¹¹ Saul sent men to David’s house to watch^(A) it and to kill him in the morning.^(B) But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.”

³⁸ About ten days later, the Lord struck^(A) Nabal and he died.

³⁹ When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.”

Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. ⁴⁰ His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”

⁴¹ She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” ⁴² Abigail^(B) quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife.

² One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof^(A) of the palace. From the roof he saw^(B) a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, ³ and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba,^(C) the daughter of Eliam^(D) and the wife of Uriah^(E) the Hittite.”

²⁶ When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. ²⁷ After the time of mourning^(A) was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased^(B) the Lord.

⁴³ David had also married Ahinoam^(A) of Jezreel, and they both were his wives.^(B)

3 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time.^(A) David grew stronger and stronger,^(B) while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.^(C)

¹² Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom^(A) for the sake of his people Israel.

¹³ After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives^(B) in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. ¹⁴ These are the names of the children born to him there:^(C) Shammua, Shobab, Nathan,^(D) Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.