The Death of Samuel 1 UEB 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. BSB BSB: When 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.
David, Nabal, and Abigail 2 UEB 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. BSB BSB: Now 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.
3 UEB 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. BSB BSB: His 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.
4 UEB David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. BSB BSB: While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.
5 UEB 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. BSB BSB: So David sent ten young men and instructed them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel. Greet him in my name
6 UEB You will say to him, 'Live in prosperity. Peace to you and peace to your house, and peace be to all that you have. BSB BSB: and say to him, ‘Long life to you, and peace to you and to your house and to all that belongs to you.
7 UEB 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. BSB BSB: Now 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.
8 UEB 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.'" BSB BSB: Ask 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.’”
9 UEB When David's young men arrived, they said all of this to Nabal on David's behalf and then waited. BSB BSB: When David’s young men arrived, they relayed all these words to Nabal on behalf of David. Then they waited.
10 UEB 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. BSB BSB: But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.
11 UEB 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?" BSB BSB: Why 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?”
12 UEB So David's young men turned away and came back, and told him everything that was said. BSB BSB: So David’s men turned around and went back, and they relayed to him all these words.
13 UEB 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. BSB BSB: And 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.
14 UEB 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. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, 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.
15 UEB 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. BSB BSB: Yet 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.
16 UEB They were a wall to us both day and night, all the while we were with them tending the sheep. BSB BSB: They were a wall around us, both day and night, the whole time we were herding our sheep near them.
17 UEB 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." BSB BSB: Now 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!”
Abigail Intercedes for Nabal 18 UEB 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. BSB BSB: Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs. She loaded them on donkeys
19 UEB She said to her young men, "Go on before me, and I will come after you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal. BSB BSB: and said to her young men, “Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
20 UEB 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. BSB BSB: As Abigail came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, she saw David and his men coming down toward her, and she met them.
21 UEB 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. BSB BSB: Now 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.
22 UEB 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." BSB BSB: May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one male belonging to Nabal survive until morning.”
23 UEB When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from her donkey and lay before David facedown and bowed herself to the ground. BSB BSB: When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey, fell facedown, and bowed before him.
24 UEB 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. BSB BSB: She 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.
25 UEB 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. BSB BSB: My lord should pay no attention to this scoundrel Nabal, 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.
26 UEB 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. BSB BSB: Now, 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.
27 UEB Now let this present that your servant has brought to my master be given to the young men who follow my master. BSB BSB: Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.
28 UEB 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. BSB BSB: Please 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.
29 UEB 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. BSB BSB: And 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.
30 UEB Yahweh will have done for my master everything he promised you, and has appointed you leader over Israel. BSB BSB: When the LORD has done for my lord all the good He promised, and when He has appointed you ruler over Israel,
31 UEB 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." BSB BSB: then 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.”
32 UEB David said to Abigail, "May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be blessed, he who sent you to meet me today. BSB BSB: Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me this day!
33 UEB Your wisdom is blessed and you are blessed, because you have kept me today from bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand! BSB BSB: Blessed is your discernment, and blessed are you, because today you kept me from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand.
34 UEB 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." BSB BSB: Otherwise, 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.”
35 UEB 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." BSB BSB: Then 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.”
36 UEB 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. BSB BSB: When 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.
37 UEB 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. BSB BSB: In 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.
38 UEB It came about ten days later that Yahweh attacked Nabal so that he died. BSB BSB: About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal dead.
David Marries Abigail 39 UEB 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. BSB BSB: On 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.
40 UEB 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." BSB BSB: When his servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said, “David has sent us to take you as his wife.”
41 UEB 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." BSB BSB: She arose, bowed facedown, and said, “Here is your servant, ready to serve and to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.”
42 UEB 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. BSB BSB: So Abigail hurried and got on a donkey, and attended by five of her maidens, she followed David’s messengers and became his wife.
43 UEB Now David had also taken Ahinoam of Jezreel as a wife; both of them became his wives. BSB BSB: David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. So she and Abigail were both his wives.
44 UEB Also, Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was of Gallim. BSB BSB: But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Palti son of Laish, who was from Gallim.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.