1 Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together and mourned for him, and buried him at his house at Ramah.

Then David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran. 2 There was a man in Maon whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great. 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. This woman was intelligent and had a beautiful face; but the man was surly and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb. 4 David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5 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 Tell him, ‘Long life to you! Peace be to you! Peace be to your house! Peace be to all that you have! 7 Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds have now been with us, and we didn’t harm them. Nothing was missing from them all the time they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let the young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a good day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’"

9 When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal all those words in the name of David, and waited.

10 Nabal answered David’s servants and said, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days. 11 Shall I then take my bread, my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men who I don’t know where they come from?"

12 So David’s young men turned on their way and went back, and came and told him all these words.

13 David said to his men, "Every man put on his sword!"

Every man put on his sword. David also put on his sword. About four hundred men followed David, and two hundred stayed by the baggage.

14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, "Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master; and he insulted them. 15 But the men were very good to us, and we were not harmed, and we didn’t miss anything as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields. 16 They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 Now therefore know and consider what you will do; for evil is determined against our master and against all his house, for he is such a worthless fellow that one can’t speak to him."

18 Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two containers of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five seahs of parched grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys. 19 She said to her young men, "Go on before me. Behold, I am coming after you." But she didn’t tell her husband, Nabal. 20 As she rode on her donkey, and came down hidden by the mountain, behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them.

21 Now David had said, "Surely in vain I have kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him. He has returned me evil for good. 22 God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that belongs to him by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall."

23 When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got off her donkey, and fell before David on her face and bowed herself to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said, "On me, my lord, on me be the blame! Please let your servant speak in your ears. Hear the words of your servant. 25 Please don’t let my lord pay attention to this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; but I, your servant, didn’t see my lord’s young men whom you sent. 26 Now therefore, my lord, as Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, since Yahweh has withheld you from blood guiltiness and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now therefore let your enemies and those who seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. 27 Now this present which your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For Yahweh will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights Yahweh’s battles. Evil will not be found in you all your days. 29 Though men may rise up to pursue you and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord will be bound in the bundle of life with Yahweh your God. He will sling out the souls of your enemies as from a sling’s pocket. 30 It will come to pass, when Yahweh has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you prince over Israel, 31 that this shall be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. When Yahweh has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant."

32 David said to Abigail, "Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me! 33 Blessed is your discretion, and blessed are you, who have kept me today from blood guiltiness, and from avenging myself with my own hand. 34 For indeed, as Yahweh the God of Israel lives, who has withheld me from harming you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely there wouldn’t have been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall."

35 So David received from her hand that which she had brought him. Then he said to her, "Go up in peace to your house. Behold, I have listened to your voice and have granted your request."

36 Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king. Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. Therefore she told him nothing until the morning light. 37 In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things; and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. 38 About ten days later, Yahweh struck Nabal, so that he died. 39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed is Yahweh, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil. Yahweh has returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head."

David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to himself as wife. 40 When David’s servants had come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, "David has sent us to you, to take you to him as wife."

41 She arose and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said, "Behold, your servant is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord." 42 Abigail hurriedly arose and rode on a donkey with her five maids who followed her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. 43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they both became his wives.

44 Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

1 En Samuel het gesterwe, en die hele Israel het saamgekom en oor hom gerouklaag en hom begrawe in sy huis in Rama. En Dawid het hom klaargemaak en afgetrek na die woestyn Paran.

2 En daar was 'n man in Maon wat sy boerdery in Karmel gehad het, en die man was baie vermoënd: hy het drie duisend skape en duisend bokke gehad, en hy was besig om sy skape te skeer in Karmel.

3 En die naam van die man was Nabal, en die naam van sy vrou Ab¡gail; en die vrou het 'n goeie verstand gehad en was mooi van aansien; maar die man was grof en boosaardig, en hy was 'n Kalebiet.

4 Toe Dawid in die woestyn hoor dat Nabal sy skape skeer,

5 stuur Dawid tien jongmanne, en Dawid sê aan die jongmanne: Trek op na Karmel en gaan by Nabal in en vra hom in my naam na die welstand;

6 en so moet julle aan die welvarende sê: Mag dit goed gaan met u sowel as met u huis, en goed gaan met alles wat u besit.

7 En nou, ek het gehoor dat u skeerders het; nou ja, u wagters was met ons saam; ons het hulle nie beledig nie, en hulle het ook niks vermis al die dae wat hulle in Karmel was nie.

8 Vra u dienaars, en hulle sal u dit te kenne gee; laat dus die jongmanne guns vind in u oë, want ons het op 'n vrolike dag gekom; gee tog wat u byderhand het aan u dienaars en aan u seun Dawid.

9 Toe het die jongmanne van Dawid gekom en met Nabal in naam van Dawid volgens al hierdie woorde gespreek en verder afgewag.

10 Maar Nabal het die dienaars van Dawid geantwoord en gesê: Wie is Dawid? En wie is die seun van Isai? Daar is vandag baie dienaars wat hulle losskeur, elkeen van sy heer af.

11 Sou ek dan my brood en my water en my slaggoed wat ek vir my skeerders geslag het, neem en aan manne gee van wie ek nie weet waar hulle vandaan kom nie?

12 Daarop het die jongmanne van Dawid omgedraai op hulle pad, hulle het teruggekeer en aangekom en hom berig gebring volgens al hierdie woorde.

13 Toe sê Dawid aan sy manne: Gord julle elkeen sy swaard aan! Hulle gord toe elkeen sy swaard aan -- Dawid het ook sy swaard aangegord -- en hulle trek agter Dawid op, omtrent vier honderd man, terwyl twee honderd by die pakgoed bly.

14 Maar aan Ab¡gail, die vrou van Nabal, het een van die jongmanne berig gebring en gesê: Kyk, Dawid het boodskappers uit die woestyn gestuur om ons heer te begroet, maar hy het teen hulle uitgevaar.

15 Tog was die manne vir ons baie goed; ook is ons nie beledig nie, en ons het niks vermis al die dae wat ons saam met hulle rondgetrek het toe ons in die veld was nie.

16 Hulle was 'n muur om ons, snags sowel as bedags, al die dae wat ons die skape by hulle opgepas het.

17 En nou moet u self ondersoek en kyk wat u moet doen; want die onheil is vas besluit oor ons heer en oor sy hele huis; maar hy self is so 'n deugniet dat jy nie met hom kan praat nie.

18 Toe het Ab¡gail gou twee honderd brode geneem en twee sakke wyn en vyf toebereide skape en vyf mate gebraaide koring en honderd rosynekoeke en twee honderd vyekoeke en dit op esels gesit.

19 En sy het aan haar jongmanne gesê: Trek voor my uit; kyk, ek kom dadelik agter julle aan. Maar aan haar man Nabal het sy niks te kenne gegee nie.

20 En terwyl sy op die esel ry en in 'n kloof van die berg afdaal, kom Dawid en sy manne meteens af haar tegemoet, sodat sy hulle teëgekom het.

21 Dawid het al gedink: Net verniet het ek alles wat aan hierdie man behoort, in die woestyn beskerm, sodat daar nooit iets van sy goed vermis is nie; en hy vergeld my kwaad vir goed.

22 Mag God so aan die vyande van Dawid doen en so daaraan toedoen, as ek van almal wat aan hom behoort, tot môre een laat oorbly wat manlik is.

23 Toe Ab¡gail Dawid sien, het sy gou van die esel afgeklim en voor Dawid op haar aangesig neergeval en na die aarde toe gebuig.

24 En sy het voor sy voete neergeval en gesê: Op my, my heer, rus die skuld, maar laat u dienares tog voor u ore mag spreek, en luister na die woorde van u dienares.

25 My heer moet hom tog nie steur aan daardie deugniet van 'n man, aan Nabal nie; want soos sy naam is, so is hy; sy naam beteken dwaas, en dwaasheid is by hom. Maar wat my betref, u dienares het my heer se jongmanne wat u gestuur het, nie gesien nie.

26 En nou, my heer, so waar as die HERE leef en u siel leef, dit is die HERE wat u teruggehou het om in bloedskuld te geraak en u met eie hand te help; mag dan nou u vyande en die wat onheil soek teen my heer, soos Nabal word.

27 En laat nou hierdie geskenk wat u dienares vir my heer gebring het, aan die jongmanne gegee word wat op my heer se voetspore rondtrek.

28 Vergeef tog die oortreding van u dienares, want die HERE sal sekerlik vir my heer 'n bestendige huis stig, omdat my heer die oorloë van die HERE voer en in u hele lewe in u geen kwaad gevind is nie.

29 As 'n mens opstaan om u te agtervolg en u lewe te soek, mag die siel van my heer dan saamgebind wees in die bondeltjie van die lewendes by die HERE u God; maar mag Hy die siel van u vyande uit die holte van die slinger wegslinger.

30 En as die HERE aan my heer sal doen volgens al die goeie wat Hy aan u beloof het, en u aanstel as vors oor Israel,

31 dan sal daar vir u geen struikelblok en vir my heer geen gewetenswroeging wees dat u sonder oorsaak bloed vergiet het en my heer homself hulp verskaf het nie; en as die HERE goed sal doen aan my heer, moet u aan u dienares dink.

32 Toe sê Dawid vir Ab¡gail: Geseënd is die HERE, die God van Israel, wat jou vandag my tegemoet gestuur het!

33 En geseënd jou verstandigheid en geseënd jy self wat my vandag teëgehou het om in bloedskuld te geraak en my met eie hand te help.

34 Maar so waar as die HERE, die God van Israel, leef wat my verhinder het om aan jou kwaad te doen -- as jy my nie gou tegemoetgekom het nie, voorwaar, daar sou van Nabal niemand wat manlik is, tot die môre lig oorgebly het nie!

35 En Dawid het uit haar hand aangeneem wat sy vir hom gebring het, en vir haar gesê: Gaan op in vrede na jou huis! Kyk, ek het na jou geluister en jou in guns aangeneem.

36 Toe Ab¡gail by Nabal kom, het hy juis 'n maaltyd in sy huis aangerig soos die maaltyd van 'n koning; en Nabal se hart was vrolik in hom, en hy was baie dronk; daarom het sy hom niks, klein of groot, meegedeel totdat dit die môre lig word nie.

37 Maar die môre vroeg toe die wyn Nabal verlaat het, deel sy vrou hom die dinge mee. Daarop het sy hart in sy binneste gesterwe en was hy soos 'n klip.

38 En n omtrent tien dae het die HERE Nabal getref, sodat hy gesterf het.

39 Toe Dawid hoor dat Nabal dood was, sê hy: Geseënd is die HERE wat die regsaak, in die smaad my aangedoen, teen Nabal verdedig het en sy kneg teruggehou het van die kwaad, terwyl die HERE die kwaad van Nabal op sy eie hoof laat neerkom het. En Dawid het by Ab¡gail aansoek laat doen om haar vir hom as vrou te neem.

40 Toe het die dienaars van Dawid by Ab¡gail gekom in Karmel en met haar gespreek en gesê: Dawid stuur ons na u om u vir hom as vrou te neem.

41 En sy het opgestaan en met haar aangesig na die aarde gebuig en gesê: Hier is u dienares as slavin om die voete van my heer se dienaars te was.

42 Ab¡gail maak toe gou klaar, en sy het op die esel gery met haar vyf diensmeisies wat op haar voetspoor volg, en agter die boodskappers van Dawid aangegaan. En sy het sy vrou geword.

43 Dawid het ook Ah¡noam uit J¡sreël geneem, sodat hulle altwee sy vroue geword het.

44 Maar Saul het sy dogter Migal, die vrou van Dawid, gegee aan Palti, die seun van Lais, wat uit Gallim was.