22AND HE SWORE AN OATH DAVID TO SAUL AND HE WENT SAUL TO HOUSE HIS AND DAVID AND MEN HIS THEY WENT UP TO THE STRONGHOLD 22So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
1AND HE DIED SAMUEL AND THEY GATHERED TOGETHER ALL ISRAEL AND THEY MOURNED FOR <THE> HIM AND THEY BURIED HIM AT HOUSE HIS IN <THE> RAMAH AND HE AROSE DAVID AND HE WENT DOWN TO [THE] WILDERNESS OF PARAN The Death of Samuel 1When Samuel died, all Israel gathered to mourn for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David set out and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.*NoteCloseHebrew and some LXX manuscripts; other LXX manuscripts Maon
2AND A MAN [WAS] IN MAON AND BUSINESS HIS [WAS] IN <THE> CARMEL AND THE MAN [WAS] GREAT VERY AND [BELONGED] TO <THE> HIM SHEEP THREE THOUSAND<S> AND ONE THOUSAND GOATS AND IT WAS WHEN SHEARED <OBJ.> SHEEP HIS IN <THE> CARMEL David, Nabal, and Abigail 2Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very wealthy man with a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.
3AND [THE] NAME OF THE MAN [WAS] NABAL AND [THE] NAME OF WIFE HIS [WAS] ABIGAIL AND THE WOMAN [WAS] GOOD OF INSIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL OF APPEARANCE AND THE MAN [WAS] HARD AND EVIL OF DEEDS AND HE [WAS] A CALEBITE 3His name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.
4AND HE HEARD DAVID IN THE WILDERNESS THAT [WAS] SHEARING NABAL <OBJ.> SHEEP HIS 4While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.
5AND HE SENT DAVID TEN YOUNG MEN AND HE SAID DAVID TO THE YOUNG MEN GO UP CARMEL TOWARDS AND YOU WILL GO TO NABAL AND YOU WILL ASK OF <THE> HIM IN NAME MY TO WELFARE 5So David sent ten young men and instructed them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel. Greet him in my name
6AND YOU WILL SAY THUS TO THE LIVING [ONE] AND YOU PEACE AND HOUSE YOUR PEACE AND ALL THAT [BELONGS] TO <THE> YOU PEACE 6and say to him ‘Long life to you, and peace to you and to your house and to all that belongs to you.
7AND NOW I HAVE HEARD THAT SHEARERS [BELONG] TO <THE> YOU NOW THE SHEPHERDS WHO [BELONG] TO <THE> YOU THEY HAVE BEEN WITH US NOT WE HAVE HUMILIATED THEM AND NOT IT HAS BEEN MISSING TO <THE> THEM ANYTHING ALL [THE] DAYS OF BEING THEY IN <THE> CARMEL 7Now I hear that it is time for 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 <OBJ.> OWN YOUNG MEN YOUR SO THEY MAY TELL TO <THE> YOU AND LET THEM FIND THE YOUNG MEN FAVOR IN VIEW YOUR FOR ON A DAY GOOD WE HAVE COME GIVE! PLEASE <OBJ.> [THAT] WHICH IT WILL FIND HAND YOUR TO SERVANTS YOUR AND TO SON YOUR TO DAVID 8Ask your young men, and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor with you, for we have come on the day of a feast. Please give whatever you can spare to your servants and to your son David.’”
9AND THEY WENT [THE] YOUNG MEN OF DAVID AND THEY SPOKE TO NABAL ACCORDING TO ALL THE WORDS <THE> THESE IN [THE] NAME OF DAVID AND THEY RESTED 9When David’s young men arrived, they relayed all these words to Nabal on behalf of David. Then they waited.
10AND HE ANSWERED NABAL <OBJ.> [THE] SERVANTS OF DAVID AND HE SAID WHO? [IS] DAVID AND WHO? [IS] [THE] SON OF JESSE THIS DAY THEY ARE MANY SERVANTS WHO BREAK AWAY EACH ONE FROM BEFORE MASTER<S> HIS 10But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.
11AND WILL I TAKE <OBJ.> BREAD MY AND <OBJ.> WATER MY AND <OBJ.> SLAUGHTER MY WHICH I HAVE SLAUGHTERED FOR SHEARERS MY AND WILL I GIVE [THEM] TO MEN WHO NOT I KNOW WHERE? FROM THIS [ARE] THEY 11Why should I take my bread and water and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give them to these men whose origin I do not know?”
12AND THEY TURNED ROUND [THE] YOUNG MEN OF DAVID TO WAY THEIR AND THEY RETURNED AND THEY CAME AND THEY TOLD TO <THE> HIM ACCORDING TO ALL THE WORDS <THE> THESE 12So David’s men turned around and went back, and they relayed to him all these words.
13AND HE SAID DAVID TO MEN HIS GIRD ON EVERYONE <OBJ.> SWORD HIS AND THEY GIRDED ON EVERYONE <OBJ.> SWORD HIS AND HE GIRDED ON ALSO DAVID <OBJ.> SWORD HIS AND THEY WENT UP AFTER DAVID ABOUT FOUR HUNDRED<S> MAN AND TWO HUNDRED THEY REMAINED WITH THE BAGGAGE<S> 13And David said to his men, Strap on your swords!” So David and all his men strapped on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.
14AND TO ABIGAIL [THE] WIFE OF NABAL HE TOLD A YOUNG MAN ONE FROM THE YOUNG MEN <TO> SAYING THERE! HE SENT DAVID MESSENGERS FROM THE WILDERNESS TO BLESS <OBJ.> MASTER<S> OUR AND HE SHOUTED AT THEM 14Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s young men informed Nabal’s wife Abigail, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed at them.
15AND THE MEN [WERE] GOOD TO <THE> US VERY AND NOT WE WERE HUMILIATED AND NOT WE MISSED ANYTHING ALL [THE] DAYS <OF> [WHICH] WE WENT ABOUT WITH THEM WHEN WERE WE IN THE FIELD 15Yet these men were very good to us. When we were in the field, we were not harassed, and nothing of ours went missing the whole time we lived among them.
16A WALL THEY WERE WITH US BOTH NIGHT AS WELL AS BY DAY ALL [THE] DAYS OF BEING WE WITH THEM SHEPHERDING THE FLOCK 16They were a wall around us, both day and night, the whole time we were herding our sheep near them.
17AND NOW KNOW AND SEE WHAT? WILL YOU DO FOR IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED <THE> EVIL AGAINST MASTER<S> OUR AND ON ALL HOUSEHOLD HIS AND HE [IS] A SON OF WORTHLESSNESS FROM SPEAKING TO HIM 17Now consider carefully what you must do, because disaster looms over our master and all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that nobody can speak to him!”
18AND SHE MADE HASTE ABIGAIL AND SHE TOOK TWO HUNDRED BREAD[S] AND TWO JARS OF WINE AND FIVE SHEEP PREPARED AND FIVE SEAHS OF ROASTED GRAIN AND A HUNDRED BUNCHES OF RAISINS AND TWO HUNDRED FIG CAKES AND SHE PUT [THEM] ON THE DONKEYS Abigail Intercedes for Nabal 18Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, five seahs of roasted grain,*NoteClose5 seahs is approximately 33 dry quarts or 36.5 liters of roasted grain. a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs. She loaded them on donkeys
19AND SHE SAID TO SERVANTS HER PASS ON <TO> BEFORE ME HERE I AFTER YOU [WILL BE] COMING AND TO HUSBAND HER NABAL NOT SHE TOLD 19and said to her young men, “Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
20AND IT WAS SHE [WAS] RIDING ON THE DONKEY AND [WAS] GOING DOWN IN [THE] COVER OF THE MOUNTAIN AND THERE! DAVID AND MEN HIS [WERE] GOING DOWN TO MEET HER AND SHE MET <OBJ.> THEM 20As Abigail came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, she saw David and his men coming down toward her, and she met them.
21AND DAVID HE HAD SAID SURELY TO <THE> DECEPTION I HAVE GUARDED <OBJ.> ALL THAT [BELONGS] TO THIS [MAN] IN THE WILDERNESS AND NOT IT HAS BEEN MISSING ANY OF ALL THAT [BELONGS] TO <THE> HIM ANYTHING AND HE HAS RETURNED TO <THE> ME EVIL IN PLACE OF GOOD 21Now David had just said, “In vain I have protected all that belonged to this man in the wilderness. Nothing that belongs to him has gone missing, yet he has paid me back evil for good.
22THUS MAY HE DO GOD TO [THE] ENEMIES DAVID AND THUS MAY HE ADD IF I WILL LEAVE ANY OF ALL THAT [BELONGS] TO <THE> HIM UNTIL THE MORNING [ONE WHO] URINATES ON A WALL 22May God punish David*NoteCloseSome LXX manuscripts; MT David’s enemies and ever so severely, if I let one male belonging to Nabal survive until morning
23AND SHE SAW ABIGAIL <OBJ.> DAVID AND SHE MADE HASTE AND SHE CAME DOWN FROM ON THE DONKEY AND SHE FELL TO [THE] FACE OF DAVID ON FACE HER AND SHE BOWED DOWN [THE] GROUND 23When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey, fell facedown, and bowed before him.
24AND SHE FELL AT FEET HIS AND SHE SAID [BE] ON <THE> ME I O LORD MY THE INIQUITY AND LET HER SPEAK PLEASE MAIDSERVANT YOUR IN EARS YOUR AND HEAR <OBJ.> [THE] WORDS OF MAIDSERVANT YOUR 24She fell at his feet and said, “My lord, may the blame be on me alone, but please let your servant speak to you; hear the words of your servant.
25MAY NOT PLEASE HE SET LORD MY <OBJ.> HEART HIS TO [THE] MAN OF <THE> WORTHLESSNESS <THE> THIS ON NABAL FOR LIKE NAME HIS [IS] SO HE [IS] NABAL NAME HIS AND DISGRACEFUL FOLLY [IS] WITH HIM AND I MAIDSERVANT YOUR NOT I SAW <OBJ.> [THE] YOUNG MEN OF LORD MY WHOM YOU SENT 25My lord should pay no attention to this scoundrel Nabal,*NoteCloseNabal means fool. for he lives up to his name: His name means Fool, and folly accompanies him. I, your servant, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent.
26AND NOW O LORD MY [BY] [THE] LIFE OF YAHWEH AND [BY] [THE] LIFE OF SELF YOUR THAT HE HAS RESTRAINED YOU YAHWEH FROM COMING IN BLOOD<S> AND [FROM] DELIVERING HAND YOUR <TO> <THE> YOU AND NOW MAY THEY BE LIKE NABAL ENEMIES YOUR AND THOSE [WHO] SEEK AGAINST LORD MY EVIL 26Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, since the LORD has held you back from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, may your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be like Nabal.
27AND NOW THE BLESSING <THE> THIS WHICH HE HAS BROUGHT MAIDSERVANT YOUR TO LORD MY AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO THE YOUNG MEN WHO GO ABOUT AT [THE] FEET OF LORD MY 27Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.
28FORGIVE PLEASE TO [THE] TRANSGRESSION OF MAIDSERVANT YOUR FOR CERTAINLY <TO MAKE> HE WILL MAKE YAHWEH FOR LORD MY A HOUSE ENDURING FOR [THE] BATTLES OF YAHWEH LORD MY [IS] FIGHTING AND EVIL NOT IT WILL BE FOUND IN <THE> YOU FROM DAYS YOUR 28Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will surely make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because he fights the LORD’s battles. May no evil be found in you as long as you live.
29AND HE HAS ARISEN A MAN TO PURSUE YOU AND TO SEEK <OBJ.> LIFE YOUR AND IT WILL BE [THE] LIFE OF LORD MY BOUND UP IN [THE] BUNDLE OF THE LIVING WITH YAHWEH GOD YOUR AND <OBJ.> [THE] LIFE OF ENEMIES YOUR HE WILL SLING OUT IT IN [THE] MIDST OF [THE] HOLLOW OF <THE> SLING 29And should someone pursue you and seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound securely by the LORD your God in the bundle of the living. But He shall fling away the lives of your enemies like stones from a sling.*NoteCloseLiterally fling away the souls of your enemies as from the pocket of a sling
30AND IT WILL BE THAT HE WILL DO YAHWEH TO LORD MY ACCORDING TO ALL THAT HE HAS SPOKEN <OBJ.> THE GOOD ON YOU AND HE WILL APPOINT YOU TO RULER OVER ISRAEL 30When the LORD has done for my lord all the good He promised and when He has appointed you ruler over Israel,
31AND NOT IT WILL BECOME THIS FOR <THE> YOU <INTO> STAGGERING AND <INTO> STUMBLING OF HEART FOR LORD MY AND <INTO> POURING OUT OF BLOOD WITHOUT CAUSE AND TO DELIVER LORD MY <TO> <THE> HIMSELF AND HE WILL DO GOOD YAHWEH TO LORD MY AND YOU WILL REMEMBER <OBJ.> MAIDSERVANT YOUR 31then my lord will have no remorse or guilt of conscience over needless bloodshed and revenge. And when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, may you remember your servant.”
32AND HE SAID DAVID TO ABIGAIL [BE] BLESSED YAHWEH [THE] GOD OF ISRAEL WHO HE HAS SENT YOU THE DAY <THE> THIS TO MEET ME 32Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me this day!
33AND [BE] BLESSED DISCERNMENT YOUR AND [BE] BLESSED YOU WHO YOU HAVE RESTRAINED ME THE DAY <THE> THIS FROM COMING IN BLOOD<S> AND [FROM] DELIVERING HAND MY <TO> <THE> ME 33Blessed is your discernment, and blessed are you, because today you kept me from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand.
34AND BUT [BY] [THE] LIFE OF YAHWEH [THE] GOD OF ISRAEL WHO HE HAS RESTRAINED ME FROM DOING HARM TO <OBJ.> YOU IF IF NOT YOU HAD MADE HASTE AND YOU HAD COME TO MEET ME THAT EXCEPT HE HAS BEEN LEFT TO NABAL UNTIL [THE] LIGHT OF THE MORNING [ONE WHO] URINATES ON A WALL 34Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, then surely no male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by morning light
35AND HE TOOK DAVID FROM HAND HER <OBJ.> [THAT] WHICH SHE HAD BROUGHT TO <THE> HIM AND TO <THE> HER HE SAID GO UP TO PEACE TO HOUSE YOUR SEE I HAVE LISTENED TO VOICE YOUR AND I HAVE LIFTED UP FACE YOUR 35Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him, and he said to her, “Go home in peace. See, I have heeded your voice and granted your request
36AND SHE WENT ABIGAIL TO NABAL AND THERE! [BELONGED] TO <THE> HIM A FEAST IN HOUSE HIS LIKE [THE] FEAST OF <THE> KING AND [THE] HEART OF NABAL IT WAS GOOD ON HIM AND HE [WAS] DRUNK UP TO MUCHNESS AND NOT SHE TOLD TO <THE> HIM ANYTHING SMALL AND GREAT UNTIL [THE] LIGHT OF THE MORNING 36When Abigail returned to Nabal, there he was in the house, holding a feast fit for a king, in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until morning light.
37AND IT WAS IN THE MORNING WHEN HAD GONE OUT THE WINE FROM NABAL AND SHE TOLD TO <THE> HIM WIFE HIS <OBJ.> THE THINGS <THE> THESE AND IT DIED HEART HIS IN INWARD PART[S] HIS AND HE HE BECAME <INTO> STONE 37In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him about these events, and his heart failed within him, and he became like a stone.
38AND IT WAS ABOUT [THE] TEN THE DAYS AND HE STRUCK YAHWEH <OBJ.> NABAL AND HE DIED 38About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal dead.
39AND HE HEARD DAVID THAT HE HAD DIED NABAL AND HE SAID [BE] BLESSED YAHWEH WHO HE HAS CONDUCTED <OBJ.> [THE] CASE OF DISGRACE MY FROM [THE] HAND OF NABAL AND <OBJ.> SERVANT HIS HE HAS RESTRAINED FROM EVIL AND <OBJ.> [THE] EVIL OF NABAL HE HAS TURNED BACK YAHWEH ON OWN HEAD HIS AND HE SENT DAVID AND HE SPOKE WITH ABIGAIL TO TAKE HER FOR <THE> HIMSELF TO A WIFE David Marries Abigail 39On hearing that Nabal was dead, David said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has upheld my cause against the reproach of Nabal and has restrained His servant from evil. For the LORD has brought the wickedness of Nabal down upon his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.
40AND THEY WENT [THE] SERVANTS OF DAVID TO ABIGAIL <THE> CARMEL TOWARDS AND THEY SPOKE TO HER <TO> SAYING DAVID HE HAS SENT US TO YOU TO TAKE YOU FOR <THE> HIMSELF TO A WIFE 40When his servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said “David has sent us to take you as his wife.”
41AND SHE AROSE AND SHE BOWED DOWN FACE [THE] GROUND TOWARDS AND SHE SAID HERE! MAIDSERVANT YOUR TO A MAID TO WASH [THE] FEET OF [THE] SERVANTS OF LORD MY 41She arose, bowed facedown, and said, “Here is your servant, ready to serve and to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.”
42AND SHE MADE HASTE AND SHE AROSE ABIGAIL AND SHE RODE ON THE DONKEY AND FIVE MAIDS HER WHO WALKED TO FOOT HER AND SHE WENT AFTER [THE] MESSENGERS OF DAVID AND SHE BECAME OF HIM <INTO> A WIFE 42So Abigail hurried and got on a donkey, and attended by five of her maidens, she followed David’s messengers and became his wife.
43AND <OBJ.> AHINOAM HE HAD TAKEN DAVID FROM JEZREEL AND THEY BECAME ALSO BOTH OF THEM OF HIM <INTO> WIVES 43David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. So she and Abigail were both his wives.
44AND SAUL HE HAD GIVEN <OBJ.> MICHAL DAUGHTER HIS [THE] WIFE OF DAVID TO PALTI [THE] SON OF LAISH WHO [WAS] FROM GALLIM 44But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Palti*NoteClosePalti is a variant of Paltiel; see 2 Samuel 3:15. son of Laish, who was from Gallim.