1 Samuel 25
Contemporary English Version
Samuel Dies
25 Samuel died, and people from all over Israel gathered to mourn for him when he was buried at his home[a] in Ramah. Meanwhile, David moved his camp to Paran Desert.[b]
Abigail Keeps David from Killing Innocent People
2-3 Nabal was a very rich man who lived in Maon. He owned 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, which he kept at Carmel.[c] His wife Abigail was sensible and beautiful, but he was from the Caleb clan[d] and was rough and mean.
4 One day, Nabal was in Carmel where his servants were cutting the wool from his sheep. David was in the desert when he heard about it. 5-6 So he sent ten men to Carmel with this message for Nabal:
I hope that you and your family are healthy and that all is going well for you. 7 I've heard that you are cutting the wool from your sheep.
When your shepherds were with us in Carmel, we didn't harm them, and nothing was ever stolen from them. 8 Ask your shepherds, and they'll tell you the same thing.
My servants are your servants, and you are like a father to me. This is a day for celebrating,[e] so please be kind and share some of your food with us.
9 David's men went to Nabal and gave him David's message, then they waited for Nabal's answer.
10 This is what he said:
Who does this David think he is? That son of Jesse is just one more slave on the run from his master, and there are too many of them these days. 11 What makes you think I would take my bread, my water, and the meat that I've had cooked for my own servants[f] and give it to you? Besides, I'm not sure that David sent you![g]
12 The men returned to their camp and told David everything Nabal had said.
13 “Everybody get your swords!” David ordered.
They all strapped on their swords. Two hundred men stayed behind to guard the camp, but the other 400 followed David.
14-16 Meanwhile, one of Nabal's servants told Abigail:
David's men were often nearby while we were taking care of the sheep in the fields. They were very good to us, they never hurt us, and nothing was ever stolen from us while they were nearby. With them around day or night, we were as safe as we would have been inside a walled city.
David sent some messengers from the desert to wish our master well, but he shouted insults at them. 17 He's a bully who won't listen to anyone.
Isn't there something you can do? Please think of something! Or else our master and his family and everyone who works for him are all doomed.
18 Abigail quickly got together 200 loaves of bread, two large clay jars of wine, the meat from five sheep, a large sack of roasted grain, 100 handfuls of raisins, and 200 handfuls of dried figs. She loaded all the food on donkeys 19 and told her servants, “Take this on ahead, and I'll catch up with you.” She didn't tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.
20 Abigail was riding her donkey on the path that led around the hillside, when suddenly she met David and his men heading straight at her.
21 David had just been saying, “I surely wasted my time guarding Nabal's things in the desert and keeping them from being stolen! I was good to him, and now he pays me back with insults. 22 I swear that by morning, there won't be a man or boy left from his family or his servants' families. I pray that God will punish me[h] if I don't do it!”
23 Abigail quickly got off her donkey and bowed down in front of David. 24 Then she said:
Sir, please let me explain! 25 Don't pay any attention to that good-for-nothing Nabal. His name means “fool,” and it really fits him!
I didn't see the men you sent, 26-27 but please take this gift of food that I've brought and share it with your followers. The Lord has kept you from taking revenge and from killing innocent people. But I hope your enemies and anyone else who wants to harm you will end up like Nabal. I swear this by the living Lord and by your life.
28 Please forgive me if I say a little more. The Lord will always protect you and your family, because you fight for him. I pray that you won't ever do anything evil as long as you live. 29 The Lord your God will keep you safe when your enemies try to kill you. But he will snatch away their lives quicker than you can throw a rock from a sling.
30 The Lord has promised to do many good things for you, even to make you the ruler of Israel. The Lord will keep his promises to you, 31 and now your conscience will be clear, because you won't be guilty of taking revenge and killing innocent people.
When the Lord does all those good things for you, please remember me.
32 David told her:
I praise the Lord God of Israel! He must have sent you to meet me today. 33 And you should also be praised. Your good sense kept me from taking revenge and killing innocent people. 34 If you hadn't come to meet me so quickly, every man and boy in Nabal's family and in his servants' families would have been killed by morning. I swear by the living Lord God of Israel who protected you that this is the truth.
35 David accepted the food Abigail had brought. “Don't worry,” he said. “You can go home now. I'll do what you asked.”
36 Abigail went back home and found Nabal throwing a party fit for a king. He was very drunk and feeling good, so she didn't tell him anything that night. 37 But when he sobered up the next morning, Abigail told him everything that had happened. Nabal had a heart attack, and he lay in bed as still as a stone. 38 Ten days later, the Lord took his life.
39-40 David heard that Nabal had died. “I praise the Lord!” David said. “He has judged Nabal guilty for insulting me. The Lord kept me from doing anything wrong, and he made sure that Nabal hurt only himself with his own evil.”
David and Abigail Are Married
Abigail was still at Carmel. So David sent messengers to ask her if she would marry him.
41 She bowed down and said, “I would willingly be David's slave and wash his servants' feet.”
42 Abigail quickly got ready and went back with David's messengers. She rode on her donkey, while five of her servant women walked alongside. She and David were married as soon as she arrived.
43 David had earlier married Ahinoam from the town of Jezreel, so both she and Abigail were now David's wives.[i] 44 (A) Meanwhile, Saul had arranged for Michal[j] to marry Palti the son of Laish, who came from the town of Gallim.
Footnotes
- 25.1 at his home: Hebrew “in his house.” Family tombs were sometimes underneath the house or in the courtyard of the home.
- 25.1 Paran Desert: Hebrew; some manuscripts of one ancient translation “Maon Desert.”
- 25.2,3 Carmel: About one and a half kilometers north of Maon in the Southern Desert of Judah.
- 25.2,3 from the Caleb clan: Or “behaved like a dog.”
- 25.8 celebrating: Cutting the wool from the sheep was a time for celebrating as well as for working.
- 25.11 servants: Hebrew “shearers,” the servants who cut the wool from the sheep.
- 25.11 I'm not sure … sent you: Or “I don't know where you come from.”
- 25.22 me: One ancient translation; Hebrew “my enemies.”
- 25.43 wives: Having more than one wife was allowed in those times.
- 25.44 Michal: David's first wife (see 18.20—19.17).
1 Samuel 25
King James Version
25 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.
8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
9 And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?
12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.
18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
19 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.
20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert on the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.
21 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.
22 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,
24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.
25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.
26 Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
27 And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.
28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.
29 Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.
30 And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;
31 That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.
32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:
33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
34 For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.
36 And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.
39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.
40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife.
41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
42 And Abigail hasted, and arose and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.
44 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.
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
- 25:22 Egentligen: Gud må straffa Davids fiender…; texten är då svårförståelig. Översättningen följer här Septuaginta.
- 25:25 Naval betyder dåre.
- 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.
- 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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