Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options Listen to 1 Samuel 25:2-44
Close GNV

1 Samuel 25:2-44
1599 Geneva Bible

2 Now in [a]Maon was a man, who had his possession in Carmel, and the man was exceeding mighty, and had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3 The name also of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail, and she was a woman of singular wisdom, and beautiful, but the man was churlish, and evil conditioned, and was of the family of Caleb.

4 And David heard in the wilderness, that Nabal did shear his sheep.

5 Therefore David sent ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and ask him in my name [b]how he doeth.

6 And thus shall ye say [c][d]for salutation, Both thou, and thine house, and all that thou hast, be in peace, wealth and prosperity.

7 Behold, I have heard, that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds were with us, and we did them no hurt, neither did they miss anything all the while they were in Carmel.

8 Ask thy servants, and they will show thee. Wherefore let these young men find favor in thine eyes: (for we come in a good season) give, I pray thee, whatsoever [e]cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.

9 ¶ And when David’s young men came, they told Nabal all those words in the name of David, and held their peace.

10 Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the [f]son of Jesse? there be many servants nowadays, 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 servants turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those things.

13 And David said unto his men, Gird every man his sword about him. And they girded every man his sword: David also girded his sword. And about four hundred men went up after David, and two hundred abode by the [g]carriage.

14 Now one of the servants told Abigail Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he [h]railed on them.

15 Notwithstanding, the men were very good [i]unto us, and we had no displeasure, neither missed we anything as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields.

16 They were as a wall unto us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping sheep.

17 Now therefore take heed, and see what thou shalt do: for evil [j]will surely come upon our master, and upon all his family: for he is so wicked, that a man cannot speak to him.

18 ¶ Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred [k]cakes, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred [l]frails of raisins, and two hundred of figs, and laid them on asses.

19 Then she said unto her servants, Go ye before me: behold, I will come after you: yet she told not her [m]husband Nabal.

20 And as she rode on her ass, she came down by a secret place of the mountain, and behold, David and his men came down against her, and she met them.

21 And David said, Indeed I have kept all in vain that this fellow had in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: for he hath requited me evil for good.

22 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David: for surely I will not leave of all that he hath by the dawning of the day, any that [n]pisseth against the wall.

23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted and lighted off her ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,

24 And fell at his feet, and said, Oh, my lord, I have committed the iniquity, and I pray thee, let thine handmaid speak [o]to thee, and hear thou the words of thine handmaid.

25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this wicked man, Nabal: for as his name is, so is he: [p]Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord whom thou sentest.

26 Now therefore my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth (the Lord, I say, that hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and that thine [q]hand should not save thee) so now thine enemies shall be as Nabal, and they that intend to do my lord evil.

27 And now this [r]blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it be given unto the young men, that [s]follow my lord.

28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will make my lord a [t]sure house, because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and none evil hath been found in thee [u]in all thy life.

29 Yet [v]a man hath risen up to persecute thee, and to seek thy soul, but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the [w]bundle of life with the Lord thy God: and the soul of thine enemies shall God cast out, as out of the middle of a sling.

30 And when the Lord shall have done to my lord all the good that he hath promised thee, and shall have made thee ruler over Israel,

31 Then shall it be no grief unto thee, nor offence of mind unto my lord, that he hath not shed blood causeless, nor that my lord hath [x]not preserved himself: and when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, remember thine handmaid.

32 Then David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me.

33 And blessed be thy counsel, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, [y]and that mine hand hath not saved me.

34 For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, [z]who hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and met me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the dawning of the day, any that pisseth against the wall.

35 Then David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said to her, Go up in peace to thine house: behold, I have heard thy voice, and have [aa]granted thy petition.

36 ¶ So Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he made 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 [ab]nothing, neither less nor more, until the morning arose.

37 Then in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, his wife told him those words, and his heart died within him, and he was like [ac]a stone.

38 And about ten days after, the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.

39 ¶ Now when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, that hath [ad]judged the cause of my rebuke of the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the Lord hath recompensed the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. Also David sent to commune with Abigail, to [ae]take her to his wife.

40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us to thee, to take thee to his 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, and her five maids [af]followed her, and she went after the messengers of David, and was his wife.

43 David also took Ahinoam of (A)Jezreel, and they were both his wives.

44 Now Saul had given (B)Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, which was of [ag]Gallim.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 25:2 Maon and Carmel were cities in the tribe of Judah. Carmel the mountain was in Galilee.
  2. 1 Samuel 25:5 Hebrew, of peace.
  3. 1 Samuel 25:6 Some read, so mayest thou live in prosperity the next year, both thou, etc.
  4. 1 Samuel 25:6 Hebrew, for life.
  5. 1 Samuel 25:8 Whatsoever thou hast ready for us.
  6. 1 Samuel 25:10 Thus the covetous wretches instead of relieving the necessity of God’s children, used to revile their persons and condemn their cause.
  7. 1 Samuel 25:13 Hebrew, vessel.
  8. 1 Samuel 25:14 Hebrew, drove them away.
  9. 1 Samuel 25:15 When we kept our sheep in the wilderness of Paran.
  10. 1 Samuel 25:17 Hebrew, is accomplished.
  11. 1 Samuel 25:18 Hebrew, bread.
  12. 1 Samuel 25:18 Or, clusters.
  13. 1 Samuel 25:19 Because she knew his crooked nature, that he would rather have perished, than consented to her enterprise.
  14. 1 Samuel 25:22 Meaning by this proverb, that he would destroy both small and great.
  15. 1 Samuel 25:24 Hebrew, in thine ears.
  16. 1 Samuel 25:25 Or, fool.
  17. 1 Samuel 25:26 That is, that thou shouldest not be revenged of thine enemy.
  18. 1 Samuel 25:27 Or, present.
  19. 1 Samuel 25:27 Hebrew, walk at the feet.
  20. 1 Samuel 25:28 Confirm his Kingdom to his posterity.
  21. 1 Samuel 25:28 Hebrew, from thy days.
  22. 1 Samuel 25:29 To wit, Saul.
  23. 1 Samuel 25:29 God shall preserve thee long in his service, and destroy thine enemies.
  24. 1 Samuel 25:31 That he hath not avenged himself, which things would have tormented his conscience.
  25. 1 Samuel 25:33 Read verse 26.
  26. 1 Samuel 25:34 He attributeth it to the Lord’s mercy, and not to himself that he was stayed.
  27. 1 Samuel 25:35 Hebrew, received thy face.
  28. 1 Samuel 25:36 For he had no reason either to consider, or to give thanks for this great benefit of deliverance.
  29. 1 Samuel 25:37 For fear of the great danger.
  30. 1 Samuel 25:39 Or, revenged.
  31. 1 Samuel 25:39 For he had experience of her great godliness, wisdom and humility.
  32. 1 Samuel 25:42 Hebrew, went at her feet.
  33. 1 Samuel 25:44 Which was a place bordering on the country of the Moabites.
Listen to 1 Samuel 25:2-44
Close NIV

1 Samuel 25:2-44
New International Version

2 A certain man in Maon,(A) who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy.(B) He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing(C) in Carmel. 3 His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail.(D) She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite.(E)

4 While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. 5 So he sent ten young men and said to them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. 6 Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health(F) to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!(G)

7 “‘Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat(H) them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. 8 Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever(I) you can find for them.’”

9 When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David’s name. Then they waited.

10 Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who(J) is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. 11 Why should I take my bread(K) and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”

12 David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word. 13 David said to his men(L), “Each of you strap on your sword!” So they did, and David strapped his on as well. About four hundred men went(M) up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.(N)

14 One of the servants told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings,(O) but he hurled insults at them. 15 Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat(P) us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing.(Q) 16 Night and day they were a wall(R) around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them. 17 Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked(S) man that no one can talk to him.”

18 Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs[a] of roasted grain,(T) a hundred cakes of raisins(U) and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys.(V) 19 Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead;(W) I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell(X) her husband Nabal.

20 As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. 21 David had just said, “It’s been useless—all my watching over this fellow’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing.(Y) He has paid(Z) me back evil(AA) for good. 22 May God deal with David,[b] be it ever so severely,(AB) if by morning I leave alive one male(AC) of all who belong to him!”

23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground.(AD) 24 She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord,(AE) and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. 25 Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool(AF),(AG) and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. 26 And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed(AH) and from avenging(AI) yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal.(AJ) 27 And let this gift,(AK) which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.

28 “Please forgive(AL) your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting(AM) dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles,(AN) and no wrongdoing(AO) will be found in you as long as you live. 29 Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life,(AP) the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl(AQ) away as from the pocket of a sling.(AR) 30 When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler(AS) over Israel, 31 my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember(AT) your servant.”(AU)

32 David said to Abigail, “Praise(AV) be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. 33 May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed(AW) this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. 34 Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal(AX) would have been left alive by daybreak.”

35 Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted(AY) your request.”

36 When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high(AZ) spirits and very drunk.(BA) So she told(BB) him nothing at all until daybreak. 37 Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.(BC) 38 About ten days later, the Lord struck(BD) 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(BE) quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife. 43 David had also married Ahinoam(BF) of Jezreel, and they both were his wives.(BG) 44 But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel[c](BH) son of Laish, who was from Gallim.(BI)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 25:18 That is, probably about 60 pounds or about 27 kilograms
  2. 1 Samuel 25:22 Some Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew with David’s enemies
  3. 1 Samuel 25:44 Hebrew Palti, a variant of Paltiel
Next
1 Samuel 24
1 Samuel 26
Next
dropdown
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.

The 1599 Geneva Bible - A publication of Tolle Lege Press
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV