1 Samuel, Chapter 25:

Verses from 1 Samuel, Chapter 25 of the book of 1 Samuel in the Bible.

David, Nabal and Abigail

• 1. Samuel died, and all Israel gathered to mourn him; and they buried him in Ramah, his hometown. After that, David went to the desert of Maon.
• 2. In the region of Maon, there was a very rich man named Nabal, who owned his properties in the city of Carmel. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which were being sheared in Carmel.
• 3. His wife's name was Abigail, an intelligent and beautiful woman, but Nabal, her husband, was rude and wicked, a descendant of Caleb.
• 4. When David heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep, he sent ten young men with a message to Nabal in Carmel. They went in David's name and greeted Nabal.
• 5. They said to him: “May you live long! May there be peace for you, your family and everything that belongs to you!
• 6. We are aware that you are shearing your sheep. While their shepherds were with us, we did them no harm, and during the entire time they were in Carmel, nothing was stolen from them.
• 7. Ask your pastors, and they will tell you the truth. Therefore, be generous to us, your servants, for we are here at a festive time. Give us whatever you can for me and for your servant David.”
• 8. David's messengers delivered the message to Nabal in David's name and waited for his response.
• 9. Nabal answered David's servants, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Nowadays, many servants are running away from their masters.
• 10. Why should I take my bread, my water, and the meat I slaughtered for the shearers and give them to men I don’t know?”
• 11. David's messengers returned and reported everything to him. David then said to his men, “Put your swords in your belt!” And so they did. David also took his sword and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the baggage.
• 12. One of Nabal's servants went to Abigail, Nabal's wife, and said, “David, coming from the wilderness, sent messengers to greet our lord, but he treated them with contempt.
• 13. However, these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and during all the time we were with them tending our sheep, nothing was lost.
• 14. They were like a wall around us day and night while we were with them in the field. Now, think about what to do, for our lord and his entire family are in great danger. Our lord is such a bad man that no one can speak to him.”
• 15. Then Abigail quickly took two hundred loaves of bread, two vessels full of wine, five sheep ready for slaughter, five measures of roasted grain, one hundred raisin cakes, and two hundred pressed fig cakes. She put it all on asses
• 16. and said to his servants, “Go ahead. I will follow them.” But she did not say any of this to Nabal, her husband.
• 17. As she rode down the mountain on her donkey, David and his men came down toward her, and they met.
• 18. David had said to his men: “It was useless to protect all that man's possessions in the wilderness, so that nothing would be lost. He repaid us good for evil.
• 19. May God punish me severely if he leaves even one man alive until morning of all he has!”
• 20. When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and prostrated herself before him, with her face to the ground.
• 21. She fell at David's feet and said, “O my lord, it's all my fault. I beg you, let me speak. Listen to what your servant has to say.
• 22. Please, my lord, do not pay attention to that evil man, Nabal. He is a fool, as his name suggests, and folly accompanies him. But I, your servant, did not see the messengers that my lord sent.
• 23. Now, my lord, I swear by the Lord and by your life that it was the Lord who prevented you from seeking revenge and shedding blood with your own hands. May your enemies and all who seek to harm you be treated like Nabal.
• 24. Here is the gift your servant brought to my lord. May it be given to the men who follow him.
• 25. Please forgive the trespass of your servant, for the Lord will certainly make a lasting house for my lord, for my lord fights the battles of the Lord. May no fault be found in you throughout your life.
• 26. If anyone rises up to persecute you and seek your life, my master's life will be preserved in the care of the Lord your God. But the lives of their enemies will be thrown away, like a stone thrown from a sling.
• 27. When the Lord has done everything he promised and appointed him leader of Israel,
• 28. my lord will have no remorse or conscience for shedding blood for no reason and taking revenge with his own hands. And when the Lord has blessed my lord, remember his servant.”
• 29. David answered Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent her to meet me.
• 30. May you be blessed for your discretion and for keeping me from shedding blood and seeking revenge with my own hands.
• 31. If you had not come quickly to meet me, not a man of Nabal would have been left alive at dawn.”
• 32. Then David accepted the gift that Abigail brought him and said, “Return home in peace. I heard what you said and I will fulfill your request.”
• 33. When Abigail returned to Nabal, he was having a banquet in his house, like a king's banquet. Nabal was cheerful and completely drunk, so she didn't say anything to him until dawn.
• 34. In the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him everything that had happened. His heart became paralyzed, and he became like a stone.
• 35. About ten days later the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.
• 36. When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord, who defended my cause against Nabal, because he treated me with contempt. The Lord prevented me from doing evil and avenging myself. Nabal’s wickedness fell upon him.”
• 37. Then David sent a message to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.
• 38. David's servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David sent us to fetch her and bring her to become his wife.”
• 39. She stood up, bowed her face to the ground, and said, “Here is your servant, ready to serve my lord’s servants and wash their feet.”
• 40. Abigail immediately mounted a donkey and, accompanied by her five female servants, went with David's messengers and became his wife.
• 41. David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both were his wives.
• 42. Meanwhile Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Paltiel son of Laish of Gallim.
• 43. David and his wives continued their journey, accompanied by their followers. They settled in different places.
• 44. Saul, on the other hand, had given his daughter Michal, who was David's wife, to Paltiel son of Laish of Gallim.

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