Samuel dieth.

1 ¶ And Samuelº died;ºª and all² the Israelitesº were gathered together,ºª and lamentedºª him, and buriedºª him in his houseº at Ramah.º And Davidº arose,ºª and went downºª to² the wildernessº of Paran.º

David in Paran sendeth to Nabal.

2 And [there was] a manº in Maon,º whose possessionsº [were] in Carmel;º and the manº [was] veryº great,º and he had threeº thousandº sheep,º and a thousandº goats:º and he was² shearingºª² his sheepº in Carmel.º 3 Now the nameº of the manº [was] Nabal;º and the nameº of his wifeº Abigail:º and [she was] a womanº of goodº understanding,º and of a beautifulº countenance:º but the manº [was] churlishº and evilº in his doings;º and he² [was] of the house of Caleb.¹²

4 ¶ And Davidº heardºª in the wildernessº that² Nabalº did shearºª² his sheep.º 5 And Davidº sent outºª tenº young men,º and Davidº saidºª unto the young men,º Get you upºª to Carmel,º and goºª to² Nabal,º and greetººª him in my name:º 6 And thus² shall ye sayºª to him that livethº [in prosperity], Peaceº [be] both to thee,² and peaceº [be] to thine house,º and peaceº [be] unto all² that² thou hast. 7 And now² I have heardºª that² thou hast shearers:ºª now² thy shepherdsºª which² were² with² us, we hurtºª them not,² neither² was there oughtº missingºª unto them, all² the whileº they were² in Carmel.º 8 Askºª² thy young men,º and they will shewºª thee. Wherefore let the young menº findºª favourº in thine eyes:º for² we comeºª in² a goodº day:º give,ºª I pray thee,²² whatsoever² comethºª to thine handº unto thy servants,º and to thy sonº David.º 9 And when David'sº young menº came,ºª they spakeºª to² Nabalº according to all² those² wordsº in the nameº of David,º and ceased.ºª

Provoked by Nabal's churlishness, he mindeth to destroy him.

10 ¶ And Nabalº answeredºª² David'sº servants,º and said,ºª Who² [is] David?º and who² [is] the sonº of Jesse?º there be manyºª servantsº now a daysº that break awayºª every manº fromº² his master.º 11 Shall I then takeºª² my bread,º and my water,º and my fleshº that² I have killedºª for my shearers,ºª and giveºª [it] unto men,¹² whom² I knowºª not² whence²²² they² [be]? 12 So David'sº young menº turnedºª their way,º and went again,ºª and cameºª and toldºª him all² those² sayings.º 13 And Davidº saidºª unto his men,¹² Gird ye onºª every manº² his sword.º And they girded onºª every manº² his sword;º and Davidº also² girded onºª² his sword:º and there went upºª afterº Davidº about fourº hundredº men;º and two hundredº abodeºª by² the stuff.º

Abigail understanding thereof,

14 ¶ But oneº² of the young menº² toldºª Abigail,º Nabal'sº wife,º saying,ºª Behold,² Davidº sentºª messengersº out of the wildernessº² to saluteºª² our master;º and he railedºª on them. 15 But the men¹² [were] veryº goodº unto us, and we were not² hurt,ºª neither² missedºª we any thing,º as long asº² we were conversantºª with² them, when we were² in the fields:º 16 They were² a wallº unto² us both² by nightº and² day,º all² the whileº we were² with² them keepingºª the sheep.º 17 Now² therefore knowºª and considerºª what² thou wilt do;ºª for² evilº is determinedºª against² our master,º and against² all² his household:º for he² [is such] a sonº of Belial,º that [a man] cannot speakºª² to² him.

taketh a present,

18 ¶ Then Abigailº made haste,ºª and tookºª two hundredº loaves,º and twoº bottlesº of wine,º and fiveº sheepº ready dressed,ºª and fiveº measuresº of parchedº [corn], and an hundredº clusters of raisins,º and two hundredº cakes¹ of figs,² and laidºª [them] on² asses.º 19 And she saidºª unto her servants,º Go onºª beforeº me; behold,² I comeºª afterº you. But she toldºª not² her husbandº Nabal.º 20 And it was² [so, as] she² rodeºª on² the ass,º that she came downºª by the covertº of the hill,º and, behold,² Davidº and his men¹² came downºª againstºª her; and she metºª them. 21 Now Davidº had said,ºª Surely² in vainº have I keptºª² all² that² thisº [fellow] hath in the wilderness,º so that nothingº² was missedºª of all²² that² [pertained] unto him: and he hath requitedºª me evilº for² good.º 22 Soº and moreºª also² doºª Godº unto the enemiesºª of David,º if² I leaveºª of all²² that² [pertain] to him byº the morning¹ light¹² any that pissethºª against the wall.º

and by her wisdom

23 And when Abigailº sawºª² David,º she hasted,ºª and lighted² off¹ª²² the ass,º and fellºª beforeº Davidº on² her face,º and bowed¹ª herself² to the ground,º 24 And fellºª at² his feet,º and said,ºª Upon me,² my lord,º [upon] me [let this] iniquityº [be]: and let thine handmaid,º I pray thee,² speakºª in thine audience,º and hearºª² the wordsº of thine handmaid.¹² 25 Let¹ª not² my lord,º I pray thee,² regardº²²² this² manº of Belial,º [even] Nabal:º for² as his nameº [is], so² [is] he;² Nabalº [is] his name,º and follyº [is] with² him: but I² thine handmaidº sawºª not²² the young menº of my lord,º whom² thou didst send.ºª 26 Now² therefore, my lord,º [as] the LORDº liveth,º and [as] thy soulº liveth,º seeing² the LORDº hath withholdenºª thee from comingºª² to [shed] blood,º and from avengingºª thyself with thine own hand,º now² let thine enemies,ºª and they that seekºª evilº to² my lord,º be² as Nabal.º 27 And now² this² blessingº which² thine handmaidº hath broughtºª unto my lord,º let it even be givenºª unto the young menº that followººª my lord.º 28 I pray thee,² forgiveºª the trespassº of thine handmaid:º for² the LORDº will certainly¹ª makeºª my lordº a sureºª house;º because² my lordº fightethºª the battlesº of the LORD,º and evilº hath not² been foundºª in thee [all] thy days.º² 29 Yet a manº is risenºª to pursueºª thee, and to seekºª² thy soul:º but the soulº of my lordº shall be² boundºª in the bundleº of lifeº with² the LORDº thy God;º and the soulsº of thine enemies,ºª them shall he sling out,ºª [as out] of the middleº¹ of a sling.º 30 And it shall come to pass,² when² the LORDº shall have doneºª to my lordº according to all²² the goodº that² he hath spokenºª concerning² thee, and shall have appointedºª thee rulerº over² Israel;º 31 That this² shall be² no² griefº unto thee, nor offenceº of heartº unto my lord,º either that thou hast shedºª bloodº causeless,º or that my lordº hath avengedºª himself: but when the LORDº shall have dealt wellºª with my lord,º then rememberºª² thine handmaid.º

pacifieth David.

32 ¶ And Davidº saidºª to Abigail,º Blessedºª [be] the LORDº Godº of Israel,º which² sentºª thee this² dayº to meetºª me: 33 And blessedºª [be] thy advice,º and blessedºª [be] thou,² which² hast keptºª me this² dayº from comingºª² to [shed] blood,º and from avengingºª myself with mine own hand.º 34 For in very deed,º [as] the LORDº Godº of Israelº liveth,º which² hath kept me backºª from hurtingºª² thee, exceptº² thou hadst hastedºª and comeºª to meetºª me, surely² there had not² been leftºª unto Nabalº by² the morningº lightº any that pissethºª against the wall.º 35 So Davidº receivedºª of her handº²² [that] which² she had broughtºª him, and saidºª unto her, Go upºª in peaceº to thine house;º see,ºª I have hearkenedºª to thy voice,º and have acceptedºª thy person.º

Nabal hearing thereof dieth.

36 ¶ And Abigailº cameºª to² Nabal;º and, behold,² he held a feastº in his house,º like the feastº of a king;º and Nabal'sº heartº [was] merryº within² him, for he² [was] veryº² drunken:º wherefore she toldºª him nothing,º² lessº or more,º until² the morningº light.º 37 But it came to pass² in the morning,º when the wineº was gone outºª of Nabal,º² and his wifeº had toldºª him² these² things,º that his heartº diedºª withinº him, and he² became² [as] a stone.º 38 And it came to pass² about tenº daysº [after], that the LORDº smoteºª² Nabal,º that he died.ºª

David taketh Abigail and Ahinoam to be his wives.

39 ¶ And when Davidº heardºª that² Nabalº was dead,ºª he said,ºª Blessedºª [be] the LORD,º that² hath pleadedºª² the causeº of my reproachº from the handº² of Nabal,º and hath keptºª his servantº from evil:º² for the LORDº hath returnedºª the wickednessº of Nabalº upon his own head.º And Davidº sentºª and communedºª with Abigail,º to takeºª her to him to wife.º 40 And when the servantsº of Davidº were comeºª to² Abigailº to Carmel,º they spakeºª unto² her, saying,ºª Davidº sentºª us unto² thee, to takeºª thee to him to wife.º 41 And she arose,ºª and bowed¹ª herself² on [her] faceº to the earth,º and said,ºª Behold,² [let] thine handmaidº [be] a servantº to washºª the feetº of the servantsº of my lord.º 42 And Abigailº hasted,ºª and arose,ºª and rodeºª upon² an ass,º with fiveº damselsº of hers that wentºª afterº her; and she went¹ª² afterº the messengersº of David,º and became² his wife.º 43 Davidº also tookºª Ahinoamº of Jezreel;º² and they were² also² bothº of them his wives.º

Michal is given to Phalti.

44 ¶ But Saulº had givenºª² Michalº his daughter,º David'sº wife,º to Phaltiº the sonº of Laish,º which² [was] of Gallim.º²