1 Samuel 25

1 Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Maon.

Now Samuel died. All Israel gathered together and mourned for him, and they buried him in his house at Ramah. Then David rose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

2 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.

There was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel. The man was very wealthy. He had three thousand sheep and one thousand goats. He was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings; and the man was a Calebite.

The man's name was Nabal, and the name of his wife was Abigail. The woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance. But the man was harsh and evil in his dealings. He was a descendant of the house of Caleb.

4 David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

5 So David sent ten young men, and said to the young men, "Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.

So David sent ten young men. David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.

6 Thus you are to say to my brother, 'Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.

You will say to him, 'Live in prosperity. Peace to you and peace to your house, and peace be to all that you have.

7 And now, look, I have heard that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us in the wilderness, and we did not hurt them, neither was there anything missing from them, all the while they were in Carmel.

I hear that you have shearers. Your shepherds have been with us, and we did them no harm, and they missed nothing the whole 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 in a good day. Please give whatever comes to your hand, to your servants, and to your son David.'"

Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Now let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a festive day. Please give whatever you have on hand to your servants and to your son David.'”

9 So the young men came and spoke to Nabal according to all those words on David's behalf, but he behaved arrogantly.

When David's young men arrived, they said all of this to Nabal on David's behalf and then 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.

Nabal answered David's servants, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters.

11 Shall I then take my bread, and my wine, and my meat that I have slaughtered for the shearers of my sheep, and give it to men who I do not know where they come from?"

Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men who come from I do not know where?”

12 So David's young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words.

So David's young men turned away and came back, and told him everything that was said.

13 David said to his men, "Every man put on his sword." So 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.

David said to his men, “Every man strap on his sword.” So every man strapped on his sword. David also strapped on his sword. About four hundred men followed after David, and two hundred stayed by the baggage.

14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, "Look, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master; and he railed at them.

But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife; he said, “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 hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields.

Yet the men were very good to us. We were not harmed and did not 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.

They were a wall to us both day and night, all the while we were with them tending 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."

Therefore know this and consider what you will do, for evil is plotted against our master, and against his whole house. He is such a worthless fellow that one cannot reason with him.”

18 Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two bottles of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five measures of parched grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys.

Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves, two bottles of wine, five sheep already prepared, five measures 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. Look, I come after you." But she did not tell her husband.

She said to her young men, “Go on before me, and I will come after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

20 It was so, as she rode on her donkey, and came down by the covert of the mountain, that look, David and his men came down toward her; and she met them.

As she rode on her donkey and came down by the cover of the mountain, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them.

21 Now David had said, "Surely in vain have I 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.

Now David had said, “Surely in vain have I guarded all that this man has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him, and he has returned me evil for good.

22 God do so to 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."

May God do so to me, David, and more also, if by the morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him.”

23 When Abigail saw David, she hurried, and got off from her donkey, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground at his feet.

When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from her donkey and lay before David facedown and bowed herself to the ground.

24 And she said, "On me, my lord, be the guilt; and please let your servant speak to you directly, and hear the words of your servant.

She lay at his feet and said, “On me alone, my master, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak to you, and listen to the words of your servant.

25 Please do not let my lord regard this worthless fellow, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; but I, your servant, did not see the young men whom you sent.

Let not my master regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I your servant did not see the young men of my master, whom you sent.

26 Now therefore, my lord, as Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, since Jehovah 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.

Now then, my master, as Yahweh lives, and as you live, since Yahweh has restrained you from bloodshed, and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies, and those who seek to do evil to my master, be like 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.

Now let this present that your servant has brought to my master be given to the young men who follow my master.

28 Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For Jehovah will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights the battles of Jehovah; and evil shall not be found in you all your days.

Please forgive the trespass of your servant, for Yahweh will certainly make my master a sure house, because my master is fighting the battles of Yahweh; and evil will not be found in you so long as you live.

29 Though men may rise up to pursue you, and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with Jehovah your God. He will sling out the souls of your enemies, as from the hollow of a sling.

Though men rise up to pursue you to take your life, yet the life of my master will be bound in the bundle of the living by Yahweh your God; and he will sling away the lives of your enemies, as from the pocket of a sling.

30 It shall come to pass, when Jehovah has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you, and shall have appointed you prince over Israel,

Yahweh will have done for my master everything he promised you, and has appointed you leader over Israel.

31 that this will have no cause of grief or a troubled conscience for my lord, that blood was shed without cause and that my lord has gained victory by his own hand. And when Jehovah has done well with my lord, then remember your servant."

This will not be a staggering burden for you—that you have poured out innocent blood, or because my master attempted to rescue himself. For when Yahweh will do good for my master, remember your servant.”

32 David said to Abigail, "Blessed is Jehovah, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me.

David said to Abigail, “May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be blessed, he who sent you to meet me today.

33 Blessed is your discretion, and blessed are you, that have kept me this day from blood guiltiness, and from avenging myself with my own hand.

Your wisdom is blessed and you are blessed, because you have kept me today from bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand!

34 For indeed, as Jehovah, the God of Israel, lives, who has withheld me from hurting 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."

For in truth, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, he who has kept me from hurting you, unless you had hurried to come meet me, there would certainly have not been left to Nabal so much as one male baby by morning.”

35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him: and he said to her, "Go up in peace to your house. Look, I have listened to your voice, and have granted your request."

So David received from her hand what she had brought him; he said to her, “Go up in peace to your house; see, I have listened to your voice and have accepted you.”

36 Abigail came to Nabal; and look, 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, less or more, until the morning light.

Abigail went back to Nabal; behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until the morning light.

37 It happened in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, that his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

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

38 It happened about ten days after, that Jehovah struck Nabal, so that he died.

It came about ten days later that Yahweh attacked Nabal so that he died.

39 And David heard, and he said, "Blessed is Jehovah, who has taken my side in the matter of Nabal's insult, and has kept back his servant from evil. Jehovah has returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head." David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to him as wife.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “May Yahweh be blessed, who has taken up the cause of my insult from the hand of Nabal and has kept back his servant from evil. He has turned Nabal's evil action back on his own head.” Then David sent and spoke to Abigail, to take her to himself as wife.

40 When the servants of David had come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, "David has sent us to you, to take you to be his wife."

When David's servants had come to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her and said, “David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife.”

41 She got up and bowed herself with her face to the ground, and said, "Look, your servant is a lowly servant to wash the feet of your servants."

She arose, bowed herself with her face to the ground, and said, “See, your female servant is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my master.”

42 Then Abigail got up quickly and rode on a donkey, and with five female servants following her; and she followed the messengers of David, and became his wife.

Abigail hurried and arose, and rode on a donkey with five servant girls of hers who followed her; and she followed David's messengers and became his wife.

43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they both became his wives.

Now David had also taken Ahinoam of Jezreel as a wife; both of them became his wives.

44 Now Saul had given Mikal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

Also, Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was of Gallim.