Murió Samuel^a, y se reunió todo Israel y lo lloraron^b, y lo sepultaron en su casa en Ramá^c. Después David se levantó y descendió al desierto de Parán^d.

2 Y había un hombre en Maón^a que tenía sus bienes en Carmel^b; el hombre era muy rico¹ y tenía tres mil ovejas y mil cabras; y estaba en Carmel trasquilando sus ovejas^c. 3 El hombre se llamaba Nabal, y su mujer se llamaba Abigail. Y la mujer era inteligente¹ y de hermosa apariencia^a, pero el hombre era áspero y malo en sus tratos, y era calebita^b. 4 Y oyó David en el desierto que Nabal estaba trasquilando sus ovejas. 5 Entonces David envió diez jóvenes, y les dijo¹: Subid a Carmel, visitad² a Nabal y saludadle en mi nombre; 6 y le diréis así: «Ten una larga vida¹, paz para ti, paz para tu casa y paz para todo lo que tienes^a. 7 He¹ oído que tienes esquiladores^a; ahora bien, tus pastores han estado con nosotros, y no los hemos maltratado, ni les ha faltado nada todos los días que estuvieron en Carmel^b. 8 Pregunta a tus mozos, y ellos te lo dirán. Por tanto, permite que mis mozos hallen gracia ante tus ojos, porque hemos llegado en un día de fiesta^1a. Te ruego que de lo que tengas a mano, des a tus siervos y a tu hijo David».

9 Cuando llegaron los jóvenes de David, dijeron a Nabal todas estas palabras en nombre de David; entonces esperaron. 10 Pero Nabal respondió a los siervos de David, y dijo: ¿Quién es David^a y quién es el hijo de Isaí? Hay muchos siervos hoy día que huyen de su señor. 11 ¿He de tomar mi pan, mi agua y la carne que he preparado¹ para mis esquiladores, y he de dárselos a hombres cuyo origen no conozco^2a? 12 Entonces los jóvenes de David se volvieron por su camino, y regresaron; y llegaron y le comunicaron todas¹ estas palabras. 13 Y David dijo a sus hombres: Cíñase cada uno su espada. Y cada hombre se ciñó su espada. David también se ciñó su espada, y unos cuatrocientos hombres subieron tras David^a, mientras que doscientos se quedaron con el bagaje^b.

14 Mas uno de los mozos avisó a Abigail, mujer de Nabal, diciendo: He aquí, David envió mensajeros desde el desierto a saludar¹ a nuestro señor^a, y él los desdeñó. 15 Sin embargo, los hombres fueron muy buenos con nosotros; no nos maltrataron ni nos faltó nada cuando¹ andábamos con ellos, mientras estábamos en el campo^a. 16 Como muro fueron para nosotros tanto de noche como de día, todo el tiempo que estuvimos con ellos apacentando las ovejas^a. 17 Ahora pues, reflexiona¹ y mira lo que has de hacer, porque el mal ya está determinado contra nuestro señor y contra toda su casa, y él es un hombre tan indigno² que nadie puede hablarle.

18 Entonces Abigail se dio prisa y tomó doscientos panes, dos odres de vino, cinco ovejas ya preparadas, cinco medidas¹ de grano tostado, cien racimos de uvas pasas, y doscientas tortas de higos, y los puso sobre asnos^a. 19 Y dijo a sus mozos: Id delante de mí; he aquí, yo os seguiré^a. Pero nada dijo a su marido Nabal. 20 Y sucedió que cuando ella cabalgaba en su asno y descendía por la parte encubierta del monte, he aquí que David y sus hombres venían bajando hacia ella, y se encontró con ellos. 21 Y David había dicho: Ciertamente, en vano he guardado todo lo que este hombre tiene en el desierto, de modo que nada se perdió de todo lo suyo; y él me ha devuelto mal por bien^a. 22 Así haga Dios a los enemigos de David^a, y aun más, si al llegar la mañana he dejado tansolo un varón¹ de los suyos^b.

23 Cuando Abigail vio a David se dio prisa y bajó de su asno, y cayendo sobre su rostro delante de David, se postró en tierra^a. 24 Y se echó a sus pies y dijo: Señor mío,solo sobre mí sea la culpa. Te ruego que permitas que tu sierva te hable¹, y que escuches las palabras de tu sierva. 25 Ruego a mi señor que no haga caso a¹ este hombre indigno², Nabal, porque conforme a su nombre, así es. Se llama Nabal³, y la insensatez está con él; mas yo tu sierva no vi a los jóvenes que tú, mi señor, enviaste. 26 Ahora pues, señor mío, vive el SEÑOR y vive tu alma; puesto que el SEÑOR te ha impedido derramar¹ sangre y vengarte² por tu propia mano^a, sean pues como Nabal tus enemigos y los que buscan el mal contra mi señor^b. 27 Y ahora permite que este presente¹ que tu sierva ha traído para mi señor se dé a los jóvenes que acompañan a² mi señor^a. 28 Te ruego que perdones la ofensa de tu sierva^a, porque el SEÑOR ciertamente establecerá¹ una casa duradera para mi señor^b, pues mi señor pelea las batallas del SEÑOR^c, y el mal no se hallará en ti en todos tus días^d. 29 Y si alguno se levanta para perseguirte y buscar tu vida¹, entonces la vida² de mi señor será ligada en el haz de los que viven con el SEÑOR tu Dios; pero Él lanzará la vida de tus enemigos como de en medio de una honda^a. 30 Y sucederá que cuando el SEÑOR haga por mi señor conforme a todo el bien que Él ha hablado de ti, y te ponga por príncipe sobre Israel^a, 31 esto no causará pesar ni remordimiento¹ a mi señor, tanto por haber derramado sangre sin causa como por haberse vengado² mi señor. Cuando el SEÑOR haya hecho bien a mi señor, entonces acuérdate de tu sierva^a.

32 Entonces David dijo a Abigail: Bendito sea el SEÑOR, Dios de Israel, que te envió hoy a encontrarme^a, 33 bendito sea tu razonamiento, y bendita seas tú, que me has impedido hoy derramar sangre¹ y vengarme² por mi propia mano^a. 34 Sin embargo, vive el SEÑOR, Dios de Israel, que me ha impedido hacerte mal^a, que si tú no hubieras venido pronto a encontrarme, ciertamente, para la luz del alba, no le hubiera quedado a Nabal ni un varón¹. 35 Recibió David de su mano lo que ella había traído y le dijo: Sube en paz a tu casa^a. Mira, te he escuchado¹ y te he concedido tu petición^2b.

36 Entonces Abigail regresó a Nabal, y he aquí, él tenía un banquete en su casa, como el banquete de un rey^a. Y el corazón de Nabal estaba alegre, pues estaba muy ebrio^b, por lo cual ella no le comunicó nada¹ hasta el amanecer^c. 37 Pero sucedió que por la mañana, cuando se le pasó el vino a Nabal, su mujer le contó estas cosas, y su corazón se quedó como muerto dentro de él, y se puso como una piedra. 38 Y unos diez días después, sucedió que el SEÑOR hirió a Nabal, y murió^a.

39 Cuando David supo que Nabal había muerto, dijo: Bendito sea el SEÑOR, que ha defendido la causa de mi afrenta de manos de Nabal^a, y ha preservado a su siervo del mal^b. El SEÑOR también ha devuelto la maldad de Nabal sobre su propia cabeza. Entonces David envió a hablar con Abigail^c, para tomarla para sí por mujer. 40 Y los siervos de David fueron a casa de Abigail en Carmel, y le hablaron diciendo: David nos ha enviado a ti, para tomarte para sí por mujer. 41 Y ella se levantó y postrándose rostro en tierra^a, dijo: He aquí, vuestra sierva es una criada para lavar los pies de los siervos de mi señor^b. 42 Abigail se levantó apresuradamente, montó en un asno, y con sus cinco doncellas que la atendían¹ siguió a los mensajeros de David, y fue su mujer^a.

43 David había tomado también a Ahinoam de Jezreel^a, y ambas fueron mujeres suyas^b.

44 Pues Saúl había dado a su hija Mical^a, mujer de David, a Palti, hijo de Lais, que era de Galim^b.

^aThen Samuel died; and all Israel gathered together and ^bmourned for him, and ^cburied him at his house in Ramah. And David arose and went down to the ^dwilderness of Paran.

2 Now there was a man in ^aMaon whose business was in ^bCarmel; and the man was very ¹rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And it came about while ^che was shearing his sheep in Carmel 3 (now the man’s name was Nabal, and his ^awife’s name was Abigail. And the woman was ¹intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was ^ba Calebite), 4 that David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5 So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, ¹visit Nabal and greet him in my name; 6 and thus you shall say, ‘¹Have a long life, ^apeace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. 7 Now I have heard ^athat you have shearers; now your shepherds have been with us and we have not insulted them, ^bnor have they missed anything all the days they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on ^aa ¹festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.’”

9 When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in David’s name; then they waited. 10 But Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “^aWho is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master. 11 Shall I then ^atake my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men ¹whose origin I do not know?” 12 So David’s young men retraced their way and went back; and they came and told him according to all these words. 13 David said to his men, “Each of you gird on his sword.” So each man girded on his sword. And David also girded on his sword, and about ^afour hundred men went up behind David while two hundred ^bstayed with the baggage.

14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers from the wilderness to ^1agreet our master, and he scorned them. 15 Yet the men were very good to us, and we were not ^ainsulted, nor did we miss anything ¹as long as we went about with them, while we were in the fields. 16 ^aThey were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the time we were with them tending the sheep. 17 Now therefore, know and ¹consider what you should do, for evil is plotted against our master and against all his household; and he is such a ²worthless man that no one can speak to him.”

18 Then Abigail hurried and ^atook two hundred loaves of bread and two jugs of wine and five sheep already prepared and five measures of roasted grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 She said to her young men, “^aGo on before me; behold, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 It came about as she was riding on her donkey and coming down by the hidden part of the mountain, that behold, David and his men were coming down toward her; so she met them. 21 Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have guarded all that this man has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him; and he has ^areturned me evil for good. 22 ^aMay God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, ^bif by morning I leave as much as one ¹male of any who belong to him.”

23 When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from her donkey, and fell on her face before David ^aand bowed herself to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said, “On me ¹alone, my lord, be the blame. And please let your maidservant speak ²to you, and listen to the words of your maidservant. 25 Please do not let my lord ¹pay attention to this ²worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. ³Nabal is his name and folly is with him; but I your maidservant did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.

26 “Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, since the LORD has restrained you from ¹shedding blood, and ^afrom ²avenging yourself by your own hand, now then ^blet your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be as Nabal. 27 Now let ^athis ¹gift which your maidservant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who ²accompany my lord. 28 Please forgive ^athe transgression of your maidservant; for ^bthe LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is ^cfighting the battles of the LORD, and ^devil will not be found in you all your days. 29 Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your ¹life, then the ²life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God; but the ³lives of your enemies ^aHe will sling out ⁴as from the hollow of a sling. 30 And when the LORD does for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and ^aappoints you ruler over Israel, 31 this will not ¹cause grief or a troubled heart to my lord, both by having shed blood without cause and by my lord having ²avenged himself. ^aWhen the LORD deals well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.”

32 Then David said to Abigail, “^aBlessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, 33 and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, ^awho have kept me this day from ¹bloodshed and from ²avenging myself by my own hand. 34 Nevertheless, as the LORD God of Israel lives, ^awho has restrained me from harming you, unless you had come quickly to meet me, surely there would not have been left to Nabal until the morning light as much as one ¹male.” 35 So David received from her hand what she had brought him and said to her, “^aGo up to your house in peace. See, I have listened to ¹you and ^2bgranted your request.”

36 Then Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding ^aa feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, ^bfor he was very drunk; so ^cshe did not tell him anything ¹at all until the morning light. 37 But in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him so that he became as a stone. 38 About ten days later, ^athe LORD struck Nabal and he died.

39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has ^apleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and ^bhas kept back His servant from evil. The LORD has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent ^1ca proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife. 40 When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you to take you as his wife.” 41 She arose ^aand bowed with her face to the ground and said, “Behold, your maidservant is a maid ^bto wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” 42 Then ^aAbigail quickly arose, and rode on a donkey, with her five maidens who ¹attended her; and she followed the messengers of David and became his wife.

43 David had also taken Ahinoam of ^aJezreel, and ^bthey both became his wives.

44 Now Saul had given ^aMichal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from ^bGallim.

^aThen Samuel died; and all Israel assembled and ^bmourned for him, and they ^cburied him at his house in Ramah. And David set out and went down to the ^dwilderness of Paran.

2 Now there was a man in ^aMaon whose business was in ^bCarmel; and the man was very ¹rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And it came about while ^che was shearing his sheep in Carmel 3 (now the man’s name was Nabal, and his ^awife’s name was Abigail. And the woman was ¹intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was ^ba Calebite), 4 that David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5 So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel and ¹visit Nabal, and greet him in my name; 6 and this is what you shall say: ‘¹Have a long life, ^apeace to you, and peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! 7 Now then, I have heard ^athat you have shearers. Now, your shepherds have been with us; we have not harmed them, ^bnor has anything of theirs gone missing all the days they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on ^aa ¹festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.’”

9 When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal in accordance with all these words in David’s name; then they waited. 10 But Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “^aWho is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master. 11 Shall I then ^atake my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men ¹whose origin I do not know?” 12 So David’s young men made their way back and returned; and they came and informed him in accordance with all these words. 13 Then David said to his men, “Each of you strap on his sword.” So each man strapped on his sword. And David also strapped on his sword, and about ^afour hundred men went up behind David, while two hundred ^bstayed with the baggage.

14 Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers from the wilderness to ^1agreet our master, and he spoke to them in anger. 15 Yet the men were very good to us, and we were not ^aharmed, nor did anything go missing ¹as long as we went with them, while we were in the fields. 16 ^aThey were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the time we were with them tending the sheep. 17 Now then, be aware and ¹consider what you should do, because harm is plotted against our master and against all his household; and he is such a ²worthless man that no one can speak to him.”

18 Then Abigail hurried and ^atook two hundred loaves of bread and two jugs of wine, and five sheep already prepared and five measures of roasted grain, and a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and she loaded them on donkeys. 19 Then she said to her young men, “^aGo on ahead of me; behold, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 And it happened as she was riding on her donkey and coming down by the hidden part of the mountain, that behold, David and his men were coming down toward her; so she met them. 21 Now David had said, “It is certainly for nothing that I have guarded everything that this man has in the wilderness, so that nothing has gone missing of all that belonged to him! For he has ^areturned me evil for good. 22 ^aMay God do so to the enemies of David, and more so, ^bif by morning I leave alive as much as one ¹male of any who belong to him.”

23 When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from her donkey, and fell on her face in front of David ^aand bowed herself to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said, “On me ¹alone, my lord, be the blame. And please let your slave speak ²to you, and listen to the words of your slave. 25 Please do not let my lord ¹pay attention to this ²worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. ³Nabal is his name, and stupidity is with him; but I your slave did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.

26 “Now then, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, since the LORD has restrained you from ¹shedding blood, and ^afrom ²avenging yourself by your own hand, now then, ^bmay your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be like Nabal. 27 And now let ^athis ¹gift which your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who ²accompany my lord. 28 Please forgive ^athe offense of your slave; for ^bthe LORD will certainly make for my lord an ¹enduring house, because my lord is ^cfighting the battles of the LORD, and ^devil will not be found in you all your days. 29 Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your ¹life, then the ²life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God; but the ³lives of your enemies ^aHe will sling out ⁴as from the hollow of a sling. 30 And when the LORD does for my lord in accordance with all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and ^aappoints you ruler over Israel, 31 this will not become an obstacle to you, or a ¹troubled heart to my lord, both by having shed blood without cause and by my lord’s having ²avenged himself. ^aWhen the LORD deals well with my lord, then remember your slave.”

32 Then David said to Abigail, “^aBlessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, 33 and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, ^awho have kept me this day from ¹bloodshed and from ²avenging myself by my own hand. 34 Nevertheless, as the LORD God of Israel lives, ^awho has restrained me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, there certainly would not have been left to Nabal until the morning light as much as one ¹male.” 35 So David accepted from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, “^aGo up to your house in peace. See, I have listened to ¹you and ^2bgranted your request.”

36 Then Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was having ^aa feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was cheerful within him, ^bfor he was very drunk; so ^cshe did not tell him anything ¹at all until the morning light. 37 But in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him so that he became like a stone. 38 About ten days later, ^athe LORD struck Nabal and he died.

39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has ^apleaded the cause of the shame inflicted on me by the hand of Nabal, and ^bhas kept back His servant from evil. The LORD has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent ^1ca proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife. 40 When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife.” 41 And she got up ^aand bowed with her face to the ground, and said, “Behold, your slave is a servant ^bto wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” 42 Then ^aAbigail got up quickly, and rode on a donkey, with her five female attendants who ¹accompanied her; and she followed the messengers of David and became his wife.

43 David had also taken Ahinoam of ^aJezreel, and ^bthey both became his wives.

44 But Saul had given his daughter ^aMichal, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from ^bGallim.