Revised Literal Translation

1 Samuel 25:2-17

2And there wasa manוְאִ֨ישׁve.'IshH376in Maonבְּמָע֜וֹןbe.ma.'onH4584,whose possessionsוּמַעֲשֵׂ֣הוּu.ma.'a.Se.huH4639werein Carmelבַכַּרְמֶ֗לva.kar.MelH3760;and the manוְהָאִישׁ֙ve.ha.'IshH376wasveryמְאֹ֔דme.'OdH3966greatגָּד֣וֹלga.DolH1419,and he had threeשְׁלֹֽשֶׁת־she.lo.shet-H7969thousandאֲלָפִ֖ים'a.la.FimH505sheepצֹ֥אןtzonH6629,and a thousandוְאֶ֣לֶףve.'E.lefH505goatsעִזִּ֑ים'i.ZimH5795:and he was shearingבִּגְזֹ֥זbig.ZozH1494his sheepצֹאנ֖וֹtzo.NoH6629in Carmelבַּכַּרְמֶֽל׃ba.kar.MelH3760.

3Now the nameוְשֵׁ֤םve.ShemH8034of the manהָאִישׁ֙ha.'IshH376wasNabalנָבָ֔לna.ValH5037;and the nameוְשֵׁ֥םve.ShemH8034of his wifeאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ'ish.ToH802Abigailאֲבִגָ֑יִל'a.vi.Ga.yilH26: and she wasa womanוְהָאִשָּׁ֤הve.ha.'i.ShahH802of goodטֽוֹבַת־toat-H2896understandingשֶׂ֙כֶל֙se.khelH7922,and of a beautifulוִ֣יפַתVi.fatH3303countenanceתֹּ֔אַרTo.'arH8389:but the manוְהָאִ֥ישׁve.ha.'IshH376waschurlishקָשֶׁ֛הka.ShehH7186and evilוְרַ֥עve.Ra'H7451in his doingsמַעֲלָלִ֖יםma.'a.la.LimH4611; and he wasof the house of Calebכָלִבִּֽי׃khal.vovH3614.

4And Davidדָּוִ֖דda.VidH1732heardוַיִּשְׁמַ֥עvai.yish.Ma'H8085in the wildernessבַּמִּדְבָּ֑רba.mid.BarH4057that Nabalנָבָ֖לna.ValH5037did shearגֹזֵ֥זgo.ZezH1494his sheepצֹאנֽוֹ׃tzo.NoH6629.

5And Davidדָּוִ֖דda.VidH1732sent outוַיִּשְׁלַ֥חvai.yish.LachH7971tenעֲשָׂרָ֣ה'a.sa.RahH6235young menנְעָרִ֑יםne.'a.RimH5288,and Davidדָּוִ֜דda.VidH1732saidוַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto the young menלַנְּעָרִ֗יםla.ne.'a.RimH5288,Get you upעֲל֤וּ'a.LuH5927to Carmelכַרְמֶ֙לָה֙khar.Me.lahH3760,and goוּבָאתֶ֣םu.va.TemH935to Nabalנָבָ֔לna.ValH5037,and greetוּשְׁאֶלְתֶּם־ לְשָׁלֽוֹם׃u.she.'el.tem- le.sha.LomH7965 H7592him in my nameבִשְׁמִ֖יvish.MiH8034:

6And thus shall ye sayוַאֲמַרְתֶּ֥םva.'a.mar.TemH559to him that livethלֶחָ֑יle.ChaiH2416in prosperity,Peaceשָׁלוֹם֙sha.lOmH7965beboth to thee, and peaceשָׁל֔וֹםsha.LomH7965beto thine houseוּבֵיתְךָ֣u.vei.te.KhaH1004,and peaceשָׁלֽוֹם׃sha.LomH7965be unto all that thou hast.

7And now I have heardשָׁמַ֔עְתִּיsha.Ma'.tiH8085that thou hast shearersגֹזְזִ֖יםgo.ze.ZimH1494:now thy shepherdsהָרֹעִ֤יםha.ro.'ImH7462which were with us, we hurtהֶכְלַמְנ֗וּםhekh.lam.NumH3637them not, neither was there oughtמְא֔וּמָהme.'U.mahH3972missingנִפְקַ֤דnif.KadH6485unto them, all the whileיְמֵ֖יye.MeiH3117they were in Carmelבַּכַּרְמֶֽל׃ba.kar.MelH3760.

8Askשְׁאַ֨לshe.'AlH7592thy young menנְעָרֶ֜יךָne.'a.Rei.khaH5288,and they will shewוְיַגִּ֣ידוּve.ya.Gi.duH5046thee. Wherefore let the young menהַנְּעָרִ֥יםha.ne.'a.RimH5288findוְיִמְצְא֨וּve.yim.tze.'UH4672favourחֵן֙chenH2580in thine eyesבְּעֵינֶ֔יךָbe.'ei.Nei.khaH5869:for we comeבָּ֑נוּBa.nuH935in a goodט֖וֹבTovH2896dayי֥וֹםYomH3117:giveתְּנָה־te.nah-H5414,I pray thee, whatsoever comethתִּמְצָ֤אtim.Tza'H4672to thine handיָֽדְךָ֙ya.de.KhaH3027unto thy servantsלַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָla.'a.va.Dei.khaH5650,and to thy sonוּלְבִנְךָ֖u.le.vin.KhaH1121Davidלְדָוִֽד׃le.da.VidH1732.

9And when David’sדָוִ֔דda.VidH1732young menנַעֲרֵ֣יna.'a.ReiH5288cameוַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙vai.ya.Vo.'uH935,they spakeוַיְדַבְּר֧וּvay.da.be.RuH1696to Nabalנָבָ֛לna.ValH5037according to all those wordsהַדְּבָרִ֥יםha.de.va.RimH1697in the nameבְּשֵׁ֣םbe.ShemH8034of Davidדָּוִ֑דda.VidH1732,and ceasedוַיָּנֽוּחוּ׃vai.ya.Nu.chuH5117.

10And Nabalנָבָ֜לna.ValH5037answeredוַיַּ֨עַןvai.Ya.'anH6030David’sדָוִד֙da.VidH1732servantsעַבְדֵ֤י'av.DeiH5650,and saidוַיֹּ֔אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559, Who isDavidדָוִ֖דda.VidH1732? and who isthe sonבֶן־ven-H1121of Jesseיִשָׁ֑יyi.ShaiH3448?there be manyרַבּ֣וּra.BuH7231servantsעֲבָדִ֔ים'a.va.DimH5650now a daysהַיּוֹם֙hai.yOmH3117that break awayהַמִּתְפָּ֣רְצִ֔יםha.mit.Pa.re.TzimH6555every manאִ֖ישׁ'ishH376fromמִפְּנֵ֥יmi.pe.NeiH6440his masterאֲדֹנָֽיו׃'a.do.NavH113.

11Shall I then takeוְלָקַחְתִּ֤יve.la.kach.TiH3947my breadלַחְמִי֙lach.MiH3899,and my waterמֵימַ֔יmei.MaiH4325,and my fleshטִבְחָתִ֔יtiv.cha.TiH2878that I have killedטָבַ֖חְתִּיta.Vach.tiH2873for my shearersלְגֹֽזְזָ֑יle.go.ze.ZaiH1494,and giveוְנָֽתַתִּי֙ve.na.ta.TiH5414itunto menלַֽאֲנָשִׁ֔יםla.'a.na.ShimH582,whom I knowיָדַ֔עְתִּיya.Da'.tiH3045not whence they be?

12So David’sדָוִ֖דda.VidH1732young menנַעֲרֵֽי־na.'a.rei-H5288turnedוַיַּהַפְכ֥וּvai.ya.haf.KhuH2015their wayלְדַרְכָּ֑םle.dar.KamH1870,and went againוַיָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙vai.ya.Shu.vuH7725,and cameוַיָּבֹ֔אוּvai.ya.Vo.'uH935and toldוַיַּגִּ֣דוּvai.ya.Gi.duH5046him all those sayingsהַדְּבָרִ֥יםha.de.va.RimH1697.

13And Davidדָּוִ֨דda.VidH1732saidוַיֹּאמֶר֩vai.yo.MerH559unto his menלַאֲנָשָׁ֜יוla.'a.na.ShavH582,Gird ye onחִגְר֣וּ׀chig.RuH2296every manאִ֣ישׁ'ishH376his swordחַרְבּ֗וֹchar.BoH2719.And they girded onוַֽיַּחְגְּרוּ֙vai.yach.ge.RuH2296every manאִ֣ישׁ'ishH376his swordחַרְבּ֔וֹchar.BoH2719;and Davidדָּוִ֖דda.VidH1732also girded onוַיַּחְגֹּ֥רvai.yach.GorH2296his swordחַרְבּ֑וֹchar.BoH2719:and there went upוַֽיַּעֲל֣וּ׀vai.ya.'a.LuH5927afterאַחֲרֵ֣י'a.cha.ReiH310Davidדָוִ֗דda.VidH1732about fourכְּאַרְבַּ֤עke.'ar.Ba'H702hundredמֵאוֹת֙me.'OtH3967menאִ֔ישׁ'IshH376;and two hundredוּמָאתַ֖יִםu.ma.Ta.yimH3967abodeיָשְׁב֥וּya.she.VuH3427by the stuffהַכֵּלִֽים׃ha.ke.LimH3627.

14But oneאֶחָ֛ד'e.ChadH259of the young menH5288toldהִגִּ֧ידhi.GidH5046Abigailוְלַאֲבִיגַ֙יִל֙ve.la.'a.vi.Ga.yilH26,Nabal’sנָבָ֔לna.ValH5037wifeאֵ֣שֶׁת'E.shetH802,sayingלֵאמֹ֑רle.MorH559,Behold, Davidדָּוִ֨דda.VidH1732sentשָׁלַח֩sha.LachH7971messengersמַלְאָכִ֧ים׀mal.'a.KhimH4397out of the wildernessמֵֽהַמִּדְבָּ֛רme.ha.mid.BarH4057to saluteלְבָרֵ֥ךְle.va.RekhH1288our masterאֲדֹנֵ֖ינוּ'a.do.Nei.nuH113;and he railedוַיָּ֥עַטvai.Ya.'atH5860on them.

15But the menוְהָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔יםve.Ha.'a.na.ShimH582wereveryמְאֹ֑דme.'OdH3966goodטֹבִ֥יםto.VimH2896unto us, and we were not hurtהָכְלַ֙מְנוּ֙ha.khe.Lam.nuH3637,neither missedפָקַ֣דְנוּfa.Kad.nuH6485we any thingמְא֔וּמָהme.'U.mahH3972,as long asיְמֵי֙ye.MeiH3117we were conversantהִתְהַלַּ֣כְנוּhit.ha.Lakh.nuH1980with them, when we were in the fieldsבַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃ba.sa.DehH7704:

16They were a wallחוֹמָה֙cho.MahH2346unto us both by nightלַ֖יְלָהLay.lahH3915and dayיוֹמָ֑םyo.MamH3119,all the whileיְמֵ֛יye.MeiH3117we were with them keepingרֹעִ֥יםro.'ImH7462the sheepהַצֹּֽאן׃ha.TzonH6629.

17Now therefore knowדְּעִ֤יde.'IH3045and considerוּרְאִי֙u.re.'IH7200what thou wilt doתַּעֲשִׂ֔יta.'a.SiH6213;for evilהָרָעָ֛הha.ra.'AhH7451is determinedכָלְתָ֧הkhal.TahH3615against our masterאֲדֹנֵ֖ינוּ'a.do.Nei.nuH113,and against all his householdבֵּית֑וֹbei.ToH1004: for he is sucha sonבֶּן־ben-H1121of Belialבְּלִיַּ֔עַלbe.li.Ya.'alH1100, that a mancannot speakמִדַּבֵּ֖רmi.da.BerH1696to him.

Read all of 1 Samuel 25

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 25