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1 Samuel 25
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Chapter 25

Death of Samuel. 1 Samuel died, and all Israel gathered to mourn him; they buried him at his home in Ramah.(A) Then David went down to the wilderness of Paran.

Nabal and Abigail. 2 There was a man of Maon who had property in Carmel; he was very wealthy, owning three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. At the time, he was present for the shearing of his flock in Carmel.(B) 3 The man’s name was Nabal and his wife was Abigail. The woman was intelligent and attractive, but Nabal, a Calebite, was harsh and bad-mannered.(C) 4 While in the wilderness, David heard that Nabal was shearing his flock, 5 so he sent ten young men, instructing them: “Go up to Carmel. Pay Nabal a visit and greet him in my name. 6 Say to him, ‘Peace be with you, my brother, and with your family, and with all who belong to you. 7 I have just heard that shearers are with you. Now, when your shepherds were with us, we did them no injury, neither did they miss anything while they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your servants and they will tell you. Look kindly on these young men, since we come at a festival time. Please give your servants and your son David[a] whatever you can.’”

9 When David’s young men arrived, they delivered the entire message to Nabal in David’s name, and then waited. 10 But Nabal answered the servants of David: “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? Nowadays there are many servants who run away from their masters. 11 Must I take my bread, my wine, my meat that I have slaughtered for my own shearers, and give them to men who come from who knows where?” 12 So David’s young men retraced their steps and on their return reported to him all that had been said. 13 Thereupon David said to his men, “Let everyone strap on his sword.” And everyone did so, and David put on his own sword. About four hundred men went up after David, while two hundred remained with the baggage.

14 Abigail, Nabal’s wife, was informed of this by one of the servants, who said: “From the wilderness David sent messengers to greet our master, but he screamed at them. 15 Yet these men were very good to us. We were not harmed, neither did we miss anything all the while we were living among them during our stay in the open country. 16 Day and night they were a wall of protection for us, the whole time we were pasturing the sheep near them. 17 Now, see what you can do, for you must realize that otherwise disaster is in store for our master and for his whole house. He is such a scoundrel that no one can talk to him.” 18 Abigail quickly got together two hundred loaves, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of pressed raisins, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 She then said to her servants, “Go on ahead; I will follow you.” But to her husband Nabal she said nothing.

20 Hidden by the mountain, she came down riding on a donkey, as David and his men were coming down from the opposite direction. When she met them, 21 David had just been saying: “Indeed, it was in vain that I guarded all this man’s possessions in the wilderness, so that nothing of his was missing. He has repaid good with evil. 22 May God do thus to David, and more, if by morning I leave a single male alive among all those who belong to him.”(D) 23 As soon as Abigail saw David, she dismounted quickly from the donkey and, falling down, bowed low to the ground before David in homage.

24 As she fell at his feet she said: “My lord, let the blame be mine. Please let your maidservant speak to you; listen to the words of your maidservant.(E) 25 My lord, do not pay any attention to that scoundrel Nabal, for he is just like his name. His name means fool,[b] and he acts the fool. I, your maidservant, did not see the young men whom my lord sent. 26 Now, therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as you live, the Lord has kept you from shedding blood and from avenging yourself by your own hand. May your enemies and those who seek to harm my lord become as Nabal![c](F) 27 Accept this gift, then, which your maidservant has brought for my lord, and let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive the offense of your maidservant, for the Lord shall certainly establish a lasting house for my lord, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord. Let no evil be found in you your whole life long.(G) 29 If any adversary pursues you to seek your life, may the life of my lord be bound in the bundle of the living[d] in the care of the Lord your God; may God hurl out the lives of your enemies as from the hollow of a sling.(H) 30 And when the Lord fulfills for my lord the promise of success he has made concerning you, and appoints you as ruler over Israel,(I) 31 you shall not have any regrets or burdens on your conscience, my lord, for having shed innocent blood or for having rescued yourself. When the Lord bestows good on my lord, remember your maidservant.” 32 David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today. 33 Blessed is your good judgment and blessed are you yourself. Today you have prevented me from shedding blood and rescuing myself with my own hand. 34 Otherwise, as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come so promptly to meet me, by dawn Nabal would not have had so much as one male left alive.” 35 David then took from her what she had brought him and said to her: “Go to your home in peace! See, I have listened to your appeal and have granted your request.”

Nabal’s Death. 36 When Abigail came to Nabal, he was hosting a banquet in his house like that of a king, and Nabal was in a festive mood and very drunk. So she said not a word to him until daybreak the next morning. 37 But then, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him what had happened. At this his heart died within him, and he became like a stone. 38 About ten days later the Lord struck Nabal and he died. 39 Hearing that Nabal was dead, David said: “Blessed be the Lord, who has defended my cause against the insult from Nabal, and who restrained his servant from doing evil, but has repaid Nabal for his evil deeds.”

David Marries Abigail and Ahinoam. David then sent a proposal of marriage to Abigail.(J) 40 When David’s servants came to Abigail in Carmel, they said to her, “David has sent us to make his proposal of marriage to you.” 41 Rising and bowing to the ground, she answered, “Let your maidservant be the slave who washes the feet of my lord’s servants.” 42 She got up immediately, mounted a donkey, and followed David’s messengers, with her five maids attending her. She became his wife. 43 (K)David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. Thus both of them were his wives. 44 But Saul gave David’s wife Michal, Saul’s own daughter, to Palti, son of Laish, who was from Gallim.(L)

Footnotes

  1. 25:8 Your son David: this kinship language may reflect a political or social relationship between Nabal and David. Nabal, however, does not acknowledge it.
  2. 25:25 Hebrew nabal means “fool” (cf. Is 32:5–7). Abigail, on the other hand, acts wisely to save herself and her household by offering prudent counsel to the future king of Israel.
  3. 25:26 Abigail, encouraging David to trust in God’s promise, anticipates that some misfortune will shortly overtake Nabal, as in fact it does (vv. 37–38).
  4. 25:29 The bundle of the living: the figure is perhaps taken from the practice of tying up valuables in a kerchief or bag for safekeeping. Abigail desires that David enjoy permanent peace and security, but that his enemies be subject to constant agitation and humiliation like a stone whirled about, cast out of the sling, and thereafter disregarded.
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1 Samuelsboken 25
nuBibeln (Swedish Contemporary Bible)

Profeten Samuels död

25 Sedan dog profeten Samuel. Hela Israel sörjde och man begravde honom i hans familjegrav i Rama.

Naval förolämpar David

David begav sig sedan till Parans öken. 2 I Maon fanns då en rik man som ägde en stor farm i Karmel. Han hade 3 000 får och 1 000 getter och nu befann han sig hemma på gården eftersom det var dags att klippa fåren. 3 Han hette Naval och hans hustru Avigajil. Hon var en vacker och intelligent kvinna, men mannen, en ättling till Kalev, var rå och elak.

4 När David var i öknen och hörde att Naval höll på att klippa fåren, 5 skickade han tio av sina män upp till Karmel för att hälsa från honom 6 och säga: ”Jag önskar dig och din familj framgång och lycka med allt du äger. 7 Jag hörde att du håller på att klippa dina får. Nu är det så att dina herdar under en tid har bott ibland oss och vi har aldrig skadat dem. Ingen har tagit något från dem medan de var i Karmel. 8 Fråga dina tjänare, så kan de intyga det. Jag hoppas därför att du vill visa välvilja gentemot mina män när de nu kommer till dig vid ett sådant festligt tillfälle och ge dina tjänare och din vän David vad du kan ha till hands.”

9 Davids män framförde detta budskap till Naval från David och väntade sedan på hans svar.

10 Naval frågade Davids tjänare: ”Vem är David, den där Jishajs son? Det finns många slavar som är på rymmen från sina herrar nu för tiden! 11 Skulle jag ta mitt bröd och mitt vatten och de djur som jag har slaktat åt mina fårklippare och ge det till några som jag inte ens vet varifrån de kommer?”

12 Davids budbärare gick genast tillbaka och berättade vad Naval hade sagt. 13 ”Ta på er svärden!” sa David och det gjorde de och han själv spände på sig sitt eget. Sedan tågade David mot Karmel med 400 man, medan 200 stannade kvar för att vakta lägret.

14 En av Navals män berättade för Navals hustru Avigajil: ”David skickade hit sina män från öknen för att tala med vår husbonde, men han förolämpade dem. 15 Men Davids män har varit mycket vänliga mot oss och har aldrig gjort oss något illa. Det stals aldrig något från oss under hela den tid vi var där ute på fältet med dem. 16 De var en mur omkring oss både natt och dag när vi vistades i deras närhet med våra hjordar. 17 Det är bäst att du tänker ut något väldigt kvickt, för annars kommer det att gå illa för både vår husbonde och oss andra. Vår husbonde själv är ju så ondsint att det är lönlöst att prata med honom.”

18 Då skyndade sig Avigajil att samla ihop tvåhundra brödkakor, två skinnsäckar med vin, fem tillagade får, två säckar rostat vete, etthundra russinkakor och tvåhundra fikonkakor och lastade alltsammans på åsnor. 19 ”Skynda er i förväg, så ska jag följa efter”, sa hon till sina tjänare. Men hon berättade ingenting för sin make.

20 När hon kom ridande neråt i en bergsravin på sin åsna, kom David och hans män emot henne. 21 David hade just sagt till sig själv: ”Det tjänade ju ingenting till att hjälpa den där mannen! Vi skyddade hans egendom i öknen så att inget saknades och ändå har han lönat min godhet med ont. 22 Gud må straffa mig[a], om jag låter en enda av hans män överleva till i morgon!”

Avigajil ber för Navals liv

23 När Avigajil fick se David, steg hon snabbt av åsnan och bugade sig djupt inför honom. 24 ”Herre, jag tar på mig hela skulden för det som har hänt”, sa hon och föll ner för hans fötter. ”Var snäll och hör på mig, din tjänarinna! 25 Naval är en dåre, precis som hans namn säger,[b] så bry dig inte om vad denne onde man har sagt! Själv såg jag aldrig budbärarna du skickade. 26 Men eftersom Herren nu har hindrat dig, min herre, från att utkräva blodshämnd och ta saken i egna händer, så må det, så sant Herren lever och du själv lever, gå alla dina fiender och dem som vill dig ont på samma sätt som det ska gå för Naval! 27 Här är en gåva som jag har fört med mig till dig och dina män. 28 Förlåt nu mig, din tjänarinna, det jag har gjort fel! Herren kommer att befästa ett rike åt dig, min herre, som aldrig ska gå under eftersom du kämpar för honom. Låt ingen få anledning att anklaga dig för något under din livstid. 29 Du kommer alltid att vara trygg under Herrens beskydd, även när man är ute efter ditt liv. Min herre, ditt liv ska bevaras som en dyrbar sten[c] och dina fiender kommer han att kasta iväg som stenar ur en slunga. 30 När Herren har utfört allt det goda som han har lovat dig, min herre, och har gjort dig till furste i Israel, 31 så ska du inte behöva bära på dåligt samvete eller anklaga dig själv för att du spillt oskyldigt blod eller tagit lagen i egna händer! Men glöm inte mig, din tjänarinna, när Herren gör allt detta för dig!”

32 David svarade Avigajil: ”Välsignad vare Herren, Israels Gud, som har skickat dig hit för att möta mig i dag! 33 Må du vara välsignad för att du är så klok och förståndig och för att du hindrade mig från att spilla blod och ta rätten i egna händer! 34 Så sant Herren, Israels Gud, lever, han som har hindrat mig från att skada dig: om du inte hade kommit hit ut för att möta mig, så skulle inte någon av Navals män varit vid liv i morgon bitti.” 35 Sedan tog David emot hennes gåvor och sa till henne att återvända hem i lugn och ro, för han lyssnade på henne och gjorde henne till viljes.

36 När hon kom hem, hade Naval ordnat en stor fest, som en kunglig fest. Han var mycket berusad och upprymd och därför berättade hon inte för honom om saken förrän följande morgon 37 då han hade nyktrat till. Men när hans hustru berättade vad som hade hänt, drabbades han av slag och blev liggande som en sten. 38 Tio dagar senare lät Herren honom dö.

David gifter sig med Avigajil

39 När David hörde att Naval var död, sa han: ”Prisad vare Herren! Han har själv straffat Naval för vanäran han drog över mig och han har skonat mig från att begå en ogärning. Navals ondska har gått ut över honom själv.” Sedan sände David budbärare till Avigajil för att be henne bli hans hustru.

40 Davids tjänare reste till Karmel och sa till henne: ”David har sänt oss för att hämta dig, så att du kan bli hans hustru.” 41 Avigajil föll då ner med ansiktet mot marken och svarade: ”Jag är hans tjänarinna och jag är villig att bli en slavinna som tvättar fötterna på min herres tjänare.”[d] 42 Hon gjorde sig därefter i ordning, tog fem tjänsteflickor med sig och satte sig på sin åsna. Och så följde hon med männen tillbaka till David och blev hans hustru.

43 David gifte sig även med Achinoam från Jisreel. Båda var de nu hans hustrur. 44 Men Saul hade låtit gifta bort sin dotter Mikal, Davids hustru, med en man från Gallim som hette Palti, son till Lajish.

Footnotes

  1. 25:22 Egentligen: Gud må straffa Davids fiender…; texten är då svårförståelig. Översättningen följer här Septuaginta.
  2. 25:25 Naval betyder dåre.
  3. 25:29 Ordagrant: ditt liv ska bevaras i de levandes påse. Bilden på stenar är tagen från dåtida herdars praxis att hålla räkning på antalet djur i en hjord med hjälp av stenar i en påse, där varje sten representerade ett levande djur.
  4. 25:41 Avigajils svar visar att hon var tacksam över att David ville ta hand om henne nu när hennes man var död.
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1 Samuel 25
New King James Version

Death of Samuel

25 Then (A)Samuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and (B)lamented for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah. And David arose and went down (C)to the Wilderness of [a]Paran.

David and the Wife of Nabal

2 Now there was a man (D)in Maon whose business was in (E)Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of (F)Caleb.

4 When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was (G)shearing his sheep, 5 David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. 6 And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: (H)‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! 7 Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, (I)nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore [b]let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on (J)a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”

9 So when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited.

10 Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, (K)“Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. 11 (L)Shall I then take my bread and my water and my [c]meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?”

12 So David’s young men turned on their heels and went back; and they came and told him all these words. 13 Then David said to his men, “Every man gird on his sword.” So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with David, and two hundred (M)stayed with the supplies.

14 Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he [d]reviled them. 15 But the men were very good to us, and (N)we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied them, when we were in the fields. 16 They were (O)a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for (P)harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a (Q)scoundrel[e] that one cannot speak to him.”

18 Then Abigail made haste and (R)took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 And she said to her servants, (S)“Go on before me; see, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

20 So it was, as she rode on the donkey, that she went down under cover of the hill; and there were David and his men, coming down toward her, and she met them. 21 Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has (T)repaid me evil for good. 22 (U)May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I (V)leave (W)one male of all who belong to him by morning light.”

23 Now when Abigail saw David, she (X)dismounted quickly from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground. 24 So she fell at his feet and said: “On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant [f]speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant. 25 Please, let not my lord [g]regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: [h]Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. 26 Now therefore, my lord, (Y)as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, since the Lord has (Z)held you back from coming to bloodshed and from (AA)avenging[i] yourself with your own hand, now then, (AB)let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal. 27 And now (AC)this present which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For (AD)the Lord will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord (AE)fights the battles of the Lord, (AF)and evil is not found in you throughout your days. 29 Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be (AG)bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall (AH)sling out, as from the pocket of a sling. 30 And it shall come to pass, when the Lord has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you (AI)ruler over Israel, 31 that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.”

32 Then David said to Abigail: (AJ)“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33 And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have (AK)kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand. 34 For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel lives, who has (AL)kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely (AM)by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal!” 35 So David received from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, (AN)“Go up in peace to your house. See, I have heeded your voice and (AO)respected your person.”

36 Now Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was, (AP)holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; therefore she told him nothing, little or much, until morning light. 37 So it was, in the morning, when the wine had gone from Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became like a stone. 38 Then it happened, after about ten days, that the Lord (AQ)struck Nabal, and he died.

39 So when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, (AR)“Blessed be the Lord, who has (AS)pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has (AT)kept His servant from evil! For the Lord has (AU)returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head.”

And David sent and proposed to Abigail, to take her as his wife. 40 When the servants of David had come to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her saying, “David sent us to you, to ask you to become his wife.”

41 Then she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, “Here is your maidservant, a servant to (AV)wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” 42 So Abigail rose in haste and rode on a donkey, [j]attended by five of her maidens; and she followed the messengers of David, and became his wife. 43 David also took Ahinoam (AW)of Jezreel, (AX)and so both of them were his wives.

44 But Saul had given (AY)Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to [k]Palti the son of Laish, who was from (AZ)Gallim.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 25:1 So with MT, Syr., Tg., Vg.; LXX Maon
  2. 1 Samuel 25:8 be gracious to the young men
  3. 1 Samuel 25:11 Lit. slaughter
  4. 1 Samuel 25:14 scolded or scorned at
  5. 1 Samuel 25:17 Lit. son of Belial
  6. 1 Samuel 25:24 speak to you
  7. 1 Samuel 25:25 pay attention to
  8. 1 Samuel 25:25 Lit. Fool
  9. 1 Samuel 25:26 Lit. saving yourself
  10. 1 Samuel 25:42 Lit. with five of her maidens at her feet
  11. 1 Samuel 25:44 Paltiel, 2 Sam. 3:15
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New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

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