1 Samuel 25

1 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.

And Samuel died, and all Israel were gathered together, and made lamentation for him, and buried him within his own house, in Ramah, —and David arose and went down into the wilderness of Maon.

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.

Now there was, a man, in Maon, whose cattle were in Carmel, and, the man, was exceeding great, and, he, had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats, —and so it was, that 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.

Now, the name of the man, was Nabal, and, the name of his wife, Abigail, —and, the woman, was of good understanding, and of beautiful figure, —but, the man, was unfeeling and of evil practices, and he was a Calebite.

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

So then David heard in the wilderness, —that Nabal was shearing 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:

David, therefore, sent ten young men, —and David said unto the young men, —Go up to Carmel, and enter in unto Nabal, and ye shall ask him, in my name, of his welfare;

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.

and say thus—Long life to thee! Mayest, thou, prosper, And, thy household, prosper, And, all that thou hast, prosper!

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.

Now, therefore, have I heard that thou hast shearers, —Well, the shepherds that thou hast, have been with us, we reproached them not, neither missed they, anything, all the days 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.

Ask thy young men, that they may tell thee, that so my young men may find favour in thine eyes, for, on a good day, have we come! Give, I pray thee, what thy hand findeth, to thy servants, and to thy son, to 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.

So David’s young men came, and spake unto Nabal, according to all these words, in the name of David, —and waited.

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.

Then Nabal answered the servants of David, and said, Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? Nowadays, many are the servants that have broken away, every one from the presence of his lord:

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?

Shall I, then, take my bread, and my wine, and my slain beasts, that I have slaughtered for my shearers, —and give unto men of whom I know not whence they are?

12 So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.

So the young men of David turned away for their journey, —and came back, and drew near, and told him, according to all these words.

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.

Then said David unto his men—Gird on you every man his sword. And they girded on them, 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 stores.

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.

But a certain one of her young men told, Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, —Lo! David sent messengers out of the wilderness to bless our lord, and he treated them with contempt.

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:

But, the men, were exceeding good to us, —and we were not harmed, neither missed we, anything, all the days we went to and fro with them, while 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.

A wall, became they unto us, both by night and by day, all the days we were with them, tending the flock.

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.

Now, therefore, know thou, and see, what thou canst do, for mischief is determined against our lord, and against all his household, —but, he, is such an abandoned man, that one cannot speak unto him.

18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two skins of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched grain, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys.

Then Abigail hastened—and took two hundred loaves, and two skins of wine, and five sheep made ready, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred cakes of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, —and put them on the asses.

19 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.

And she said to her young men—Pass on before me, behold me coming after you; but, to her husband, Nabal, told she nothing.

20 And it was so, as she rode on the donkey, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.

And so it was, as she was riding on her ass, and descending within the covert of the hill, lo! David and his men, descending over against her, —so 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.

Now, David, had said—Surely, in vain, did I guard all that pertained to this man in the wilderness, so that there was, nothing, missed of all that he had, —seeing he hath returned to 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.

So may God do to David and so may he add, if I leave remaining, of all that he hath, until the morning, —so much as a little boy.

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

And, when Abigail saw David, she hastened, and alighted from off her ass, —and fell down before David upon her face, and prostrated herself on 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.

yea she fell at his feet, and said—On me, even me, my lord, be the transgression, —But, I pray thee, let thy handmaid speak in thine ears, and hear thou the words of thy 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.

Let it not be, I pray thee, that my lord regard this abandoned man—Nabal ["Base"]; For, as his name is, so, is he. Nabal, is his name, and, baseness, is with him, —But, I, thy handmaid, saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

26 Now therefore, my lord, as Yhwh liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing Yhwh 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.

Now, therefore, my lord—By the life of Yahweh, and by the life of thine own soul, —seeing Yahweh hath withholden thee from coming in with bloodshed, and from saving thyself, with thine own hand, now, therefore, like Nabal, be thine enemies, and they who are making search for my lord, wrongfully.

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.

Now, therefore, this blessing which thy maid-servant hath brought to my lord, let it even be given unto the young men who are going to and fro at the feet of my lord.

28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for Yhwh will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of Yhwh, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.

Forgive, I pray thee, the trespass of thy handmaid, —for Yahweh, will certainly make, for my lord an assured house, for, the battles of Yahweh, is my lord fighting, and, wrong, shall not be 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 Yhwh thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.

yea, though there hath arisen a sun of earth to pursue thee, and to seek thy life, yet shall the life of my lord be bound up in the bundle of the living, with Yahweh thy God, but, as for the life of thine enemies, he shall sling it out with the middle of the hollow of the sling.

30 And it shall come to pass, when Yhwh 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;

And it shall be, when Yahweh shall do for my lord, according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, —and shall put thee in charge as leader 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 Yhwh shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

then shall this not become to thee a staggering and stumbling of heart, unto my lord—that thou didst either shed blood without need, or that the hand of my lord saved himself. And, when Yahweh hath dealt well with my lord, then remember thou thy handmaid.

32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be Yhwh God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:

Then said David unto Abigail, —Blessed, be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who hath 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.

and, blessed, be thy discreet judgment, and, blessed, be thou thyself, —who hast kept me, this day, from coming in with bloodshed, and from saving myself, with mine own hand.

34 For in very deed, as Yhwh 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.

Nevertheless, by the life of Yahweh, God of Israel, who hath restrained me from harming, thee, surely, except thou hadst hastened and come to meet me, there had not been left unto Nabal, by the light of the morning, so much as a little boy.

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.

So David received at her hand, that which she had brought him, —and, unto herself, he said—Go up, in peace, unto thy house, see! I have hearkened unto thy voice, and 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.

And, when Abigail came unto Nabal, lo! he, had a banquet in his house, like the banquet of a king, and, the heart of Nabal, was glad accordingly, he having drunk deeply, —so she told him nothing—less or more, until the light of the morning.

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.

And it came to pass, in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, and his wife told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became like a stone.

38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that Yhwh smote Nabal, that he died.

And it came to pass, in about ten days, that Yahweh smote Nabal, that he died.

39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be Yhwh, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for Yhwh hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

And, when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said—Blessed, be Yahweh, who hath maintained the plea of my reproach, at the hand of Nabal, and hath restrained, his servant, from wrong, yea, the wrong of Nabal, hath Yahweh turned back on his own head. Then sent David, and spake with Abigail, to take her to himself 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.

And the servants of David came unto Abigail the Carmelitess, —and spake unto her, saying, David, hath sent us unto thee, to take thee to himself 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.

And she arose, and bowed herself down with her face to the earth, —and said—Lo! thy handmaid, as serving-woman to bathe the feet of the servants of my lord.

42 And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon a donkey, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.

And Abigail hastened, and mounted, and rode upon her ass, with her five damsels that used to journey at her feet, —and she went her way 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.

David took, Ahinoam also, out of Jezreel, —and, they two, became his wives.

44 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.

Saul, indeed, had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, —to Palti, sun of Laish, who was of Gallim.