1 Samuel 25:2-44
World English Bible
2 There was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great. 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. This woman was intelligent and had a beautiful face; but the man was surly and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb. 4 David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5 David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. 6 Tell him, ‘Long life to you! Peace be to you! Peace be to your house! Peace be to all that you have! 7 Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds have now been with us, and we didn’t harm them. Nothing was missing from them all the time they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let the young men find favor in your eyes; for we come on a good day. Please give whatever comes to your hand, to your servants, and to your son David.’”
9 When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal all those words in the name of David, and waited.
10 Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days. 11 Shall I then take my bread, my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men who I don’t know where they come from?”
12 So David’s young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him all these words.
13 David said to his men, “Every man put on his sword!”
Every man put on his sword. David also put on his sword. About four hundred men followed David, and two hundred stayed by the baggage. 14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master; and he insulted them. 15 But the men were very good to us, and we were not harmed, and we didn’t miss anything, as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields. 16 They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 Now therefore know and consider what you will do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his house; for he is such a worthless fellow that one can’t speak to him.”
18 Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two containers of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five seahs[a] of parched grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys. 19 She said to her young men, “Go on before me. Behold, I am coming after you.” But she didn’t tell her husband, Nabal. 20 As she rode on her donkey, and came down hidden by the mountain, behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them.
21 Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him. He has returned me evil for good. 22 God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that belongs to him by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall.”[b]
23 When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got off her donkey, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet, and said, “On me, my lord, on me be the blame! Please let your servant speak in your ears. Hear the words of your servant. 25 Please don’t let my lord pay attention to this worthless fellow, Nabal; for as his name is, so is he. Nabal[c] is his name, and folly is with him; but I, your servant, didn’t see my lord’s young men, whom you sent. 26 Now therefore, my lord, as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, since Yahweh has withheld you from blood guiltiness, and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now therefore let your enemies, and those who seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. 27 Now this present which your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For Yahweh will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights Yahweh’s battles. Evil will not be found in you all your days. 29 Though men may rise up to pursue you, and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord will be bound in the bundle of life with Yahweh your God. He will sling out the souls of your enemies, as from the hollow of a sling. 30 It will come to pass, when Yahweh has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you prince over Israel, 31 that this shall 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. When Yahweh has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant.”
32 David said to Abigail, “Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me! 33 Blessed is your discretion, and blessed are you, who have kept me today from blood guiltiness, and from avenging myself with my own hand. 34 For indeed, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, who has withheld me from harming you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely there wouldn’t have been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall.”[d]
35 So David received from her hand that which she had brought him. Then he said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. Behold, I have listened to your voice, and have granted your request.”
36 Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. Therefore she told him nothing until the morning light. 37 In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. 38 About ten days later, Yahweh struck Nabal, so that he died. 39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed is Yahweh, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil. Yahweh has returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head.” David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to himself as wife. 40 When David’s servants had come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you, to take you to him as wife.”
41 She arose, and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said, “Behold, your servant is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” 42 Abigail hurried, and arose, and rode on a donkey, with five ladies of hers who followed her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. 43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they both became his wives. 44 Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.
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1 Samuel 25:2-44
New American Standard Bible
Nabal and Abigail
2 Now there was a man in (A)Maon whose business was in (B)Carmel; and the man was very [a]rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And it came about while (C)he was shearing his sheep in Carmel 3 (now the man’s name was Nabal, and his (D)wife’s name was Abigail. And the woman was [b]intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was (E)a Calebite), 4 that David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5 So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel and [c]visit Nabal, and greet him in my name; 6 and this is what you shall say: ‘[d]Have a long life, (F)peace to you, and peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! 7 Now then, I have heard (G)that you have shearers. Now, your shepherds have been with us; we have not harmed them, (H)nor has anything of theirs gone missing all the days they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on (I)a [e]festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.’”
9 When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal in accordance with all these words in David’s name; then they waited. 10 But Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “(J)Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master. 11 Shall I then (K)take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men [f]whose origin I do not know?” 12 So David’s young men made their way back and returned; and they came and informed him in accordance with all these words. 13 Then David said to his men, “Each of you strap on his sword.” So each man strapped on his sword. And David also strapped on his sword, and about (L)four hundred men went up behind David, while two hundred (M)stayed with the baggage.
14 Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers from the wilderness to [g](N)greet our master, and he spoke to them in anger. 15 Yet the men were very good to us, and we were not (O)harmed, nor did anything go missing [h]as long as we went with them, while we were in the fields. 16 (P)They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the time we were with them tending the sheep. 17 Now then, be aware and [i]consider what you should do, because harm is plotted against our master and against all his household; and he is such a [j]worthless man that no one can speak to him.”
Abigail Intercedes
18 Then Abigail hurried and (Q)took two hundred loaves of bread and two jugs of wine, and five sheep already prepared and five measures of roasted grain, and a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and she loaded them on donkeys. 19 Then she said to her young men, “(R)Go on ahead of me; behold, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 And it happened as she was riding on her donkey and coming down by the hidden part of the mountain, that behold, David and his men were coming down toward her; so she met them. 21 Now David had said, “It is certainly for nothing that I have guarded everything that this man has in the wilderness, so that nothing has gone missing of all that belonged to him! For he has (S)returned me evil for good. 22 (T)May God do so to the enemies of David, and more so, (U)if by morning I leave alive as much as one [k]male of any who belong to him.”
23 When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from her donkey, and fell on her face in front of David (V)and bowed herself to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said, “On me [l]alone, my lord, be the blame. And please let your slave speak [m]to you, and listen to the words of your slave. 25 Please do not let my lord [n]pay attention to this [o]worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. [p]Nabal is his name, and stupidity is with him; but I your slave did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.
26 “Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, since the Lord has restrained you from [q]shedding blood, and (W)from [r]avenging yourself by your own hand, now then, (X)may your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be like Nabal. 27 And now let (Y)this [s]gift which your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who [t]accompany my lord. 28 Please forgive (Z)the offense of your slave; for (AA)the Lord will certainly make for my lord an [u]enduring house, because my lord is (AB)fighting the battles of the Lord, and (AC)evil will not be found in you all your days. 29 Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your [v]life, then the [w]life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; but the [x]lives of your enemies (AD)He will sling out [y]as from the hollow of a sling. 30 And when the Lord does for my lord in accordance with all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and (AE)appoints you ruler over Israel, 31 this will not become an obstacle to you, or a [z]troubled heart to my lord, both by having shed blood without cause and by my lord’s having [aa]avenged himself. (AF)When the Lord deals well with my lord, then remember your slave.”
32 Then David said to Abigail, “(AG)Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, 33 and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, (AH)who have kept me this day from [ab]bloodshed and from [ac]avenging myself by my own hand. 34 Nevertheless, as the Lord God of Israel lives, (AI)who has restrained me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, there certainly would not have been left to Nabal until the morning light as much as one [ad]male.” 35 So David accepted from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, “(AJ)Go up to your house in peace. See, I have listened to [ae]you and [af](AK)granted your request.”
36 Then Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was having (AL)a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was cheerful within him, (AM)for he was very drunk; so (AN)she did not tell him anything [ag]at all until the morning light. 37 But in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him so that he became like a stone. 38 About ten days later, (AO)the Lord struck Nabal and he died.
David Marries Abigail
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has (AP)pleaded the cause of the shame inflicted on me by the hand of Nabal, and (AQ)has kept back His servant from evil. The Lord has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent [ah](AR)a proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife. 40 When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife.” 41 And she got up (AS)and bowed with her face to the ground, and said, “Behold, your slave is a servant (AT)to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” 42 Then (AU)Abigail got up quickly, and rode on a donkey, with her five female attendants who [ai]accompanied her; and she followed the messengers of David and became his wife.
43 David had also taken Ahinoam of (AV)Jezreel, and (AW)they both became his wives.
44 But Saul had given his daughter (AX)Michal, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from (AY)Gallim.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Samuel 25:2 Lit great
- 1 Samuel 25:3 Lit of good understanding
- 1 Samuel 25:5 Lit come to
- 1 Samuel 25:6 Lit To life
- 1 Samuel 25:8 Lit good
- 1 Samuel 25:11 Lit from where they are
- 1 Samuel 25:14 Lit bless
- 1 Samuel 25:15 Lit all the days
- 1 Samuel 25:17 Lit see
- 1 Samuel 25:17 Lit son of Belial
- 1 Samuel 25:22 Lit who urinates against the wall
- 1 Samuel 25:24 Lit myself
- 1 Samuel 25:24 Lit in your ears
- 1 Samuel 25:25 Lit set his heart to
- 1 Samuel 25:25 Lit man of Belial
- 1 Samuel 25:25 I.e., fool
- 1 Samuel 25:26 Lit coming in with blood
- 1 Samuel 25:26 Lit helping
- 1 Samuel 25:27 Lit blessing
- 1 Samuel 25:27 Lit walk at the feet of
- 1 Samuel 25:28 Or permanent
- 1 Samuel 25:29 Lit soul
- 1 Samuel 25:29 Lit soul
- 1 Samuel 25:29 Lit soul
- 1 Samuel 25:29 Lit in the midst of
- 1 Samuel 25:31 Lit stumbling of heart
- 1 Samuel 25:31 Lit helped
- 1 Samuel 25:33 Lit coming into blood
- 1 Samuel 25:33 Lit helping
- 1 Samuel 25:34 Lit who urinates against the wall
- 1 Samuel 25:35 Lit your voice
- 1 Samuel 25:35 Lit lifted up your face
- 1 Samuel 25:36 Lit small or large
- 1 Samuel 25:39 Lit and spoke
- 1 Samuel 25:42 Lit walked at her feet
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