1 Samuel 25
New International Reader's Version
David, Nabal and Abigail
25 When Samuel died, the whole nation of Israel gathered together. They were filled with sorrow because he was dead. They buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David went down into the Desert of Paran.
2 A certain man in Maon was very wealthy. He owned property there at Carmel. He had 1,000 goats and 3,000 sheep. He was clipping the wool off the sheep in Carmel. 3 His name was Nabal. His wife’s name was Abigail. She was a wise and beautiful woman. But her husband was rude and mean in the way he treated others. He was from the family of Caleb.
4 David was staying in the Desert of Paran. While he was there, he heard that Nabal was clipping the wool off his sheep. 5 So he sent for ten young men. He said to them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel. Greet him for me. 6 Say to him, ‘May you live a long time! May everything go well with you and your family! And may things go well with everything that belongs to you!
7 “ ‘I hear that you are clipping the wool off your sheep. When your shepherds were with us, we treated them well. The whole time they were at Carmel nothing that belonged to them was stolen. 8 Ask your own servants. They’ll tell you. We’ve come to you now at a happy time of the year. Please be kind to my men. Please give me and my men anything you can find for us.’ ”
9 When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal the message from David. Then they waited.
10 Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are running away from their masters these days. 11 Why should I give away my bread and water? Why should I give away the meat I’ve prepared for those who clip the wool off my sheep? Why should I give food to men who come from who knows where?”
12 So David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported to David every word Nabal had spoken. 13 David said to his men, “Each of you put on your swords!” So they did. David put his sword on too. About 400 men went up with David. Two hundred men stayed behind with the supplies.
14 One of the servants warned Abigail, Nabal’s wife. He said, “David sent some messengers from the desert to give his greetings to our master. But Nabal shouted at them and was rude to them. 15 David’s men had been very good to us. They treated us well. The whole time we were near them out in the fields, nothing was stolen. 16 We were taking care of our sheep near them. During that time, they were like a wall around us night and day. They kept us safe. 17 Now think it over. See what you can do. Horrible trouble will soon come to our master and his whole family. He’s such an evil man that no one can even talk to him.”
18 Abigail didn’t waste any time. She got 200 loaves of bread and two bottles of wine. The bottles were made out of animal skins. She got five sheep that were ready to be cooked. She got a bushel of grain that had been cooked. She got 100 raisin cakes. And she got 200 cakes of pressed figs. She loaded all of it on the backs of donkeys. 19 Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead. I’ll follow you.” But she didn’t tell her husband Nabal about it.
20 Abigail rode her donkey into a mountain valley. There she saw David and his men. They were coming down toward her. 21 David had just said, “Everything we’ve done hasn’t been worth a thing! I watched over that fellow’s property in the desert. I made sure none of it was stolen. But he has paid me back evil for good. 22 I won’t leave even one of his men alive until morning. If I do, may God punish me greatly!”
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey. She bowed down in front of David with her face toward the ground. 24 She fell at his feet. She said, “Pardon your servant, sir. Please let me speak to you. Listen to what I’m saying. Let me take the blame myself. 25 Please don’t pay any attention to that evil man Nabal. His name means Foolish Person. And that’s exactly what he is. He’s always doing foolish things. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to see the men you sent. 26 Sir, the Lord has kept you from killing Nabal and his men. He has kept you from using your own hands to get even. So may what’s about to happen to Nabal happen to all your enemies. May it happen to everyone who wants to harm you. And may it happen just as surely as the Lord your God and you are alive. 27 I’ve brought a gift for you. Give it to the men who follow you.
28 “Please forgive me if I shouldn’t have done that. The Lord your God will certainly give you and your family line a kingdom that will last. That’s because you fight the Lord’s battles. You won’t do anything wrong as long as you live. 29 Someone may chase you and try to kill you. But the Lord your God will keep your life safe like a treasure hidden in a bag. And he’ll destroy your enemies. Their lives will be thrown away, just as a stone is thrown from a sling. 30 The Lord will do for you every good thing he promised to do. He’ll appoint you ruler over Israel. 31 When that happens, you won’t have this heavy load on your mind. You won’t have to worry about how you killed people without any reason. You won’t have to worry about how you got even. The Lord your God will give you success. When that happens, please remember me.”
32 David said to Abigail, “Give praise to the Lord. He is the God of Israel. He has sent you today to find me. 33 May the Lord bless you for what you have done. You have shown a lot of good sense. You have kept me from killing Nabal and his men this day. You have kept me from using my own hands to get even. 34 It’s a good thing you came quickly to meet me. If you hadn’t come, not one of Nabal’s men would have been left alive by sunrise. And that’s just as sure as the Lord, the God of Israel, is alive. He has kept me from harming you.”
35 Then David accepted from her what she had brought him. He said, “Go home in peace. I’ve heard your words. I’ll do what you have asked.”
36 Abigail went back to Nabal. He was having a dinner party in the house. It was the kind of dinner a king would have. He had been drinking too much wine. He was very drunk. So she didn’t tell him anything at all until sunrise. 37 The next morning Nabal wasn’t drunk anymore. Then his wife told him everything. When she did, his heart grew weak. He became like a stone. 38 About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal down. And he died.
39 David heard that Nabal was dead. So he said, “Give praise to the Lord. Nabal was rude to me. But the Lord stood up for me. He has kept me from doing something wrong. He has paid Nabal back for the wrong things he did.”
Then David sent a message to Abigail. He asked her to become his wife. 40 His servants went to Carmel. They said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you. He wants you to come back with us and become his wife.”
41 Abigail bowed down with her face toward the ground. She said, “I am your servant. I’m ready to serve him. I’m ready to wash the feet of his servants.” 42 Abigail quickly got on a donkey and went with David’s messengers. Her five female servants went with her. She became David’s wife. 43 David had also married Ahinoam from Jezreel. Both of them became his wives. 44 But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s first wife, to Paltiel. Paltiel was from Gallim. He was the son of Laish.
1 Samuel 25
Nueva Traducción Viviente
Muerte de Samuel
25 Murió Samuel, y todo Israel se reunió para su funeral. Lo enterraron en su casa en Ramá.
Nabal hace enojar a David
Luego David bajó al desierto de Maón.[a] 2 Había un hombre rico de Maón que tenía propiedades cerca de la ciudad de Carmelo. Tenía tres mil ovejas y mil cabras, y era el tiempo de la esquila. 3 Este hombre se llamaba Nabal, y su esposa, Abigail, era una mujer sensata y hermosa. Pero Nabal, descendiente de Caleb, era grosero y mezquino en todos sus asuntos.
4 Cuando David se enteró de que Nabal esquilaba sus ovejas, 5 envió a diez de sus hombres jóvenes a Carmelo con el siguiente mensaje para Nabal: 6 «¡Paz y prosperidad para ti, para tu familia y para todo lo que posees! 7 Me dicen que es el tiempo de la esquila. Mientras tus pastores estuvieron entre nosotros cerca de Carmelo, nunca les hicimos daño y nunca se les robó nada. 8 Pregunta a tus propios hombres, y te dirán que es cierto. Así que, ¿podrías ser bondadoso con nosotros, ya que hemos venido en tiempo de celebración? Por favor, comparte con nosotros y con tu amigo David las provisiones que tengas a la mano». 9 Los hombres le dieron este mensaje a Nabal en nombre de David y esperaron la respuesta.
10 «¿Quién es ese tipo David?—les dijo Nabal con desdén—. ¿Quién se cree que es este hijo de Isaí? En estos días hay muchos siervos que se escapan de sus amos. 11 ¿Debo tomar mi pan, mi agua y la carne que destacé para mis esquiladores y dárselos a un grupo de bandidos que viene de quién sabe dónde?».
12 De modo que los hombres de David regresaron y le dijeron lo que Nabal había dicho. 13 «¡Tomen sus espadas!», respondió David mientras se ceñía la suya. Enseguida David salió con cuatrocientos hombres, mientras doscientos se quedaron cuidando las pertenencias.
14 Entre tanto, uno de los siervos de Nabal fue a decirle a Abigail: «David envió mensajeros desde el desierto para saludar a nuestro amo, pero él les respondió con insultos. 15 Estos hombres nos trataron muy bien y nunca sufrimos ningún daño de parte de ellos. Nada nos fue robado durante todo el tiempo que estuvimos con ellos. 16 De hecho, día y noche fueron como un muro de protección para nosotros y nuestras ovejas. 17 Es necesario que usted lo sepa y decida qué hacer, porque habrá problemas para nuestro amo y toda la familia. ¡Nabal tiene tan mal genio que no hay nadie que pueda hablarle!».
18 Sin perder tiempo, Abigail juntó doscientos panes, dos cueros llenos de vino, cinco ovejas destazadas y preparadas, treinta y seis litros[b] de trigo tostado, cien racimos de pasas y doscientos pasteles de higo. Lo cargó todo en burros 19 y les dijo a sus siervos: «Vayan adelante y dentro de poco los seguiré». Pero no le dijo a su esposo Nabal lo que estaba haciendo.
20 Así que, montada en un burro, Abigail entraba a un barranco de la montaña cuando vio a David y a sus hombres acercándose a ella. 21 En ese momento, David decía: «¡De nada sirvió ayudar a este tipo! Protegimos sus rebaños en el desierto y ninguna de sus posesiones se perdió o fue robada. Pero él me devolvió mal por bien. 22 ¡Que Dios me castigue y me mate[c] si tan solo un hombre de su casa queda con vida mañana por la mañana!».
Abigail intercede por Nabal
23 Cuando Abigail vio a David, enseguida bajó de su burro y se inclinó ante él hasta el suelo. 24 Cayó a sus pies y le dijo:
—Toda la culpa es mía en este asunto, mi señor. Por favor, escuche lo que tengo que decir. 25 Sé que Nabal es un hombre perverso y de mal genio; por favor, no le haga caso. Es un necio, como significa su nombre.[d] Pero yo ni siquiera vi a los hombres que usted envió.
26 »Ahora, mi señor, tan cierto como que el Señor vive y que usted vive, ya que el Señor impidió que usted matara y tomara venganza por su propia mano, que todos sus enemigos y los que intenten hacerle daño sean tan malditos como lo es Nabal. 27 Aquí tengo un regalo que yo, su sierva, le he traído a usted y a sus hombres. 28 Le ruego que me perdone si lo he ofendido en alguna manera. El Señor seguramente lo recompensará con una dinastía duradera, porque pelea las batallas del Señor y no ha hecho mal en toda su vida.
29 »Aun cuando lo persigan aquellos que buscan su muerte, su vida estará a salvo al cuidado del Señor su Dios, ¡segura en su bolsa de tesoros! ¡Pero la vida de sus enemigos desaparecerá como piedras lanzadas por una honda! 30 Cuando el Señor haya hecho todo lo que prometió y lo haya hecho líder de Israel, 31 que esta no sea una sombra en su historial. Entonces su conciencia no tendrá que llevar la pesada carga de derramamiento de sangre y venganza innecesarios. Y cuando el Señor haya hecho estas grandes cosas para usted, por favor, ¡acuérdese de mí, su sierva!
32 David le respondió a Abigail:
—¡Alabado sea el Señor, Dios de Israel, quien hoy te ha enviado a mi encuentro! 33 ¡Gracias a Dios por tu buen juicio! Bendita seas, pues me has impedido matar y llevar a cabo mi venganza con mis propias manos. 34 Juro por el Señor, Dios de Israel, quien me ha librado de hacerte daño, que si no te hubieras apresurado a venir a mi encuentro, mañana por la mañana ninguno de los hombres de Nabal habría quedado con vida.
35 Entonces David aceptó su regalo y le dijo:
—Vuelve a tu casa en paz. Escuché lo que dijiste y no mataremos a tu esposo.
36 Cuando Abigail llegó a su casa, encontró a Nabal dando una gran fiesta digna de un rey. Estaba muy borracho, así que no le dijo nada sobre su encuentro con David hasta el amanecer del día siguiente. 37 Por la mañana, cuando Nabal estaba sobrio, su esposa le contó lo que había sucedido. Como consecuencia tuvo un derrame cerebral[e] y quedó paralizado en su cama como una piedra. 38 Unos diez días más tarde, el Señor lo hirió y murió.
David se casa con Abigail
39 Cuando David oyó que Nabal había muerto, dijo: «Alabado sea el Señor, que vengó el insulto que recibí de Nabal y me impidió que tomara venganza por mí mismo. Nabal recibió el castigo por su pecado». Después David envió mensajeros a Abigail pidiéndole que fuera su esposa.
40 Cuando los mensajeros llegaron a Carmelo, le dijeron a Abigail:
—David nos ha enviado para que la llevemos a fin de que se case con él.
41 Entonces ella se inclinó al suelo y respondió:
—Yo, su sierva, estaría encantada de casarme con David. ¡Aun estaría dispuesta a ser una esclava y lavar los pies de sus siervos!
42 Así que enseguida se preparó, llevó a cinco de sus siervas como asistentes, se montó en su burro, y fue con los mensajeros de David. Y se convirtió en su esposa. 43 David también se casó con Ahinoam de Jezreel, así que las dos fueron sus esposas. 44 Mientras tanto, Saúl había dado a su hija Mical, esposa de David, a un hombre de Galim llamado Palti, hijo de Lais.
Footnotes
- 25:1 Así aparece en la versión griega (ver también 25:2); en hebreo dice Parán.
- 25:18 En hebreo 5 seahs [30 cuartos].
- 25:22 Así aparece en la versión griega; en hebreo dice Que Dios castigue y mate a los enemigos de David.
- 25:25 El nombre Nabal significa «necio».
- 25:37 En hebreo le falló el corazón.
1 Samuel 25
Good News Translation
The Death of Samuel
25 Samuel died, and all the Israelites came together and mourned for him. Then they buried him at his home in Ramah.
David and Abigail
After this, David went to the wilderness of Paran. 2-3 There was a man of the clan of Caleb named Nabal, who was from the town of Maon, and who owned land near the town of Carmel. He was a very rich man, the owner of three thousand sheep and one thousand goats. His wife Abigail was beautiful and intelligent, but he was a mean, bad-tempered man.
Nabal was shearing his sheep in Carmel, 4 and David, who was in the wilderness, heard about it, 5 so he sent ten young men with orders to go to Carmel, find Nabal, and give him his greetings. 6 He instructed them to say to Nabal: “David sends you greetings, my friend, with his best wishes for you, your family, and all that is yours. 7 He heard that you were shearing your sheep, and he wants you to know that your shepherds have been with us and we did not harm them. Nothing that belonged to them was stolen all the time they were at Carmel. 8 Just ask them, and they will tell you. We have come on a feast day, and David asks you to receive us kindly. Please give what you can to us your servants and to your dear friend David.”
9 David's men delivered this message to Nabal in David's name. Then they waited there, 10 and Nabal finally answered, “David? Who is he? I've never heard of him! The country is full of runaway slaves nowadays! 11 I'm not going to take my bread and water, and the animals I have butchered for my sheepshearers, and give them to people who come from I don't know where!”
12 David's men went back to him and told him what Nabal had said. 13 “Buckle on your swords!” he ordered, and they all did. David also buckled on his sword and left with about four hundred of his men, leaving two hundred behind with the supplies.
14 One of Nabal's servants said to Nabal's wife Abigail, “Have you heard? David sent some messengers from the wilderness with greetings for our master, but he insulted them. 15 Yet they were very good to us; they never bothered us, and all the time we were with them in the fields, nothing that belonged to us was stolen. 16 They protected us day and night the whole time we were with them looking after our flocks. 17 Please think this over and decide what to do. This could be disastrous for our master and all his family. He is so mean that he won't listen to anybody!”
18 Abigail quickly gathered two hundred loaves of bread, two leather bags full of wine, five roasted sheep, two bushels of roasted grain, a hundred bunches of raisins, and two hundred cakes of dried figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 Then she said to the servants, “You go on ahead and I will follow you.” But she said nothing to her husband.
20 She was riding her donkey around a bend on a hillside when suddenly she met David and his men coming toward her. 21 David had been thinking, “Why did I ever protect that fellow's property out here in the wilderness? Not a thing that belonged to him was stolen, and this is how he pays me back for the help I gave him! 22 May God strike me[a] dead if I don't kill every last one of those men before morning!”
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly dismounted and threw herself on the ground 24 at David's feet, and said to him, “Please, sir, listen to me! Let me take the blame. 25 Please, don't pay any attention to Nabal, that good-for-nothing! He is exactly what his name means—a fool![b] I wasn't there when your servants arrived, sir. 26 It is the Lord who has kept you from taking revenge and killing your enemies. And now I swear to you by the living Lord that your enemies and all who want to harm you will be punished like Nabal. 27 Please, sir, accept this present I have brought you, and give it to your men. 28 Please forgive me, sir, for any wrong I have done. The Lord will make you king, and your descendants also, because you are fighting his battles; and you will not do anything evil[c] as long as you live. 29 If anyone should attack you and try to kill you, the Lord your God will keep you safe, as someone guards a precious treasure. As for your enemies, however, he will throw them away, as someone hurls stones with a sling. 30 And when the Lord has done all the good things he has promised you and has made you king of Israel, 31 then you will not have to feel regret or remorse, sir, for having killed without cause or for having taken your own revenge. And when the Lord has blessed you, sir, please do not forget me.”
32 David said to her, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me! 33 Thank God for your good sense and for what you have done today in keeping me from the crime of murder and from taking my own revenge. 34 The Lord has kept me from harming you. But I swear by the living God of Israel that if you had not hurried to meet me, all of Nabal's men would have been dead by morning!” 35 Then David accepted what she had brought him and said to her, “Go back home and don't worry. I will do what you want.”
36 Abigail went back to Nabal, who was at home having a feast fit for a king. He was drunk and in a good mood, so she did not tell him anything until the next morning. 37 Then, after he had sobered up, she told him everything. He suffered a stroke and was completely paralyzed. 38 Some ten days later the Lord struck Nabal and he died.
39 When David heard that Nabal had died, he said, “Praise the Lord! He has taken revenge on Nabal for insulting me and has kept me his servant from doing wrong. The Lord has punished Nabal for his evil.”
Then David sent a proposal of marriage to Abigail. 40 His servants went to her at Carmel and said to her, “David sent us to take you to him to be his wife.”
41 Abigail bowed down to the ground and said, “I am his servant, ready to wash the feet of his servants.” 42 She rose quickly and mounted her donkey. Accompanied by her five maids, she went with David's servants and became his wife.
43 David had married Ahinoam from Jezreel, and now Abigail also became his wife. 44 (A)Meanwhile, Saul had given his daughter Michal, who had been David's wife, to Palti son of Laish, who was from the town of Gallim.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 25:22 One ancient translation me; Hebrew my enemies.
- 1 Samuel 25:25 This is the meaning of the Hebrew name Nabal.
- 1 Samuel 25:28 you will not do anything evil; or no evil will happen to you.
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