撒母耳记上 25-27
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
大卫与亚比该
25 撒母耳死了，以色列人都聚在一起哀悼他，把他安葬在拉玛他自己的坟地里。之后，大卫到了巴兰的旷野。 2 玛云有个富翁拥有三千只绵羊和一千只山羊，他的产业在迦密。当时他正在迦密剪羊毛。 3 他名叫拿八，是迦勒族人，妻子名叫亚比该，既聪慧又漂亮。拿八粗暴凶恶。 4 大卫在旷野得知拿八正在剪羊毛， 5 就派十个部下到迦密去见拿八，吩咐他们以他的名义向拿八问安， 6 对拿八说：“愿你和你全家平安，愿你一切顺利！ 7 我听说你正在剪羊毛。你的牧人与我们在迦密的时候，我们没有欺负过他们，他们没有丢过任何东西。 8 你问问你的仆人就知道了。请你恩待我的部下，因为今天是好日子，求你随手赏一点东西给晚辈我和我的部下。”
9 大卫的部下就去把大卫的话告诉拿八，等候他的答复。 10 拿八说：“大卫是谁？耶西的儿子是谁？这些日子有很多仆人逃离主人， 11 我怎能把饼、水和为剪羊毛者预备的肉分给一群来历不明的人呢？” 12 大卫的部下回去把拿八的话禀告大卫。 13 大卫听了，就吩咐众人备刀，他自己也带了刀去拿八那里。大卫带了四百人去，留下二百人看守营地。
14 拿八的一个仆人告诉拿八的妻子亚比该说：“大卫从旷野派人来向我们主人问安，主人却辱骂他们。 15 大卫的仆人对我们很好，从来不欺负我们。我们跟他们一起在田野的时候，从来没有丢过任何东西。 16 我们在他们附近牧羊的时候，他们昼夜不断地保护我们。 17 所以，请你赶快想个法子，不然主人和他全家恐怕都会大难临头。主人是个凶暴的人，没有人敢跟他说话。”
18 亚比该连忙用驴驮上二百块饼、两皮袋酒、五只宰好了的羊、三十七升烤麦、一百块葡萄饼和二百块无花果饼， 19 又吩咐仆人说：“你们先去吧！我随后就来。”她没有把这事告诉丈夫拿八。 20 她骑着驴下山的时候，就看见大卫和他的部下迎面而来。 21 大卫曾说：“我在旷野保护这人的羊群，使它们不致丢失，真是枉费功夫。他竟以怨报德。 22 如果我让他家里一个男子活到明早，愿上帝重重地惩罚我！”
23 亚比该看见大卫，连忙下驴俯伏下拜。 24 她俯伏在大卫脚前说：“我主啊，我愿意承担一切的罪过，请听婢女说。 25 请不要理会拿八那个恶徒，他人如其名[a]，是个名符其实的蠢人。当时婢女没有见到你派来的使者。 26 我主啊，既然耶和华阻止你亲手杀人报仇，我就凭永活的耶和华和你的性命起誓，愿你的仇敌和伤害你的人都像拿八一样没有好下场。 27 现在，请把婢女带来的礼物分给你的部下吧。 28 请饶恕婢女的罪过，耶和华必使你的子孙世代做王，因为你是在为耶和华而战，愿你一生没有过错。 29 你就是被人追杀，也会在你的上帝耶和华的保护下安然无恙。你敌人的性命却要像石头一样被耶和华用投石器抛出去。 30-31 如果你现在没有杀人报仇，伤害无辜，到了耶和华照应许赐福给你、立你做以色列王的时候，你就不会心里不安了。我主啊，耶和华赐福给你的时候，求你不要忘了婢女。”
32 大卫对亚比该说：“以色列的上帝耶和华当受称颂！祂今天派你来见我。 33 你很有见识，你今天拦阻我亲手杀人复仇，值得称赞。 34 我凭阻止我杀你的以色列的上帝——永活的耶和华起誓，若不是你赶来迎接我，拿八家中不会有一个男子活到明天早上。” 35 大卫接受了亚比该的礼物，对她说：“安心回家吧，我答应你的请求。”
36 她回到家时，拿八正在大摆宴席，排场如御宴。她见拿八心情愉快，喝得酩酊大醉，就什么也没告诉他，等第二天早上再说。 37 次日清晨，拿八酒醒以后，他妻子把发生的一切告诉他，他吓得昏死过去，身体僵硬如石。 38 过了十天，耶和华击打拿八，他就死了。
39 大卫听见拿八的死讯，就说：“赞美耶和华！拿八羞辱我，祂为我申了冤，又阻止仆人行恶。祂使拿八得到了报应。”后来，大卫差遣使者去向亚比该求婚。 40 他的使者就启程到迦密去向亚比该传达大卫的心意。 41 亚比该听了，立刻俯伏在地上说：“婢女愿意效劳，为我主的仆人洗脚。” 42 她连忙骑上驴，带了五个侍女，跟随大卫的使者前去，做了大卫的妻子。 43 大卫已经娶了耶斯列人亚希暖，她们二人就同做大卫的妻子。 44 扫罗已经把自己的女儿——大卫的妻子米甲嫁给了迦琳人拉亿的儿子帕提。
大卫再次放过扫罗
26 西弗人到基比亚见扫罗，说：“大卫正躲在旷野附近的哈基拉山中。” 2 扫罗就带领三千以色列精兵到西弗的旷野去追捕大卫。 3 他们在旷野附近路边的哈基拉山上扎营。大卫在旷野听说扫罗追来了， 4 就派人去打探消息，得知扫罗的追兵果然已到。 5 大卫来到扫罗的营地，看见了他和他的元帅——尼珥的儿子押尼珥睡觉的地方，他睡在军营中间，其他人围绕着他扎营。 6 大卫问赫人亚希米勒和洗鲁雅的儿子约押的兄弟亚比筛：“谁愿意跟我到扫罗的营里？”亚比筛答道：“我愿意。” 7 大卫和亚比筛就趁夜间走进扫罗的军营，发现扫罗正在熟睡，他的矛插在地上，靠近他的头，押尼珥和其他人睡在他周围。 8 亚比筛对大卫说：“现在上帝把你的敌人交在你手中了，让我一矛把他钉在地上，决不用刺第二下。” 9 大卫却说：“不要杀他，谁杀害耶和华所膏立的王，都难逃罪责。 10 我凭永活的耶和华起誓，耶和华必亲手击杀他。他要么寿终而死，要么命丧沙场。 11 我在耶和华面前绝不敢出手伤害祂所膏立的王。我们拿走他旁边的矛和水瓶吧。” 12 大卫拿上扫罗的矛和水瓶同亚比筛离开了，没有人看见，没有人知道，他们都在沉睡，没有人醒来，因为耶和华使他们都熟睡了。
13 大卫爬上营地对面的山坡，远远地站在山顶上，与他们相距很远。 14 他呼喊扫罗的士兵和尼珥的儿子押尼珥：“押尼珥，你回答我！”押尼珥问道：“你是谁，竟敢在王面前喊叫？” 15 大卫说：“你不是勇士吗？在以色列有谁比得上你呢？有人来刺杀你的王，你的主，你为何没有保护他呢？ 16 你失职了。我凭永活的耶和华起誓，你们都该死。因为你们没有保护你们的主——耶和华所膏立的王。你看看王身边的矛和水瓶在哪里？”
17 扫罗听出是大卫的声音，就说：“我儿大卫！是你吗？”大卫答道：“我主我王啊，是我。 18 我主为什么又要追杀仆人呢？我做错了什么，犯了什么罪？ 19 我主我王，请听仆人说，如果是耶和华使你与我作对，愿祂悦纳我献上的祭物；如果这是出于人的主意，愿他们在耶和华面前受咒诅。因为他们赶我离开耶和华所赐的产业，叫我去服侍外族人的神明。 20 求你不要让我死在远离耶和华的异乡！以色列王为何要像在山上猎杀鹧鸪一样追捕一只跳蚤呢？”
21 扫罗说：“我犯罪了。我儿大卫，你回来吧，我不会再伤害你，因为你今日保存了我的性命。我真是糊涂，犯了大错。” 22 大卫答道：“王的矛在这里，请派一个人来拿回去吧。 23 耶和华赐福给公义、信实的人。今天耶和华把你交在我手中，但我不愿下手伤害耶和华所膏立的王。 24 我今天保存了你的性命，愿耶和华也保存我的性命，救我脱离一切患难。” 25 扫罗对大卫说：“我儿大卫，愿你蒙福。你一定能建功立业，战胜仇敌。”于是，大卫起身离开，扫罗也回家去了。
大卫投奔非利士人
27 大卫心里想：“终有一天，我会死在扫罗手里，我最好逃到非利士人那里。这样，扫罗就不会在以色列到处追捕我了，我便可以逃离他的手。” 2 于是，大卫率领他的六百个随从去投靠玛俄的儿子迦特王亚吉。 3 他部下的家眷和他的两位妻子——耶斯列人亚希暖和拿八的遗孀迦密人亚比该也跟他一同住在迦特王亚吉那里。 4 扫罗听到这个消息，就不再追捕他了。 5 大卫对亚吉说：“如果你开恩，就让我到郊野的一个城邑去住吧，何必让仆人与王一同住在都城呢？” 6 亚吉当天把洗革拉赐给他，因此那地方至今仍属犹大王。 7 大卫在非利士人的地方共住了一年零四个月。 8 他率领部下袭击基述人、基色人和亚玛力人，这些人自古以来就住在远至书珥和埃及一带的地方。 9 大卫攻打那一带，杀死所有的人，抢走牛、羊、驴、骆驼和衣物，回去见亚吉。 10 亚吉问：“你们今天攻打了哪里？”大卫会说：“攻打了犹大南部”，或说：“攻打了耶拉篾南部”，或说：“攻打了基尼南部。” 11 大卫把那地方的人都杀掉，一个也不带到迦特，因为他害怕他们会泄露真相。大卫在非利士人那里居住的时候，常常这样做。 12 亚吉相信了大卫的话，心里想：“以色列人恨透了大卫，他必永远留在迦特做我的仆人。”
Footnotes
- 25:25 “拿八”意思是“愚蠢”。
撒母耳记上 25-27
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
撒母耳逝世
25 撒母耳死了，以色列众人都聚集起来，为他哀哭，把他埋葬在拉玛他自己的家里。大卫起身，下到巴兰的旷野去。
大卫遣仆求拿八馈赠
2 在玛云有一个人，他的产业在迦密。他是一个很富有的人，有绵羊三千只，山羊一千只，那时他正在迦密剪羊毛。 3 那人名叫拿八，他的妻子名叫亚比该。这女人既聪明，又美丽。但那男人为人粗暴，又行事凶恶。他是个迦勒族的人。 4 大卫在旷野听说拿八正在剪羊毛， 5 就差派十个仆人，对他们说：“你们上迦密去见拿八，以我的名义向他问安。 6 你们要这样说：‘愿你长寿！愿你平安！愿你的家平安！愿你所有的一切都平安！ 7 现在我听说有人为你剪羊毛。你的牧人与我们在一起的时候，我们都没有侮辱他们；他们在迦密的日子，也从没有遗失过甚么。 8 你可以问问你的仆人，他们必会告诉你。愿我派来的这些仆人在你眼前蒙恩，因为我们是在好日子来的，请你把手中所有的，随便赏赐一点给你的仆人和你的儿子大卫。’”
9 大卫的仆人到了，就以大卫的名义，把这些话都对拿八说了，然后等候答复。
拿八辱骂仆人
10 拿八回答大卫的仆人说：“大卫是谁？耶西的儿子是谁？现在离开主人逃走的仆人太多了。 11 我怎能把我的饼、我的水，和我为剪羊毛的人宰杀的肉，给那些我不知道从哪里来的人呢？” 12 于是大卫的仆人转回原路，回去了。他们到了以后，就把这一切话都告诉大卫。 13 大卫对跟随他的人说：“你们各人都佩上刀。”他们各人就佩上自己的刀，大卫也佩上自己的刀。跟随大卫上去的约有四百人，有二百人留下来看守器具。
14 拿八的一个仆人告诉拿八的妻子亚比该说：“大卫从旷野派遣使者来向我们的主人问候，主人却辱骂了他们。 15 但是，那些人对我们很好。我们在田野与他们往来的时候，他们都没有侮辱我们，我们也从没有遗失过甚么。 16 我们与他们在一起牧羊的日子，他们日夜都作保护我们的墙。 17 现在，你要想一想，看看你该怎么办，因为灾祸必定临到我们的主人和他的全家。他是一个性情凶恶的人，没有人敢对他说话。”
18 亚比该急忙拿了两百个饼、两皮袋酒、五只预备好了的羊、十七公斤烘好了的穗子、一百个葡萄饼、两百个无花果饼，都驮在驴背上， 19 然后对她的仆人说：“你们先去，我随着你们来。”这事她却没有告诉她的丈夫拿八。 20 亚比该骑着驴，正从山坡下来，忽见大卫和跟随他的人也正从对面迎着她走下来，亚比该就与他相遇了。 21 大卫曾经说过：“我在旷野看守这人一切所有的，使他一切所有的一样也没有失落，实在是白费心机了。他竟然对我以恶报善。 22 如果我让这人一切所有的，就是一个男丁，留到明天早晨， 神怎样惩罚大卫的仇敌，愿他也怎样加倍惩罚我。”
亚比该求大卫饶恕
23 亚比该见了大卫，就急忙从驴背下来，俯伏在大卫面前，脸伏于地，向他叩拜。 24 她又俯伏在大卫的脚前，说：“我主啊，愿这罪孽归我。求你容婢女向你讲话，求你听婢女所说的话。 25 请我主不要把这个性情凶恶的人拿八放在心上。因为他的名字怎样，他的为人也怎样。他名叫拿八，他也真是愚笨。我主派来的仆人，你的婢女并没有看见。 26 我主啊，现在我指着永活的耶和华，又在你面前起誓，耶和华既然阻止了你流人的血，又阻止了你亲手报仇，愿你的仇敌和那些谋害我主的人，都像拿八一样。 27 现在，请把你婢女给我主带来的这礼物，赐给跟随我主的仆人。 28 求你饶恕你婢女的过犯。耶和华必为我主建立一个坚固的家，因为我主为耶和华争战；在你一生的日子里，在你身上也找不到甚么过错。 29 虽然有人起来追赶你，寻索你的命，我主的性命必得保全在耶和华你的 神生命的囊中。至于你仇敌的命，耶和华却要甩去，像从甩石机甩出去一样。 30 将来耶和华照着他应许的一切善待了你，立了你作以色列的领袖的时候， 31 我主就不致因为无缘无故流人的血或亲自报仇而良心不安，心里有愧了。耶和华恩待了我主以后，求你记念你的婢女。”
大卫息怒
32 大卫对亚比该说：“耶和华以色列的 神是应当称颂的！他今天差派你来迎接我。 33 你的智慧和你的为人也是应当称赞的，因为你今天阻止了我流人的血，又阻止了我亲手报仇。 34 我指着那拦阻了我加害你的永活的耶和华以色列的 神起誓，如果你不及时来迎见我，到明天早晨，拿八所有的男丁必不留一个。” 35 大卫从亚比该手中接受了她带来给他的东西，就对她说：“你平平安安回家去吧！你看，我已经听了你的话，也答应了你的请求。”
拿八之死
36 亚比该到了拿八那里，他正在家中摆设筵席，好象帝王的筵席一样。拿八心里畅快，喝得烂醉如泥，所以无论大事小事亚比该都没有告诉他，直到第二天早晨。 37 到了早晨，拿八酒醒了，他的妻子才把这些事告诉他，他就吓得魂不附体，立刻中风瘫痪了。 38 大约过了十天，耶和华击打拿八，他就死了。
大卫娶亚比该为妻
39 大卫听见拿八死了，就说：“耶和华是应当称颂的，因为他为我伸了拿八羞辱我的冤，又阻止了仆人行恶，也使拿八的恶归到他自己的头上。”于是大卫派人去对亚比该说要娶她作他的妻子。 40 大卫的仆人到了迦密去见亚比该，对她说：“大卫差派我们到你这里来，要娶你作他的妻子。” 41 亚比该就起来，面伏于地叩拜，说：“婢女愿意作女仆，洗我主人的脚！” 42 亚比该急忙起来，骑上驴，带着五个跟随她的女仆，跟从大卫的使者去了，就作了大卫的妻子。
43 大卫先娶了耶斯列人亚希暖，她们二人都作了他的妻子。
44 扫罗已经把他的女儿米甲，就是大卫的妻子，赐给了迦琳人拉亿的儿子帕提作妻子。
扫罗在西弗旷野寻索大卫
26 西弗人到基比亚来见扫罗，说：“大卫不是在旷野前面的哈基拉山中躲藏起来吗？” 2 扫罗就动身，下到西弗旷野去，跟随他的有三千以色列精兵，要在西弗的旷野寻索大卫。 3 那时，扫罗在旷野前面的哈基拉山的路旁安营，大卫仍然住在旷野。大卫看见扫罗来到旷野追寻他， 4 就派出探子，知道扫罗已经到了纳康。 5 大卫起来，来到扫罗安营的地方，看见扫罗和他的元帅，尼珥的儿子押尼珥睡卧的地方。扫罗睡在军营的中央，众人都在他的周围安营。
大卫在西弗也不伤害扫罗
6 大卫问赫人亚希米勒和洗鲁雅的儿子约押的兄弟亚比筛，说：“谁愿与我一起下到扫罗的营里去呢？”亚比筛回答：“我愿与你一起下去。” 7 于是大卫和亚比筛趁着夜里到了众军那里。扫罗正躺在军营的中央睡着了，他的矛插在头旁的地上；押尼珥和众军都躺在他的周围。 8 亚比筛对大卫说：“今天 神把你的仇敌交在你手里了。现在求你容我用矛把他刺透在地上，一刺就够，不必再刺。” 9 大卫却对亚比筛说：“不可杀死他，因为有谁伸手伤害耶和华的受膏者而无罪呢？” 10 大卫又说：“我指着永活的耶和华起誓，他或被耶和华击打，或死期到了，或下到战场阵亡了， 11 我在耶和华面前，绝对不敢伸手伤害耶和华的受膏者。现在，你可以把扫罗头旁的矛和水袋拿来，我们就走吧！” 12 于是大卫从扫罗的头旁拿了矛和水袋，他们二人就走了。没有人看见，没有人知道，也没有人醒来。他们都睡着了，因为耶和华使他们沉睡。
大卫嘲笑押尼珥
13 然后大卫过到另一边去，远远地站在山顶上，两者之间的距离很远。 14 大卫呼叫众人和尼珥的儿子押尼珥说：“押尼珥啊，你不答话吗？”押尼珥回答说：“你是谁，竟敢呼叫王？” 15 大卫对押尼珥说：“你不是一个男子汉吗？以色列人中有谁能与你相比呢？众民中有一个人来要杀害王你的主，你为甚么没有保护王你的主呢？ 16 你所作的这事不好。我指着永活的耶和华起誓，你们都是该死的，因为你们没有保护你的主，就是耶和华的受膏者。现在你看看王头旁的矛和水袋在哪里？”
大卫劝谏扫罗
17 扫罗认出是大卫的声音，就说：“我儿大卫啊！这是你的声音吗？”大卫说：“我主我王啊！是我的声音。” 18 又说：“我主为甚么这样追赶仆人呢？我作了甚么？我手里犯了甚么过错？ 19 现在求我主我王听你仆人的话。如果是耶和华激动你攻击我，愿耶和华收纳祭物；如果是人激动你，愿他们在耶和华面前受咒诅，因为他们今天把我赶出来，不容我在耶和华的产业上有分，说：‘你去服事别的神吧！’ 20 现在，求王不要让我的血流在远离耶和华的地上，因为以色列王出来寻索我的性命，就像人在山中猎取一只鹧鸪一样。”
扫罗认错
21 扫罗说：“我有罪了，我儿大卫啊，你回来吧！因为今天你看我的命为宝贵，我必不再害你。看哪！我作了糊涂事了，并且错得很厉害。” 22 大卫回答说：“看哪！王的矛在这里，可以叫一个仆人过来拿去。 23 耶和华必按着各人的公义和信实报答他；今天耶和华把你交在我手里，我却不愿伸手伤害耶和华的受膏者。 24 看哪，我今天怎样看重你的命，愿耶和华也怎样看重我的命，并且救我脱离一切患难。” 25 扫罗对大卫说：“我儿大卫啊，愿你得福，你必作成你所要作的，也必得胜。”于是大卫离去了，扫罗也回自己的地方去了。
大卫投奔非利士之迦特王
27 大卫心里说：“总有一天，我会死在扫罗的手里，我倒不如逃奔到非利士人的国土，扫罗对我就会死心，不再在以色列全境寻索我，我就可以逃脱他的手了。” 2 于是大卫起来，和跟随他的六百人都越过边界，到迦特王玛俄的儿子亚吉那里去。 3 大卫和跟随他的人，以及他们各人的家眷，都与亚吉一同住在迦特。大卫的两个妻子，就是耶斯列人亚希暖和作过拿八妻子的迦密人亚比该也都住在那里。 4 有人告诉扫罗，大卫已经逃到迦特去了，扫罗就不再寻索他了。
5 大卫对亚吉说：“我若是在你眼前蒙恩，求你在这地的城市中，给我一个地方，让我住在那里。为甚么要你的仆人与你一同住在王城呢？” 6 那天，亚吉就把洗革拉赐给大卫，因此，洗革拉直到今日还是属犹大王的。 7 大卫在非利士人的乡镇居住的日子，共有一年零四个月。
征服邻近外族
8 大卫和跟随他的人上去袭击基述人、基色人和亚玛力人，这些人自古以来就是这地的居民，居于书珥到埃及地之间。 9 大卫攻打那地，无论男女，都不让一人存活，又掳走了牛、羊、驴子、骆驼和衣服，然后回来，到亚吉那里去。 10 亚吉问：“你们今天袭击了甚么地方呢？”大卫回答：“我们袭击了犹大的南方，耶拉蔑的南部，和基尼的南方。” 11 无论男女，大卫都不让一人活着带到迦特来，他说：“恐怕他们把我们的事告诉别人，说：‘大卫作了这样的事，他住在非利士人乡镇的日子，常常这样作。’” 12 亚吉相信了大卫，心里说：“他在自己的族人以色列中留下了臭名，他必永远作我的仆人了。”
1 Samuel 25-27
GOD’S WORD Translation
Samuel Dies
25 Samuel died, and all Israel gathered to mourn for him. They buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David went to the desert of Paran.
David, Nabal, and Abigail
2 Now, there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very rich man. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 This man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was sensible and beautiful, but he was harsh and mean. He was a descendant of Caleb.
4 While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5 So David sent ten young men and told them, “Go to Carmel, visit Nabal, and greet him for me. 6 Say to him, ‘May you live ⌞long⌟! May you, your home, and all you have prosper! 7 I hear that your sheepshearers are with you. Your shepherds have been with us, ⌞and⌟ we have not mistreated them. Nothing of theirs has been missing as long as they’ve been in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men, and let them tell you. Be kind to my young men, since we have come on a special occasion. Please give us and your son David anything you can ⌞spare⌟.’ ”
9 When David’s young men came to Nabal, they repeated all of this to him for David, and then they waited.
10 “Who is David?” Nabal answered David’s servants. “Who is Jesse’s son? So many servants nowadays are leaving their masters. 11 Should I take my bread, my water, and my meat that I butchered for my shearers and give them to men coming from who knows where?”
12 David’s young men returned and told him all this.
13 “Each of you put on your swords!” David told his men. And everyone, including David, put on his sword. About four hundred men went with David, while two hundred men stayed with the supplies.
14 One of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the desert to greet our master, who yelled at them. 15 Those men were very good to us. They didn’t mistreat us, and we found that nothing was missing wherever we went with them when we were in the fields. 16 They were a wall protecting us day and night as long as we were watching the sheep near them. 17 Now, consider what you should do because our master and his whole household are doomed. And he’s such a worthless man that it’s useless to talk to him.”
18 So Abigail quickly took 200 loaves of bread, 2 full wineskins, 5 butchered sheep, a bushel of roasted grain, 100 bunches of raisins, and 200 fig cakes and loaded them on donkeys. 19 “Go on ahead,” she told her young men, “and I’ll follow you.” But she didn’t tell her husband Nabal about it.
20 She was riding on her donkey down a hidden mountain path when she met David and his men coming toward her. 21 David had thought, “I guarded this man’s stuff in the desert for nothing! Not one of his possessions was missing. Yet, he has paid me back with evil when I was good to him. 22 May God punish me [a] if I leave even one of his men [b] alive in the morning.”
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got down from her donkey. She immediately bowed down in front of David with her face touching the ground. 24 After she bowed at his feet, she said, “Sir, let me be held responsible for this wrong. Please let me speak with you. Please listen to my words. 25 You shouldn’t take this worthless person Nabal seriously. He is like his name. His name is Nabal [Godless Fool], and he’s foolish. But I didn’t see the young men you sent.
26 “The Lord has kept you from spilling innocent blood and from getting a victory by your own efforts. Now, sir, I solemnly swear, as the Lord and you live, may your enemies and those who are trying to harm you end up like Nabal. 27 Here is a gift I am bringing to you. May it be given to the young men who are in your service. 28 Please forgive my offense. The Lord will certainly give you, sir, a lasting dynasty, because you are fighting the Lord’s battles. May evil never be found in you as long as you live. 29 Even though someone pursued you and sought your life, your life is wrapped in the bundle of life which comes from the Lord your God. But he will dispose of the lives of your enemies like stones thrown from a sling. 30 When the Lord does all the good he promised and makes you ruler of Israel, 31 you shouldn’t have a troubled conscience because you spilled blood for no good reason and claimed your own victory. When the Lord has given you success, remember me.”
32 David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me. 33 May your good judgment be blessed. Also, may you be blessed for keeping me from slaughtering people today and from getting a victory by my own efforts. 34 But I solemnly swear—as the Lord God of Israel, who has kept me from harming you, lives—if you hadn’t come to meet me quickly, Nabal certainly wouldn’t have had one of his men left at dawn.”
35 Then David accepted what she brought him and told her, “Go home in peace. I’ve listened to what you’ve said and granted your request.”
36 When Abigail came to Nabal, he was holding a banquet in his home. It was like a king’s banquet. He was in a good mood and very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything until dawn. 37 But in the morning, when the effects of the wine had worn off, his wife told him what had happened. Nabal’s heart failed, and he could not move. 38 About ten days later the Lord made him even more sick, and Nabal died.
39 When David heard Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord, who defended me against the insults of Nabal and kept me from doing wrong. The Lord has turned Nabal’s own wickedness back on him.”
Then David sent men ⌞on his behalf⌟ to propose marriage to Abigail. 40 When David’s servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they told her, “David has sent us to you so that we can take you to him to be his wife.”
41 She bowed down with her face touching the ground. “I am ready to serve,” she said. “I am ready to wash the feet of my master’s servants.” 42 Then Abigail quickly got up and rode on a donkey with five of her female servants following her. So she went with David’s messengers and became his wife.
43 David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. Both she and Abigail were his wives. 44 Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Palti, Laish’s son, who was from Gallim.
Saul’s Final Pursuit of David
26 The people of Ziph came to Saul at Gibeah. “David is hiding at the hill of Hachilah near Jeshimon,” they said.
2 Saul went to the desert of Ziph, taking with him 3,000 of Israel’s best-trained men to search for David. 3 Saul camped by the road at the hill of Hachilah near Jeshimon, but David stayed in the desert. When he realized Saul had come to the desert for him, 4 David sent spies to confirm that Saul had arrived.
5 Then David went to the place where Saul had camped. David saw the place where Saul and Ner’s son Abner, the commander of the army, were lying. Saul was lying in the camp, and the troops were camped around him.
6 David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai, who was Zeruiah’s son and Joab’s brother, “Who will go with me to Saul in the camp?”
Abishai answered, “I’ll go with you.”
7 So David and Abishai went among ⌞Saul’s⌟ troops that night. Saul was lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him. 8 Abishai said to David, “Today God has turned your enemy over to you. Please let me nail him to the ground with one stab of the spear. I won’t have to do it twice!”
9 “Don’t kill him!” David told Abishai. “No one has ever attacked the Lord’s anointed king and remained free of guilt. 10 I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives,” David added, “the Lord will strike him. Either his time will come when he’ll die ⌞naturally⌟, or he’ll go into battle and be swept away. 11 It would be unthinkable for me to attack the Lord’s anointed king. But please take that spear near his head and that jar of water, and let’s go.”
12 David took the spear and the jar of water near Saul’s head, and they left. All of them were asleep. No one saw them, knew about it, or woke up. The Lord had made them fall into a deep sleep.
13 David went over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away. (There was a wide space between them.) 14 Then David called to the troops and to Ner’s son Abner. “Won’t you answer, Abner?” he asked.
“Who is calling the king?” Abner asked.
15 David asked Abner, “Aren’t you a man? Is there anyone like you in Israel? Then why didn’t you guard your master, the king? Someone came to kill His Royal Majesty. 16 What you’ve done isn’t good. I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, you are dead men. You didn’t guard your master, the Lord’s anointed king. Look at the king’s spear and the jar of water that were near his head.”
17 Saul recognized David’s voice. “Is that your voice, my servant David?” he asked.
“It is my voice, Your Royal Majesty,” David answered. 18 “Why are you pursuing me?” he added. “What have I done? What crime have I committed? 19 Your Majesty, please listen to my words. If the Lord has turned you against me, let him be satisfied with an offering. But if mere mortals ⌞have turned you against me⌟, let them be cursed by the Lord. They have prevented me from having a share of the Lord’s inheritance. ‘Go and serve other gods,’ they tell me. 20 Don’t let my blood fall to the ground, away from the Lord’s presence. The king of Israel has come to search for one flea like someone hunting a partridge in the hills.”
21 “My servant David,” Saul said, “I have sinned. Come back. I will not harm you again, because you valued my life today. I’ve acted like a fool and made a terrible mistake.”
22 David responded, “Here’s the king’s spear. One of the young men should come over and get it. 23 The Lord will reward any person who is righteous and faithful. The Lord handed you over to me today, but I refused to attack the Lord’s anointed king. 24 As I placed great value on your life today, may the Lord place great value on my life and rescue me from all trouble.”
25 Then Saul said, “Blessed are you, my servant David. You will accomplish many things and certainly will succeed.”
So David went his way, while Saul returned home.
David at Ziklag
27 David said to himself, “One of these days Saul will sweep me away. The best thing for me to do is to make sure that I escape to Philistine territory. Then Saul will give up looking all over Israel for me, and I’ll escape from him.” 2 So David went with his 600 men to King Achish of Gath, Moach’s son. 3 David and his men stayed with Achish in Gath. Each one had his family, and David had his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail (who had been Nabal’s wife) from Carmel. 4 When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he didn’t search for him anymore.
5 David said to Achish, “If you will permit me, let me have a place in one of the outlying towns so that I can live there. Why should I live in the royal city with you?” 6 So Achish immediately gave him Ziklag. (This is why Ziklag still belongs to the kings of Judah today.)
7 David stayed in Philistine territory for one year and four months. 8 Then David and his men went to raid the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (They lived in the territory which extends from Telaim [c] to Shur and Egypt.) 9 Whenever David attacked the territory, he left no man or woman alive. He also took sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing and returned to Achish.
10 Achish would ask, “Whom did you raid today?” [d]
And David would answer, “the Negev in Judah,” or “the portion of the Negev where the descendants of Jerahmeel live,” or “the portion of the Negev where the Kenites live.” 11 He did not bring a single man or woman back to Gath alive. He thought, “They could tell Achish what I ⌞really⌟ did.” This was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. 12 And Achish believed David. Achish thought, “He has definitely made his own people in Israel despise him. He’ll be my servant from now on.”
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