International Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Samuel 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.

1Samuel died, and all Israel assembled to mourn for him, and they buried him by his home in Ramah. David then went down to the Wilderness of Paran.

2Now 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.

2A man in Maon had a business in Carmel; he was a very rich man with three thousand sheep and one thousand goats and was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3The 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.

3The man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name, Abigail. The woman was intelligent and beautiful, but the man, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.

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

4While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep,

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

5so David sent ten young men instructing them, "Go up to Carmel, and when you come to Nabal, greet him in my name.

6Then say, 'May you live long. Peace to you, peace to your family, and peace to all that you have.

6Then say this: 'Long life to you, and peace to you, peace to your family, and peace to all that is yours.

7Now, 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.

7I hear that you are shearing. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harass them, and nothing of theirs was missing the whole time they were in Carmel.

8Ask 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.'"

8Ask your young men, and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor with you, for we have come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have on hand to your servants and to your son David.'"

9David's young men came to Nabal and told him all this in David's name, and then they waited.

9David's young men went and said all these things to Nabal on David's behalf, and they waited.

10Nabal 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.

10Nabal asked them, "Who is David? Who is Jesse's son? Many slaves these days are running away from their masters.

11Should 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?"

11Am I supposed to take my bread, my water, and my meat that I butchered for my shearers and give them to these men? I don't know where they are from."

12David's men turned and went on their way. They came back and told David everything.

12David's young men retraced their steps. When they returned to him, they reported all these words.

13David told 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.

13He said to his men, "All of you, put on your swords!" So each man put on his sword, and David also put on his sword. About four hundred men followed David while two hundred stayed with the supplies.

14Now, 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.

14One of Nabal's young men informed Abigail, Nabal's wife: "Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed at them.

15The 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.

15The men treated us very well. When we were in the field, we weren't harassed and nothing of ours was missing the whole time we were living among them.

16They were a wall around us both day and night, all the time we were with them taking care of the sheep.

16They were a wall around us, both day and night, the entire time we were with them herding the sheep.

17Now, 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."

17Now consider carefully what you should do, because there is certain to be trouble for our master and his entire family. He is such a worthless fool nobody can talk to him!"

18Abigail 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.

18Abigail hurried, taking two hundred loaves of bread, two clay jars of wine, five butchered sheep, a bushel of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys.

19She told her young men, "Go ahead of me, I'll be coming right behind you." But she said nothing to her husband Nabal.

19Then she said to her male servants, "Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

20She 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.

20As she rode the donkey down a mountain pass hidden from view, she saw David and his men coming toward her and met them.

21Now 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!

21David had just said, "I guarded everything that belonged to this man in the wilderness for nothing. He was not missing anything, yet he paid me back evil for good.

22May 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."

22May God punish me and do so severely if I let any of his males survive until morning."

23When Abigail saw David, she quickly got down from the donkey and fell on her face before David, prostrating herself on the ground.

23When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey and knelt down with her face to the ground and paid homage to David.

24She 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.

24She knelt at his feet and said, "The guilt is mine, my lord, but please let your servant speak to you directly. Listen to the words of your servant.

25Please, 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.

25My lord should pay no attention to this worthless fool Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means 'stupid,' and stupidity is all he knows. I, your servant, didn't see my lord's young men whom you sent.

26Now, 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.

26Now my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live--it is the LORD who kept you from participating in bloodshed and avenging yourself by your own hand--may your enemies and those who intend to harm my lord be like Nabal.

27Now let this present that your servant has brought to your majesty be given to the young men who follow your majesty.

27Let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord.

28Please 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.

28Please forgive your servant's offense, for the LORD is certain to make a lasting dynasty for my lord because he fights the LORD's battles. Throughout your life, may evil not be found in you.

29If 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.

29"Someone is pursuing you and intends to take your life. My lord's life is tucked safely in the place where the LORD your God protects the living, but he is flinging away your enemies' lives like stones from a sling.

30When the LORD does for your majesty all the good that he promised concerning you and appoints you Commander-in-Chief over Israel,

30When the LORD does for my lord all the good he promised you and appoints you ruler over Israel,

31this 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."

31there will not be remorse or a troubled conscience for my lord because of needless bloodshed or my lord's revenge. And when the LORD does good things for my lord, may you remember me your servant."

32David told Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today.

32Then David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today!

33Blessed be your good judgment, and blessed be you, who today stopped me from shedding blood and delivering myself by my own actions.

33May your discernment be blessed, and may you be blessed. Today you kept me from participating in bloodshed and avenging myself by my own hand.

34For 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."

34Otherwise, as surely as the LORD God of Israel lives, who prevented me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, Nabal wouldn't have had any males left by morning light."

35David took from her what she had brought him and told her, "Go up to your house in peace. Look, I've heard your request and will grant it."

35Then David accepted what she had brought him and said, "Go home in peace. See, I have heard what you said and have granted your request."

36Abigail returned to Nabal, and he was there in his house holding a festival like the festival of a king. Nabal's heart was glad, and he was very drunk, so she didn't tell him anything at all until morning.

36Then Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was in his house, holding a feast fit for a king. Nabal's heart was cheerful, and he was very drunk, so she didn't say anything to him until morning light.

37After Nabal became sober the next morning, his wife told him all that had happened. Nabal's heart failed and he became paralyzed.

37In the morning when Nabal sobered up, his wife told him about these events. His heart died and he became a stone.

38About ten days later the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.

38About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal dead.

39When 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.

39When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD who championed my cause against Nabal's insults and restrained his servant from doing evil. The LORD brought Nabal's evil deeds back on his own head." Then David sent messengers to speak to Abigail about marrying him.

40David's servants went to Abigail at Carmel and told her, "David sent us to you to take you to him as his wife."

40When David's servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, "David sent us to bring you to him as a wife."

41She 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."

41She stood up, paid homage with her face to the ground, and said, "Here I am, your servant, a slave to wash the feet of my lord's servants."

42Then 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.

42Then Abigail got up quickly, and with her five female servants accompanying her, rode on the donkey following David's messengers. And so she became his wife.

43David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both of them became his wives.

43David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and the two of them became his wives.

44Meanwhile, Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Laish's son Palti from Gallim.

44But Saul gave his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Palti son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.