 your requestH6440.”

36Then AbigailH26 cameH935 to NabalH5037, and beholdH2009, he was having 63a feastH4960 in his houseH1004, like the feastH4960 of a kingH4428. And Nabal’sH5037 heartH3820 was cheerfulH2895 withinH5921 him, 64for he was veryH5704H3966 drunkH7910; so 65she did not tellH5046 him anythingH1697 66at allH6996H1419 untilH5704 the morningH1242 lightH216. 37But in the morningH1242, when the wineH3196 had goneH3318 outH3318 of NabalH5037, his wifeH802 toldH5046 him theseH428 thingsH1697, and his heartH3820 diedH4191 withinH7130 him so that he becameH1961 like a stoneH68.