1 Samuel 25
Traducción en lenguaje actual
Muerte de Samuel
25 Cuando Samuel murió, todos los israelitas se reunieron para llorar su muerte y sepultarlo en Ramá, que era la ciudad donde había nacido. Después del entierro, David regresó al desierto de Parán.
David, Nabal y Abigail
2-3 En Maón vivía un hombre de la familia de Caleb. Se llamaba Nabal, y era muy rico, pues tenía propiedades en Carmel y era dueño de tres mil ovejas y mil cabras. Pero también era muy grosero y maleducado. En cambio su esposa, que se llamaba Abigail, era una mujer muy inteligente y hermosa.
4 David supo que Nabal estaba en Carmel, cortando la lana de sus ovejas, 5-6 así que envió a diez de sus ayudantes para que saludaran a Nabal y le dijeran de su parte:
«Que Dios te bendiga, y que siempre le vaya bien a tu familia.
»Que cada día tengas más propiedades.
7-8 »Aquí, en Carmel, tus pastores han estado entre nosotros, y nunca les hemos hecho ningún daño ni les hemos robado nada. Pregúntales y verás que digo la verdad.
»Me he enterado de que tus pastores están cortándoles la lana a tus ovejas, y que por eso estás haciendo fiesta. Yo te ruego que nos des lo que sea tu voluntad. Te lo piden humildemente estos servidores tuyos, y también yo, David, que me considero tu hijo».
9 Los ayudantes que envió David le dieron a Nabal este mensaje, 10 pero él les contestó:
«¿Y quién es ese David, hijo de Jesé? ¡Seguramente ha de ser uno de esos esclavos que huyen de sus amos! 11 ¿Por qué le voy a dar la comida que preparé para mis trabajadores a gente que no sé ni de dónde viene?»
12 Los ayudantes regresaron a donde estaba David, y le contaron lo sucedido. 13 Entonces David les dijo a sus hombres: «Preparen sus espadas».
Y tomando sus espadas, David y cuatrocientos de sus hombres se fueron a atacar a Nabal, mientras doscientos de ellos se quedaban a cuidar lo que tenían.
14 Uno de los sirvientes de Nabal fue a decirle a Abigail, su esposa:
«David envió unos mensajeros a nuestro amo, con un saludo amistoso. Pero él los insultó, 15 a pesar de que ellos han sido muy buenos con nosotros.
»Todo el tiempo que hemos estado con ellos en los campos, nunca nos han maltratado ni nos han robado nada. 16 Al contrario, siempre nos han protegido.
17 »Nuestro amo Nabal es tan malo que nadie se atreve a decirle nada. Y David ya decidió atacarnos a todos nosotros. ¡Por favor, haga usted algo!»
18 Abigail no perdió tiempo. De inmediato le envió a David doscientos panes, dos recipientes de cuero llenos de vino, cinco ovejas asadas, cuarenta kilos de grano tostado, cien racimos de pasas y doscientos panes de higo. Toda esta comida la cargó Abigail en unas burras, 19 y le dijo a sus sirvientes: «Adelántense ustedes, que yo iré después».
Sin decirle nada a su esposo, 20-22 Abigail se montó en un burro y empezó a bajar del cerro. También David y sus hombres venían bajando del cerro. Y David les dijo:
«De nada nos ha servido cuidar en el desierto las ovejas de ese hombre. Nunca le he pedido nada y, sin embargo, me ha pagado mal el bien que le he hecho. ¡Que Dios me castigue duramente si antes de que amanezca no he matado a Nabal y a todos sus hombres!»
En ese momento, David y sus hombres se encontraron con Abigail. 23 Cuando ella lo vio, se bajó del burro y se inclinó de cara al suelo, 24-26 y echándose a los pies de David le dijo:
—Señor mío, por favor, ¡escuche usted mis palabras, aunque no soy más que una simple sirvienta suya! ¡No le dé usted importancia a las groserías de Nabal! ¡Su nombre significa “estúpido”, y en verdad lo es!
»¡Yo tengo la culpa de todo! Y la tengo, señor mío, porque no vi a los mensajeros que usted envió. Pero Dios no permitirá que usted se desquite matando a gente inocente. Yo le pido a Dios que castigue a los enemigos de usted del mismo modo que será castigado Nabal.
27 »Por favor, acepte la comida que he traído para usted y para sus hombres, 28 y perdone mis errores. Usted sólo lucha cuando Dios se lo manda; estoy segura de que Dios hará que todos los descendientes de usted reinen en Israel. Por eso, ni ahora ni nunca haga usted lo malo.
29 »Cuando alguien lo persiga y quiera matarlo, Dios lo cuidará y usted estará seguro. Pero a quienes quieran matarlo, Dios los arrojará lejos, como cuando se arroja una piedra con una honda.
30 »Usted, mi señor, será el líder de Israel, pues Dios le cumplirá todas las promesas que le ha hecho. 31 Cuando eso suceda, usted no se sentirá culpable de haber matado a gente inocente, ni triste por haberse desquitado.
»Cuando todo esto suceda, acuérdese usted de mí, que soy su servidora.
32 David le contestó:
—¡Bendito sea el Dios de Israel, que te envío a mí! 33 ¡Y bendita seas tú, por ser tan inteligente y por no dejar que yo mismo me vengara y matara a gente inocente!
34 »Si no hubieras venido a verme, te juro por Dios que para mañana no habría quedado vivo un solo hombre de la familia de Nabal. ¡Qué bueno que el Dios de Israel no permitió que yo te hiciera daño!
35 David aceptó la comida que Abigail le había traído, y le dijo:
—Puedes irte tranquila, que yo haré lo que me has pedido.
36 Cuando Abigail regresó a su casa, encontró a Nabal muy contento y completamente borracho. Por eso no le contó hasta el día siguiente lo que había pasado.
37-38 Por la mañana, cuando a Nabal ya se le había pasado la borrachera, su esposa le contó lo sucedido. En ese momento, Dios hizo que Nabal tuviera un ataque al corazón, y Nabal se quedó tieso como una piedra. Diez días después, tuvo otro ataque y murió.
39-40 Cuando David se enteró de que Nabal había muerto, dijo: «¡Bendito sea Dios, que castigó a Nabal! Se vengó por lo que me hizo, y no dejó que yo mismo lo castigara».
Luego, David envió algunos de sus ayudantes a Carmel, para que le dijeran a Abigail: «David nos manda a pedirle que acepte usted ser su esposa».
41 Al oír esto, Abigail se inclinó de cara al suelo, y dijo: «Yo estoy para servir a mi señor David, y para hacer lo que él me ordene. ¡Incluso estoy dispuesta a lavar los pies de sus esclavos!»
42 Después de haber dicho esto, se preparó rápidamente y, acompañada de cinco sirvientas, montó en un burro y se fue tras los enviados de David para casarse con él.
43 David tuvo dos esposas, pues además de casarse con Abigail se casó también con una mujer de Jezreel, llamada Ahinóam. 44 Aunque Mical había sido esposa de David, más tarde Saúl le ordenó casarse con Paltí hijo de Lais, que era de Galim.
1 Samuel 25
International Standard Version
The Death of Samuel
25 Samuel died and all Israel assembled to mourn for him. They buried him at his home in Ramah.
David, Nabal, and Abigail
David got up and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.[a] 2 Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel of Judah,[b] and the man was very rich. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 The man’s name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. The woman was intelligent and beautiful, while the man was harsh and wicked in his dealings. He was a descendant of Caleb.
4 While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5 David sent ten young men, saying to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, find Nabal, and greet him in my name. 6 Then say, ‘May you live long. Peace to you, peace to your family, and peace to all that you have. 7 Now, I’ve heard that the sheep shearers are with you. Now, your shepherds have been with us. We didn’t harm them, and they didn’t miss anything all the time they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men and they’ll tell you. Therefore let my[c] young men find favor with you since we came on a special[d] day. Please give whatever you have available to your servants and to your son David.’”
9 David’s young men came to Nabal and told him all this[e] in David’s name, and then they waited. 10 Nabal answered David’s servants: “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are breaking away from their masters. 11 Should I take my food, my water, and my meat that I’ve slaughtered for my shearers and give it to men who came from who knows where?”[f]
12 David’s men turned and went on[g] their way. They came back and told David[h] everything. 13 David told his men, “Put on your swords.” They put on their swords, and David put on his sword. Then about 400 men followed David, while 200 stayed with the supplies.
Abigail Intercedes with David
14 Now, one of the young men told Nabal’s wife Abigail: “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet[i] our lord, but he screamed insults at them. 15 The men were very good to us. They didn’t harm us, and we didn’t miss anything all the time we moved around with them when we were in the field. 16 They were a wall around us both day and night, all the time we were with them taking care of the sheep. 17 Now, be aware of this[j] and consider what you should do. Calamity is being planned against our master and against his entire household. He’s such a worthless person[k] that no one can talk to him.”
18 Abigail quickly took 200 loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, five measures of roasted grain, 100 bunches of raisins, and 200 fig cakes and loaded them on donkeys. 19 She told her young men, “Go ahead of me, I’ll be coming right behind you.” But she said nothing to her husband Nabal. 20 She was riding on the donkey and as she went down a protected part[l] of the mountain, David was there with his men, coming down to meet her, and she went toward them.
21 Now David had said, “Surely it was for nothing that I protected everything that belonged to this man in the wilderness, and nothing was missing of all that belonged to him. But he has repaid me[m] with evil for good! 22 May the Lord do this to the enemies of David[n]—and more also—if by the morning I’ve left alive a single male[o] of all those who belong to him.”
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got down from the donkey and fell on her face before David, prostrating herself on the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and pleaded, “Your majesty, let the guilt be on me alone, and please let your servant[p] speak to you.[q] Listen to the words of your servant.[r] 25 Please, your majesty, don’t pay attention to this worthless man Nabal, for he’s just like his name. Nabal[s] is his name and folly is his constant companion. But I, your servant,[t] didn’t see your majesty’s young men whom you sent. 26 Now, your majesty, as the Lord lives and as you live, the Lord has kept you from shedding blood[u] and from delivering yourself by your own actions. Now, may your enemies and those seeking to do evil to your majesty be like Nabal. 27 Now let this present that your servant[v] has brought to your majesty be given to the young men who follow[w] your majesty. 28 Please forgive the offense of your servant.[x] For the Lord will certainly make a strong dynasty for your majesty, for your majesty is fighting the Lord’s battles. May evil not be found in you for all of your life.[y] 29 If anyone should arise to pursue you and seek your life, may the life of your majesty be bound up with the Lord your God in a bundle of the living, and may he sling out the lives of your enemies from the pocket of a sling. 30 When the Lord does for your majesty all the good that he promised concerning you and appoints you Commander-in-Chief[z] over Israel, 31 this shouldn’t be an obstacle or stumbling block for your majesty’s conscience, that he poured out blood without cause or that your majesty delivered himself. When the Lord does good things for your majesty, remember your servant.”[aa]
32 David told Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today. 33 Blessed be your good judgment, and blessed be you, who today stopped me from shedding blood[ab] and delivering myself by my own actions. 34 For as surely as the Lord God of Israel lives, the one who restrained me from harming you—indeed, had you not quickly come to meet me, by dawn[ac] there wouldn’t be a single male[ad] left to Nabal.”
35 David took from her what she had brought him and told her, “Go up to your house in peace. Look, I’ve heard your request and will grant it.”
Nabal’s Death
36 Abigail returned to Nabal, and he was there in his house holding a festival like the festival of a king. Nabal’s heart was glad, and he was very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything at all[ae] until morning. 37 After Nabal became sober the next morning,[af] his wife told him all that had happened.[ag] Nabal’s[ah] heart failed and he became paralyzed.[ai] 38 About ten days later the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.
39 When David heard that Nabal had died, he said, “Blessed be the Lord who has judged the dispute over my insult at the hand of Nabal, and has held back his servant from evil. The Lord has repaid Nabal’s wickedness.”
Then David sent word to Abigail that he would take her as his wife. 40 David’s servants went to Abigail at Carmel and told her, “David sent us to you to take you to him as his wife.”
41 She got up, prostrated herself face down on the ground, and replied, “Your servant would be a slave to wash the feet of your majesty’s servants.” 42 Then Abigail quickly got up and got on a donkey, with five young women walking behind her.[aj] She followed David’s messengers, and she became his wife. 43 David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both of them became his wives. 44 Meanwhile, Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Laish’s son Palti from Gallim.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 25:1 LXX reads Maoch
- 1 Samuel 25:2 The Heb. lacks of Judah
- 1 Samuel 25:8 Lit. the
- 1 Samuel 25:8 Lit. good
- 1 Samuel 25:9 Lit. according to all these words
- 1 Samuel 25:11 Lit. men whom I don’t know where they’re from
- 1 Samuel 25:12 Lit. turned to
- 1 Samuel 25:12 Lit. him
- 1 Samuel 25:14 Lit. bless
- 1 Samuel 25:17 Lit. Know
- 1 Samuel 25:17 Lit. a son of Belial; i.e. a worthless person
- 1 Samuel 25:20 Or a hidden part
- 1 Samuel 25:21 Lit. returned to me
- 1 Samuel 25:22 LXX reads to David
- 1 Samuel 25:22 Lit. single one who urinates on a wall
- 1 Samuel 25:24 Lit. maidservant
- 1 Samuel 25:24 Lit. speak in your ear
- 1 Samuel 25:24 Lit. maidservant
- 1 Samuel 25:25 Nabal means fool in Heb.
- 1 Samuel 25:25 Lit. maidservant
- 1 Samuel 25:26 Lit. coming with blood
- 1 Samuel 25:27 Lit. maidservant
- 1 Samuel 25:27 Lit. who are walking at the feet of
- 1 Samuel 25:28 Lit. maidservant
- 1 Samuel 25:28 Lit. all the days
- 1 Samuel 25:30 Lit. Nagid; i.e. a senior officer entrusted with dual roles of operational oversight and administrative authority
- 1 Samuel 25:31 Lit. maidservant
- 1 Samuel 25:33 Lit. from coming with blood
- 1 Samuel 25:34 Lit. the light of the morning
- 1 Samuel 25:34 Lit. one who urinates on a wall
- 1 Samuel 25:36 Lit. anything great or small
- 1 Samuel 25:37 Lit. When the wine had gone out of Nabal
- 1 Samuel 25:37 Lit. all these things
- 1 Samuel 25:37 Lit. His
- 1 Samuel 25:37 Lit. became like a stone
- 1 Samuel 25:42 Lit. walking at her feet; i.e. as her attendants
Copyright © 2000 by United Bible Societies
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
