1 Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David moved down into the Desert of Paran. [^1]2 A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.3 His name was Nabal and his wife's name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings —he was a Calebite.4 While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.5 So he sent ten young men and said to them, "Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name.6 Say to him: 'Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!7 "'Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing.8 Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.'"9 When David's men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David's name. Then they waited.10 Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days.11 Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?"12 David's men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word.13 David said to his men, "Each of you strap on your sword!" So they did, and David strapped his on as well. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.14 One of the servants told Abigail, Nabal's wife, "David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them.15 Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing.16 Night and day they were a wall around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them.17 Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him."18 Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs "of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys.19 Then she told her servants, "Go on ahead; I'll follow you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal.20 As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them.21 David had just said, "It's been useless —all my watching over this fellow's property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good.22 May God deal with David, "be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!"23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground.24 She fell at his feet and said: "Pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say.25 Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name —his name means Fool, and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent.26 And now, my lord, as surely as the LORD your God lives and as you live, since the LORD has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal.27 And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.28 "Please forgive your servant's presumption. The LORD your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because you fight the LORD's battles, and no wrongdoing will be found in you as long as you live.29 Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling.30 When the LORD has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler over Israel,31 my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the LORD your God has brought my lord success, remember your servant."32 David said to Abigail, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me.33 May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.34 Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak."35 Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, "Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request."36 When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until daybreak.37 Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.38 About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal and he died.39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Praise be to the LORD, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal's wrongdoing down on his own head." Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.40 His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, "David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife."41 She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, "I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lord's servants."42 Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David's messengers and became his wife.43 David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives.44 But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Paltiel "son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

1 ومات صموئيل فاجتمع جميع اسرائيل وندبوه ودفنوه في بيته في الرامة. وقام داود ونزل الى برية فاران2 وكان رجل في معون واملاكه في الكرمل وكان الرجل عظيما جدا وله ثلاثة آلاف من الغنم والف من المعز وكان يجزّ غنمه في الكرمل.3 واسم الرجل نابال واسم امرأته ابيجايل. وكانت المرأة جيدة الفهم وجميلة الصورة. واما الرجل فكان قاسيا وردي الاعمال. وهو كالبي.4 فسمع داود في البرية ان نابال يجزّ غنمه.5 فارسل داود عشرة غلمان وقال داود للغلمان اصعدوا الى الكرمل وادخلوا الى نابال واسألوا باسمي عن سلامته6 وقولوا هكذا. حييت وانت سالم وبيتك سالم وكل ما لك سالم.7 والآن قد سمعت ان عندك جزّازين. حين كان رعاتك معنا لم نؤذهم ولم يفقد لهم شيء كل الايام التي كانوا فيها في الكرمل.8 اسأل غلمانك فيخبروك. فليجد الغلمان نعمة في عينيك لاننا قد جئنا في يوم طيب. فاعط ما وجدته يدك لعبيدك ولابنك داود.9 فجاء الغلمان وكلموا نابال حسب كل هذا الكلام باسم داود وكفّوا.10 فاجاب نابال عبيد داود وقال من هو داود ومن هو ابن يسّى. قد كثر اليوم العبيد الذين يقحصون كل واحد من امام سيده.11 أآخذ خبزي ومائي وذبيحي الذي ذبحت لجازّي واعطيه لقوم لا اعلم من اين هم.12 فتحول غلمان داود الى طريقهم ورجعوا وجاءوا واخبروه حسب كل هذا الكلام.13 فقال داود لرجاله ليتقلد كل واحد منكم سيفه. فتقلد كل واحد سيفه. وتقلد داود ايضا سيفه. وصعد وراء داود نحو اربع مئة رجل ومكث مئتان مع الامتعة.14 فاخبر ابيجايل امرأة نابال غلام من الغلمان قائلا هوذا داود ارسل رسلا من البرية ليباركوا سيدنا فثار عليهم.15 والرجال محسنون الينا جدا فلم نؤذ ولا فقد منا شيء كل ايام ترددنا معهم ونحن في الحقل.16 كانوا سورا لنا ليلا ونهارا كل الايام التي كنا فيها معهم نرعى الغنم.17 والآن اعلمي وانظري ماذا تعملين لان الشر قد اعد على سيدنا وعلى بيته وهو ابن لئيم لا يمكن الكلام معه18 فبادرت ابيجايل واخذت مئتي رغيف خبز وزقّي خمر وخمسة خرفان مهيّأة وخمس كيلات من الفريك ومئتي عنقود من الزبيب ومئتي قرص من التين ووضعتها على الحمير19 وقالت لغلمانها اعبروا قدامي هانذا جائية وراءكم. ولم تخبر رجلها نابال.20 وفيما هي راكبة على الحمار ونازلة في سترة الجبل اذا بداود ورجاله منحدرون لاستقبالها فصادفتهم.21 وقال داود انما باطلا حفظت كل ما لهذا في البرية فلم يفقد من كل ما له شيء فكافاني شرا بدل خير.22 هكذا يصنع الله لاعداء داود وهكذا يزيد ان ابقيت من كل ما له الى ضوء الصباح بائلا بحائط.23 ولما رأت ابيجايل داود اسرعت ونزلت عن الحمار وسقطت امام داود على وجهها وسجدت الى الارض24 وسقطت على رجليه وقالت عليّ انا يا سيدي هذا الذنب ودع امتك تتكلم في اذنيك واسمع كلام امتك.25 لا يضعنّ سيدي قلبه على الرجل اللئيم هذا على نابال لان كاسمه هكذا هو. نابال اسمه والحماقة عنده. وانا امتك لم أر غلمان سيدي الذين ارسلتهم.26 والآن يا سيدي حيّ هو الرب وحية هي نفسك ان الرب قد منعك عن أتيان الدماء وانتقام يدك لنفسك. والآن فليكن كنابال اعداؤك والذين يطلبون الشر لسيدي.27 والآن هذه البركة التي أتت بها جاريتك الى سيدي فلتعط للغلمان السائرين وراء سيدي.28 واصفح عن ذنب امتك لان الرب يصنع لسيدي بيتا امينا لان سيدي يحارب حروب الرب ولم يوجد فيك شر كل ايامك.29 وقد قام رجل ليطاردك ويطلب نفسك ولكن نفس سيدي لتكن محزومة في حزمة الحياة مع الرب الهك واما انفس اعدائك فليرم بها كما من وسط كفّة المقلاع.30 ويكون عندما يصنع الرب لسيدي حسب كل ما تكلم به من الخير من اجلك ويقيمك رئيسا على اسرائيل31 انه لا تكون لك هذه مصدمة ومعثرة قلب لسيدي انك قد سفكت دما عفوا او ان سيدي قد انتقم لنفسه. واذا احسن الرب الى سيدي فاذكر امتك32 فقال داود لابيجايل. مبارك الرب اله اسرائيل الذي ارسلك هذا اليوم لاستقبالي33 ومبارك عقلك ومباركة انت لانك منعتني اليوم من أتيان الدماء وانتقام يدي لنفسي.34 ولكن حيّ هو الرب اله اسرائيل الذي منعني عن اذيتك انك لو لم تبادري وتأتي لاستقبالي لما ابقي لنابال الى ضوء الصباح بائل بحائط.35 فاخذ داود من يدها ما اتت به اليه وقال لها اصعدي بسلام الى بيتك. انظري. قد سمعت لصوتك ورفعت وجهك36 فجاءت ابيجايل الى نابال واذا وليمة عنده في بيته كوليمة ملك. وكان نابال قد طاب قلبه وكان سكران جدا. فلم تخبره بشيء صغير او كبير الى ضوء الصباح.37 وفي الصباح عند خروج الخمر من نابال اخبرته امرأته بهذا الكلام فمات قلبه داخله وصار كحجر.38 وبعد نحو عشرة ايام ضرب الرب نابال فمات.39 فلما سمع داود ان نابال قد مات قال. مبارك الرب الذي انتقم نقمة تعييري من يد نابال وامسك عبده عن الشر ورد الرب شر نابال على راسه. وارسل داود وتكلم مع ابيجايل ليتخذها له امرأة.40 فجاء عبيد داود الى ابيجايل الى الكرمل وكلموها قائلين ان داود قد ارسلنا اليك لكي نتخذك له امرأة.41 فقامت وسجدت على وجهها الى الارض وقالت هوذا امتك جارية لغسل ارجل عبيد سيدي.42 ثم بادرت وقامت ابيجايل وركبت الحمار مع خمس فتيات لها ذاهبات وراءها وسارت وراء رسل داود وصارت له امرأة.43 ثم اخذ داود اخينوعم من يزرعيل فكانتا له كلتاهما امرأتين.44 فاعطى شاول ميكال ابنته امرأة داود لفلطي بن لايش الذي من جلّيم