1  Soon after that, Samuel died, and all the Israeli people gathered and mourned for him. They buried his body outside his home in Ramah.

Then David and his men moved to the Maon Desert. 2 In Maon town there was a man who owned land in Carmel, a nearby village. He was very rich; he owned 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. 3 His name was Nabal; he was a descendant of Caleb. His wife Abigail was a wise and beautiful woman, but Nabal was very cruel and treated people very unkindly [IDM].

4 One day while David and his men were in the desert, someone told him that Nabal was cutting the wool from his sheep. 5 So David told ten of his men, “Go to Nabal at Carmel and greet him for me. 6 Then tell to him this message from me, ‘I wish/desire that things will go well for you and your family and for everything that you possess.

7 ‘ heard people say that you are cutting the wool from your sheep. Previously, when your shepherds were among us, we did not harm them. All the time that your shepherds were among us at Camel, we did not steal any sheep from them. 8 You can ask your servants if this is true, and they will tell you that it is true. We have come here at a time when you are celebrating, so I ask you to please be kind to us and give these men whatever extra food you have, for me, David, and my men to eat.’ ”

9 When David’s men arrived where Nabal was, they gave David’s message to him, and they waited for him to reply. But Nabal spoke harshly to them. 10 He said to them, “Who does this man, this son of Jesse, think that he is? [DOU, RHQ] There are many slaves who are running away from their masters at the present time, and it seems to me that he is just one of them. 11 I give bread and water to the men who are cutting the wool from my sheep, and I give them meat from animals that I have slaughtered. Why should I take some of those things and give them to a group of outlaws [RHQ]? ◄Who knows where they have come from?/I do not even know where they have come from.►” [RHQ]

12 Then David’s men returned and told him what Nabal had said. 13 When David heard that, he told his men, “We are going to kill Nabal; fasten your swords!” So he fastened on his sword and about 400 men fastened on their swords and went with David. There were 200 of his men who stayed with their supplies.

14 One of Nabal’s servants found out what David and his men were planning to do, so he went to Nabal’s wife Abigail and said to her, “David sent some messengers from the desert to greet our master Nabal, but Nabal only yelled at them. 15 All the time that we were in the fields close to them, those men of David were very kind to us. They did not harm us. They did not steal anything from us. 16 They protected us during the daytime and during the night. They were like a wall [MET] around us to protect us while we were taking care of our sheep. 17 So now you should think about it and decide what you can do. If you do not do something, terrible things will happen to our master and to all his family. Nabal is an extremely wicked man, with the result that he will not heed anyone when that person tries to tell him anything that he should do.”

18  When Abigail heard that, she very quickly gathered 200 loaves of bread, and also got two leather bags full of wine, the meat from five sheep, a bushel of roasted grain, 100 packs of raisins, and 200 packs of dried figs. She put all those things on donkeys. 19 Then she told her servants, “Go ahead of me. I will follow you.” But she did not tell her husband what she was going to do.

20 David and his men had left the place where they were staying and were on the road to Nabal’s property. They were coming down a hill when they met Abigail. 21 David had been saying to his men, “It was useless for us to protect that man and all his possessions here in this desert. We did not steal anything that belonged to him, but he has done evil to me in return for our good things we did for him. 22 I hope/desire that God will strike me and kill me [IDM] if he or even one of his men [IDM] is still alive tomorrow morning!”

23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got down from her donkey and bowed before him, with her face touching the ground. 24 Then she prostrated herself at David’s feet and said to him, “Sir, I deserve to be punished for what my husband has done. Please listen to what I say to you. 25 Please do not pay attention to [IDM] what this worthless man Nabal has said. His name means ‘fool’, and he surely is a foolish man. But I, who am willing to be your servant, did not see the messengers whom you sent to him. 26 Yahweh has prevented you from getting revenge on anyone and killing anyone. I hope/desire that as surely as Yahweh lives and as surely as you live, your enemies will be cursed like Nabal will be. 27 I have brought a gift for you and for the men who are with you. 28 Please forgive me if I have done anything wrong to you. Yahweh will surely reward you by allowing many of your descendants to become kings of Israel, because you are fighting the battles that Yahweh wants you to fight. And I know that throughout all your life you have not done anything wrong. 29 Even when those who are trying to kill you pursue you, you are safe, because Yahweh your God takes care of you. You will be protected as though you were [MET] a bundle that he has safely tied up. But your enemies will disappear as fast as stones that are hurled from a sling. 30 Yahweh has promised to do good things for you, and he will do what he has promised. And he will cause you to become the ruler of the Israeli people. 31 When that happens, you will be glad that you did not kill any people in Nabal’s household. You will not think that you deserve to be punished for having taken revenge yourself and killed innocent people. And when Yahweh enables you to successfully become the king, please do not forget to be kind to me.”

32 David replied to Abigail, “I praise Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis worship, because he sent you to talk with me. 33 I hope/desire that Yahweh will bless you for being very wise. You have prevented me from taking revenge myself and killing many people [MTY] today. 34 Just as surely as Yahweh the God whom we Israelis worship is alive, he has prevented me from harming you. If you had not come quickly to talk to me, neither Nabal nor even one of Nabal’s men [IDM] would be still alive tomorrow morning.”

35 Then David accepted the gifts that Abigail had brought to him. He said to her, “I hope/desire that things will go well for you. I have heard what you said, and I will do what you have requested.”

36 When Abigail returned to Nabal, he was in his house, having a big celebration like kings have. He was very drunk and feeling very happy. So Abigail did not say anything to him that night about her meeting with David. 37 The next morning, when he was no longer drunk, she told him everything that had happened when she talked with David. Immediately ◄he had a stroke/a blood vessel burst in his brain► and he became paralyzed [MET]. 38 About ten days later Yahweh struck him again and he died.

39 After David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise Yahweh! Nabal insulted me, but Yahweh ◄vindicated me/got revenge for me►. He has prevented me from doing anything wrong. And he has punished Nabal for the wrong that he did.”

Then David sent messengers to Abigail, to ask her if she would become his wife. 40 His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David sent us to take you to become his wife.” 41 Abigail bowed down with her face touching the ground. Then she told the messengers to tell David, “I am happy to become your wife. I will be your servant. And I am willing to wash the feet of your slaves.” 42 Abigail quickly got on her donkey and went with David’s messengers. Five of her maids went with her. When she arrived where David was, she became his wife. 43 David had previously married Ahinoam, a woman from Jezreel town near Carmel. So both Abigail and Ahinoam were now David’s wives. 44 King Saul’s daughter Michal was also David’s wife, but Saul had given her to Laish’s son Paltiel, who was from Gallim town.