1 Algum tempo depois morreu Samuel e todo o Israel se juntou para o funeral, sepultando-o no local próprio da sua família, em Ramá ntretanto David desceu para o deserto de Parã.2 Havia um homem rico de Maom que tinha uma grande propriedade para criação de gado perto da aldeia de Carmelo. Possuia três mil ovelhas e um milhar de cabras. Naquela altura encontrava-se na sua quinta tosquiando as ovelhas.3 O seu nome era Nabal, e a sua mulher, que era bela e inteligente, chamava-se Abigail. No entanto aquele indivíduo, descendente de Calebe, tinha um mau carácter e uma natureza ruim.4 Ao ouvir que Nabal estava a tosquiar as ovelhas, David mandou dez dos seus companheiros a Carmelo com esta mensagem:6 Que o Senhor aumente a tua prosperidade, bem como a da tua família, e que tenhas muita paz, tu e todos os teus! Disseram-me que estás a tosquiar os animais. Hás-de saber certamente que aos teus pastores, enquanto estiveram no nosso meio, nunca lhes aconteceu qualquer mal, e nada lhes faltou enquanto estiveram no Carmelo. Pergunta-lhes e verás se é ou não assim. Agora, envio-te aqui alguns dos meus homens para te pedir um donativo, pois sabemos que é uma altura de fartura para ti. Por favor, dá-nos qualquer coisa do que tiveres à mão.9 Os moços de David deram o recado e ficaram à espera.10 Mas quem é esse David, exclamou. Quem pensa, esse filho de Jessé, que é ele? Há montes de servos nestes tempos que correm, fugidos aos seus senhores, porque é que eu havia de pegar no meu pão, na minha água, na carne das reses que eu abati para os meus criados e dá-la a um bando de gente que aparece não se sabe donde?12 Os mensageiros de David voltaram para trás e contaram-lhe a resposta de Nabal.13 Peguem nas espadas!, foi a resposta de David, enquanto embainhava a sua. Quatrocentos partiram com ele e duzentos ficaram a guardar as bagagens.14 Entretanto, um dos criados de Nabal foi contar tudo a Abigail: David mandou cá uns homens seus, desde o deserto, que falaram com muito boas maneiras ao nosso amo, mas este insultou-os e pô-los na rua. E é verdade que a gente de David nos tratou sempre bem e nada sofremos enquanto estivemos com eles; a bem dizer, de dia e de noite, eles eram como um muro de protecção para nós e para o gado; nada nos foi roubado durante todo o tempo que estivemos com eles. Vê bem o que há a fazer, porque as coisas vão correr mal para o nosso amo e a sua família - ele tem tão mau feitio que ninguém pode falar com ele!18 Então Abigail preparou à pressa duzentos bolos de farinha, dois odres de vinho, cinco ovelhas guisadas, setenta litros de grão torrado, cem bolos de passas, duzentos bolos de figo e carregou tudo em jumentos, dizendo ao criados:19 Vão já andando com isso, que eu vou a seguir. Mas não disse nada ao marido.20 Quando ela vinha a caminho montada no seu jumento, encontrou-se com David.21 David tinha vindo a pensar durante a marcha: Ora aqui está como nos fartámos de fazer bem a este indivíduo, sem recompensa alguma. Protegemos-lhe os rebanhos no deserto de tal forma que nada lhes foi roubado nem lhes faltou, e agora paga-nos desta maneira o bem que lhe fizemos. Tudo o que acabámos por receber foi insultos. Que Deus me castigue se até amanhã de manhã ficar vivo algum homem naquela casa!23 Abigail ao ver David desmontou rapidamente e inclinou-se.24 Recaia sobre mim a culpa disto tudo, meu senhor, disse. Peço-te que ouças aquilo que pretendo dizer-te.25 Nabal é um homem mau; por favor não ligues ao que diz. É um louco, aliás tal como o seu nome indica. Mas a questão é que eu não soube da vinda dos teus mensageiros.26 E agora, sendo que o Senhor te impediu de matares e de te vingares por tuas próprias mãos, a minha oração a Deus, a favor da tua vida, é que todos os teus inimigos sejam tão castigados como Nabal for.27 Portanto, aqui está um presente que vos trouxe, para ti e para os teus homens. Perdoa-me a ousadia em ter vindo até aqui. O Senhor certamente te recompensará com uma realeza firme, assim como aos teus descendentes, pois que combates as guerras do Senhor, e nunca se viu que agisses erradamente em toda a tua vida. Mesmo quando és perseguido por aqueles que procuram tirar-te a vida, o Senhor teu Deus te protege como se estivesses na palma da sua mão! Mas as vidas dos teus inimigos desaparecerão como pedras atiradas numa funda. Quando o Senhor tiver cumprido todas as coisas que te prometeu e te tiver feito rei de Israel, certamente não quererás ter a consciência dum assassino, que procurou fazer justiça por suas próprias mãos! Portanto, quando o Senhor tiver realizado todas essas grandes coisas a teu favor, peço-te que te lembres de mim!32 David respondeu a Abigail desta forma: Seja bendito o Senhor Deus de Israel que te mandou ao meu encontro neste dia!33 Graças a Deus pelo teu bom senso! Abençoada sejas tu por me teres impedido de matar um homem e de me ter vingado por minhas próprias mãos. Porque, com efeito, juro-te pelo Senhor, o Deus de Israel, que me guardou de te fazer mal, que se não tivesses vindo ao meu encontro, nenhum dos homens de Nabal estaria com vida amanhã de manhã.35 David aceitou os presentes e disse-lhe que regressasse a casa sem temor, porque não lhe mataria o marido.36 Quando ela chegou a casa verificou que Nabal tinha dado uma grande festa e que estava a cair de bêbado; por isso nada lhe disse do seu encontro com David até chegar à manhã seguinte. Nessa altura, estando Nabal já recuperado da embriaguês, quando ela lhe contou tudo o que acontecera, ele teve um ataque e caiu paralisado; ficou assim durante dez dias, até que morreu. Foi o Senhor quem lhe tirou a vida.39 Ao ouvir da morte dele David disse: Louvado seja o Senhor! Deus deu a Nabal a recompensa que merecia e preservou-me de ser eu a fazê-lo. Recebeu assim a paga do seu pecado. David enviou então mensageiros ter com Abigail, pedindo-lhe que se tornasse sua mulher.40 Quando chegaram a Carmelo e lhe apresentaram o pedido, ela aceitou e aprontou-se para partir. Levou consigo cinco das suas moças, montou no jumento e foi com os homens de David. Assim se tornou mulher de David.43 David casou também com Ainoã de Jezreel. O rei Saul entretanto tinha obrigado a primeira mulher de David, Mical sua filha, a casar com um indivíduo de Galim chamado Palti, filho de Laís.

1 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites assembled, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.2 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.5 And David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thy house, and peace be to all that thou hast.7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds who were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there aught missing to them, all the while they were in Carmel.8 Ask thy young men, and they will show thee. Wherefore let the young men find favor in thy eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatever cometh to thy hand, to thy servants, and to thy son David.9 And when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal in the name of David, according to all these words, and ceased.10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants in these days that break away every man from his master.11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men, whom I know not whence they are?12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all these sayings.13 And David said to his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the goods.14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers from the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed at them.15 But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:16 They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do: for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.19 And she said to her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and behold, David and his men came down over against her; and she met them.21 (Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this man hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him: and he hath requited me evil for good.22 So and more also do God to the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any male person.)23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground.24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thy audience, and hear the words of thy handmaid.25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal; for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thy handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.26 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withheld thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thy own hand, now let thy enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.27 And now this blessing which thy handmaid hath brought to my lord, let it even be given to the young men that follow my lord.28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thy handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.29 Yet a man hath risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thy enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the middle of a sling.30 And it will come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;31 That this will be no grief to thee, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that thou hast shed blood without cause, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thy handmaid.32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me:33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, who hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with my own hand.34 For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, who hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light any male person.35 So David received from her hand that which she had brought him, and said to her, Return in peace to thy house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.36 And Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: Therefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine had left Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to himself for a wife.40 And when the servants of David had come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, David hath sent us to thee, to take thee to him for a wife.41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thy handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.42 And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.44 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.