1Samuel 25
25Samuel died and all Israel assembled to mourn for him. They buried him at his home in Ramah. David got up and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.H8050H4191H3478H6908H5594H6912H1004H7414H1732H6965H3381H4057H62902Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel of Judah, and the man was very rich. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.H376H4584H4639H3760H376H3966H1419H7969H505H6629H505H5795H1494H6629H37603The man's name was Nabal and his wife's name was Abigail. The woman was intelligent and beautiful, while the man was harsh and wicked in his dealings. He was a descendant of Caleb.H8034H376H5037H8034H802H26H802H2896H7922H3303H8389H376H7186H7451H4611H36144While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep.H1732H8085H4057H5037H1494H66295David sent ten young men, saying to the young men, "Go up to Carmel, find Nabal, and greet him in my name.H1732H7971H6235H5288H1732H559H5288H5927H3760H935H5037H7592H7965H80346Then say, 'May you live long. Peace to you, peace to your family, and peace to all that you have.H559H2416H7965H7965H1004H79657Now, I've heard that the sheep shearers are with you. Now, your shepherds have been with us. We didn't harm them, and they didn't miss anything all the time they were in Carmel.H8085H1494H7462H3637H3972H6485H3117H37608Ask your young men and they'll tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor with you since we came on a special day. Please give whatever you have available to your servants and to your son David.'"H7592H5288H5046H5288H4672H2580H5869H935H2896H3117H5414H4672H3027H5650H1121H17329David's young men came to Nabal and told him all this in David's name, and then they waited.H1732H5288H935H1696H5037H1697H8034H1732H511710Nabal answered David's servants: "Who is David?Who is this son of Jesse?There are many servants today who are breaking away from their masters.H5037H6030H1732H5650H559H1732H1121H3448H7231H5650H3117H6555H376H6440H11311Should I take my food, my water, and my meat that I've slaughtered for my shearers and give it to men who came from who knows where?"H3947H3899H4325H2878H2873H1494H5414H582H304512David's men turned and went on their way. They came back and told David everything.H1732H5288H2015H1870H7725H935H5046H169713David said to his men, "Put on your swords." They put on their swords, and David put on his sword. Then about 400 men followed David, while 200 stayed with the supplies.H1732H559H582H2296H376H2719H2296H376H2719H1732H2296H2719H5927H310H1732H702H3967H376H3967H3427H362714Now, one of the young men told Nabal's wife Abigail: "Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our lord, but he screamed insults at them.H259H5288H5046H26H5037H802H559H1732H7971H4397H4057H1288H113H586015The men were very good to us. They didn't harm us, and we didn't miss anything all the time we moved around with them when we were in the field.H582H3966H2896H3637H6485H3972H3117H1980H770416They were a wall around us both day and night, all the time we were with them taking care of the sheep.H2346H3915H3119H3117H7462H662917Now, be aware of this and consider what you should do. Calamity is being planned against our master and against his entire household. He's such a worthless person that no one can talk to him."H3045H7200H6213H7451H3615H113H1004H1121H1100H169618Abigail quickly took 200 loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, five measures of roasted grain, 100 bunches of raisins, and 200 fig cakes and loaded them on donkeys.H26H4116H3947H3967H3899H8147H5035H3196H2568H6629H6213H2568H5429H7039H3967H6778H3967H1690H7760H254319She said to her young men, "Go ahead of me, I'll be coming right behind you." But she said nothing to her husband Nabal.H559H5288H5674H6440H935H310H5046H376H503720She was riding on the donkey and as she went down a protected part of the mountain, David was there with his men, coming down to meet her, and she went toward them.H7392H2543H3381H5643H2022H1732H582H3381H7125H629821Now David had said, "Surely it was for nothing that I protected everything that belonged to this man in the wilderness, and nothing was missing of all that belonged to him. But he has repaid me with evil for good!H1732H559H8267H8104H2088H4057H3972H6485H7725H7451H289622May the Lord do this to the enemies of David - and more also - if by the morning I've left alive a single male of all those who belong to him."H3541H3254H6213H430H341H1732H7604H5704H1242H216H8366H702323When Abigail saw David, she quickly got down from the donkey and fell on her face before David, prostrating herself on the ground.H26H7200H1732H4116H3381H2543H5307H639H1732H6440H7812H77624She fell at his feet and pleaded, "Your majesty, let the guilt be on me alone, and please let your servant speak to you. Listen to the words of your servant.H5307H7272H559H113H5771H519H1696H241H8085H1697H58925Please, your majesty, don't pay attention to this worthless man Nabal, for he's just like his name. Nabal is his name and folly is his constant companion. But I, your servant, didn't see your majesty's young men whom you sent.H7760H113H3820H376H1100H5037H8034H5037H8034H5039H519H7200H5288H113H797126Now, your majesty, as the Lord lives and as you live, the Lord has kept you from shedding blood and from delivering yourself by your own actions. Now, may your enemies and those seeking to do evil to your majesty be like Nabal.H113H3068H2416H5315H2416H3068H4513H935H1818H3467H3027H341H1245H7451H113H503727Now let this present that your servant has brought to your majesty be given to the young men who follow your majesty.H1293H8198H935H113H5414H5288H1980H7272H11328Please forgive the offense of your servant. For the Lord will certainly make a strong dynasty for your majesty, for your majesty is fighting the Lord's battles. May evil not be found in you for all of your life.H5375H6588H519H3068H6213H6213H113H539H1004H113H3898H4421H3068H7451H4672H311729If anyone should arise to pursue you and seek your life, may the life of your majesty be bound up with the Lord your God in a bundle of the living, and may he sling out the lives of your enemies from the pocket of a sling.H120H6965H7291H1245H5315H5315H113H6887H6872H2416H3068H430H5315H341H7049H8432H3709H705030When the Lord does for your majesty all the good that he promised concerning you and appoints you commander-in-chief over Israel,H3068H6213H113H2896H1696H6680H5057H347831this shouldn't be an obstacle or stumbling block for your majesty's conscience, that he poured out blood without cause or that your majesty delivered himself. When the Lord does good things for your majesty, remember your servant."H6330H4383H3820H113H8210H1818H2600H113H3467H3068H3190H113H2142H51932David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today.H1732H559H26H1288H3068H430H3478H7971H3117H712533Blessed be your good judgment, and blessed be you, who today stopped me from shedding blood and delivering myself by my own actions.H1288H2940H1288H3607H3117H935H1818H3467H302734For as surely as the Lord God of Israel lives, the one who restrained me from harming you - indeed, had you not quickly come to meet me, by dawn there wouldn't be a single male left to Nabal."H199H3068H430H3478H2416H4513H7489H3884H4116H935H7125H3498H5037H1242H216H8366H702335David took from her what she had brought him and said to her, "Go up to your house in peace. Look, I've heard your request and will grant it."H1732H3947H3027H935H559H5927H7965H1004H7200H8085H6963H5375H644036Abigail returned to Nabal, and he was there in his house holding a feast like the feast of a king. Nabal's heart was glad, and he was very drunk, so she didn't tell him anything at all until morning.H26H935H5037H4960H1004H4960H4428H5037H3820H2896H3966H7910H5046H1697H6996H1419H1242H21637After Nabal became sober the next morning, his wife told him all that had happened. Nabal's heart failed and he became paralyzed.H1242H3196H3318H5037H802H5046H1697H3820H4191H7130H6838About ten days later the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.36H6235H3117H3068H5062H5037H419139When David heard that Nabal had died, he said, "Blessed be the Lord who has judged the dispute over my insult at the hand of Nabal, and has held back his servant from evil. The Lord has repaid Nabal's wickedness." Then David sent word to Abigail that he would take her as his wife.H1732H8085H5037H4191H559H1288H3068H7378H7379H2781H3027H5037H2820H5650H7451H3068H7725H7451H5037H7218H1732H7971H1696H26H3947H80240David's servants went to Abigail at Carmel and said to her, "David sent us to you to take you to him as his wife."25H5650H1732H935H26H3760H1696H559H1732H7971H3947H80241She got up, prostrated herself face down on the ground, and replied, "Your servant would be a slave to wash the feet of your majesty's servants."H6965H7812H639H776H559H519H8198H7364H7272H5650H11342Then Abigail quickly got up and got on a donkey, with five young women walking behind her. She followed David's messengers, and she became his wife.H26H4116H6965H7392H2543H2568H5291H1980H7272H3212H310H4397H1732H80243David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both of them became his wives.H1732H3947H293H3157H8147H80244Meanwhile, Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Laish's son Palti from Gallim.H7586H5414H4324H1323H1732H802H6406H1121H3919H1554
Columbus, OH
