撒母耳記上 25
1 撒母耳死了，以色列眾人聚集，為他哀哭，將他葬在拉瑪－他自己的墳墓裏。 大衛起身，下到巴蘭的曠野。
Samuel died. Everyone in Israel gathered to mourn for him, and they buried him at his home in Ramah. David left and went to the Desert of Paran.
2 在瑪雲有一個人，他的產業在迦密，是一個大富戶，有三千綿羊，一千山羊；他正在迦密剪羊毛。
A man from Maon was very wealthy. He had property in Carmel and owned one thousand goats and three thousand sheep. He was in Carmel shearing them.
3 那人名叫拿八，是迦勒族的人；他的妻名叫亞比該，是聰明俊美的婦人。拿八為人剛愎凶惡。
The man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. She was a wise and beautiful woman, but her husband was cruel and treated people badly. He was a descendant of Caleb.
4 大衛在曠野聽見說拿八剪羊毛，
David was in the wilderness, and he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.
5 大衛就打發十個僕人，吩咐他們說：「你們上迦密去見拿八，提我的名問他安。
So David sent ten of his young men and told them, “Go and see Nabal at Carmel. Greet him in my name, and say hello from me.
6 要對那富戶如此說：『願你平安，願你家平安，願你一切所有的都平安。
Tell him, ‘I wish you a long life! Peace to you and your family, and may everything you do prosper.
7 現在我聽說有人為你剪羊毛，你的牧人在迦密的時候和我們在一處，我們沒有欺負他們，他們也未曾失落甚麼。
Now I've heard that you are busy shearing. When your shepherds were with us, we didn't mistreat them, and nothing belonging to them was stolen all the time they were in Carmel.
8 可以問你的僕人，他們必告訴你。所以願我的僕人在你眼前蒙恩，因為是在好日子來的。求你隨手取點賜與僕人和你兒子大衛。』」
Check with your men and they'll confirm it. Please be kind to my men, especially since we've come on this day of celebration. Please give whatever food you can to us and to your good friend David.’”
9 大衛的僕人到了，將這話提大衛的名都告訴了拿八，就住了口。
David's young men arrived, gave Nabal this message from David, and waited for his reply.
10 拿八回答大衛的僕人說：「大衛是誰？耶西的兒子是誰？近來悖逆主人奔逃的僕人甚多，
“Who does this ‘David, son of Jesse’ think he is?” Nabal replied. “Nowadays there are many servants on the run from their masters!
11 我豈可將飲食和為我剪羊毛人所宰的肉給我不知道從哪裏來的人呢？」
Why should I take the bread and water I've supplied, and the meat I've slaughtered for my shearers, and hand it over to these strangers? I don't even know where they're from!”
12 大衛的僕人就轉身從原路回去，照這話告訴大衛。
So David's men turned around and went back the way they came. When they got back they told David everything Nabal had said.
13 大衛向跟隨他的人說：「你們各人都要帶上刀！」眾人就都帶上刀，大衛也帶上刀。跟隨大衛上去的約有四百人，留下二百人看守器具。
“Everyone, put on your swords!” David ordered. They all put on their swords, and David did too. About four hundred followed David, while two hundred remained behind to guard their gear.
14 有拿八的一個僕人告訴拿八的妻亞比該說：「大衛從曠野打發使者來問我主人的安，主人卻辱罵他們。
In the meantime one of Nabal's men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, “David sent some messengers from the wilderness to bring greetings to our master, but he only insulted them.
15 但是那些人待我們甚好；我們在田野與他們來往的時候，沒有受他們的欺負，也未曾失落甚麼。
David's men were always very good to us and they never mistreated us. All the time we were out in the fields with them nothing was stolen from us.
16 我們在他們那裏牧羊的時候，他們晝夜作我們的保障。
They were like a protective wall to us, both day and night, during the whole time we were with them looking after the sheep.
17 所以你當籌劃，看怎樣行才好；不然，禍患定要臨到我主人和他全家。他性情凶暴，無人敢與他說話。」
You should know what happened and consider what you should do about it. Disaster is about to strike our master and his whole family, but he's so obnoxious no one can talk sense into him!”
18 亞比該急忙將二百餅，兩皮袋酒，五隻收拾好了的羊，五細亞烘好了的穗子，一百葡萄餅，二百無花果餅，都馱在驢上，
Abigail quickly gathered together two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already slaughtered, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred raisin cakes, and two hundred fig cakes, and then loaded everything on donkeys.
19 對僕人說：「你們前頭走，我隨着你們去。」這事她卻沒有告訴丈夫拿八。
She told her men, “Go on ahead. I'll follow you.” But she didn't say anything to her husband Nabal.
20 亞比該騎着驢，正下山坡，見大衛和跟隨他的人從對面下來，亞比該就迎接他們。
As Abigail was riding her donkey through a mountain valley, she saw David and his men descending towards her, and she met them.
21 大衛曾說：「我在曠野為那人看守所有的，以致他一樣不失落，實在是徒然了！他向我以惡報善。
David had just been complaining, “So much for my protecting everything that belonged to this man in the wilderness! Nothing at all was stolen from him, and yet what does he do? Pay me back evil for good!
22 凡屬拿八的男丁，我若留一個到明日早晨，願上帝重重降罰與我！」
May God punish me very severely if I leave even a single one of his men alive by morning!”
23 亞比該見大衛，便急忙下驢，在大衛面前臉伏於地叩拜，
When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey, and bowed before him, her face to the ground.
24 俯伏在大衛的腳前，說：「我主啊，願這罪歸我！求你容婢女向你進言，更求你聽婢女的話。
Falling at his feet in respect, she said, “Sir, I accept full responsibility for what's happened. Please listen to what I, your servant, have to say.
25 我主不要理這壞人拿八，他的性情與他的名相稱；他名叫拿八，他為人果然愚頑。但我主所打發的僕人，婢女並沒有看見。
Please don't concern yourself with this worthless man Nabal. His name means ‘fool,’ and he is really foolish! As for me, your servant, I didn't even see the men you sent.
26 我主啊，耶和華既然阻止你親手報仇，取流血的罪，所以我指着永生的耶和華、又敢在你面前起誓說：『願你的仇敵和謀害你的人都像拿八一樣。』
Now, sir, as the Lord lives and as you live, the Lord has kept you from shedding blood and from taking your own revenge. Sir, may your enemies and those who want to do you harm be like Nabal.
27 如今求你將婢女送來的禮物給跟隨你的僕人。
Please accept this present that I, your servant, have brought to you, sir, and give it to your men.
28 求你饒恕婢女的罪過。耶和華必為我主建立堅固的家，因我主為耶和華爭戰；並且在你平生的日子查不出有甚麼過來。
Please forgive any offense that I, your servant, have committed, for the Lord is sure to set up a dynasty for you that will last for a long time, because you, sir, fight the battles of the Lord. Wickedness should not be found in you as long as you live.
29 雖有人起來追逼你，尋索你的性命，你的性命卻在耶和華－你的上帝那裏蒙保護，如包裹寶器一樣；你仇敵的性命，耶和華必拋去，如用機弦甩石一樣。
If anyone pursues you and tries to kill you, then your life will remain bound up with those the Lord your God looks after, safe in his care. But he will throw away the lives of your enemies like stones from a sling.
30 我主現在若不親手報仇流無辜人的血，到了耶和華照所應許你的話賜福與你，立你作以色列的王，那時我主必不致心裏不安，覺得良心有虧。耶和華賜福與我主的時候，求你記念婢女。」
So when the Lord has done for you, sir, everything good he promised, and has made you ruler over Israel,
you won't have feelings of remorse or a guilty conscience over unnecessary bloodshed or of taking your own revenge. And when the Lord has done these good things for you, sir, please remember me, your maidservant.”
32 大衛對亞比該說：「耶和華－以色列的上帝是應當稱頌的，因為他今日使你來迎接我。
Then David said to Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today!
33 你和你的見識也當稱讚；因為你今日攔阻我親手報仇、流人的血。
May you be rewarded for your wise decisions, for preventing me from shedding blood today and taking my own revenge.
34 我指着阻止我加害於你的耶和華－以色列永生的上帝起誓，你若不速速地來迎接我，到明日早晨，凡屬拿八的男丁必定不留一個。」
On the contrary, as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you hadn't rushed to meet me, then definitely not a single one of Nabal's men would have been left alive by dawn.”
35 大衛受了亞比該送來的禮物，就對她說：「我聽了你的話，准了你的情面，你可以平平安安地回家吧！」
David accepted from Abigail what she had brought him, and told her, “You may go home in peace, because I agree with your advice and grant your request.”
36 亞比該到拿八那裏，見他在家裏設擺筵席，如同王的筵席；拿八快樂大醉。亞比該無論大小事都沒有告訴他，就等到次日早晨。
When Abigail got back home to Nabal, he was in the house, partying like a king. He was feeling very merry, and he was very drunk. So she didn't tell him anything until the morning.
37 到了早晨，拿八醒了酒，他的妻將這些事都告訴他，他就魂不附體，身僵如石頭一般。
When Nabal had sobered up the next morning, his wife told him what had happened. When he heard what she had to say he had a heart attack and was paralyzed.
38 過了十天，耶和華擊打拿八，他就死了。
About ten days later the Lord struck Nabal down and he died.
39 大衛聽見拿八死了，就說：「應當稱頌耶和華，因他伸了拿八羞辱我的冤，又阻止僕人行惡；也使拿八的惡歸到拿八的頭上。」於是大衛打發人去，與亞比該說，要娶她為妻。
When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise the Lord who has supported me against Nabal's insult and has kept me from doing evil. For the Lord made Nabal's wickedness fall back on himself.” Then David sent a message to Abigail, asking for her to marry him.
40 大衛的僕人到了迦密見亞比該，對她說：「大衛打發我們來見你，想要娶你為妻。」
When David's men arrived at Carmel, they said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to bring you back to become his wife.”
41 亞比該就起來，俯伏在地，說：「我情願作婢女，洗我主僕人的腳。」
She stood up, then bowed down low, and said, “I am David's maidservant. I am prepared to serve and to wash the feet of my master's servants.”
42 亞比該立刻起身，騎上驢，帶着五個使女，跟從大衛的使者去了，就作了大衛的妻。
Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, with her five female servants, went back with David's men and became his wife.
43 大衛先娶了耶斯列人亞希暖，她們二人都作了他的妻。
David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. So they both were his wives.
44 掃羅已將他的女兒米甲，就是大衛的妻，給了迦琳人拉億的兒子帕提為妻。
However, Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Paltiel, son of Laish. He was from Gallim.
