1 About that time the old man Samuel died. The Israel mob came together and cried for him. They buried him at his place in the town called Ramah.

After that, David and his men went back to the desert country called Maon. 2-3 There was a man there called Nabal. He belonged to Caleb’s family. His farm was near the town called Carmel, in that Maon country. He had lots of money, 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. He was a hard man and a cheeky man. His wife was called Abigail. She was very beautiful and very clever.

One day, Nabal started to cut wool from the sheep. They always used to have a party after they finished that job. 4 David was in the desert country nearby, and he heard about it. 5 So he told 10 young men, “Go to Carmel and see that man Nabal. Say to him, ‘Our boss David says to say hello to you. 6 God will look after you and your family and your animals. 7 I heard that you are now cutting wool from your sheep. You know, whenever we camped with your work-men that look after your sheep in the bush, we always looked after them carefully and did not steal from them. Other soldiers are thieves. But we are good to other people, and we don’t think about stealing. 8 You can ask your workers. They will tell you the same story. It is like we are your working men too, so please be good to us. I also heard that it is party time at your place. But think about us too. Can you give us some food?’ ”

9 The young men went to Nabal’s place and told him David’s message. But at first Nabal did not answer.

10 Then he asked them, “Who does this man David think he is? That son of Jesse is just like other workers that run away from their bosses. 11 I only give bread, meat and water to my own workers. I can’t just give it to some other mob. I don’t know where they came from.”

12 So they went back to tell David what Nabal said. 13 Then David said to his men, “Get your long knives, you mob. We will go and fight him.” They got their long knives and put them in their belts, and David got his long knife as well. He went off with 400 of his men. His 200 other men stayed behind to watch the camp.

14 One of Nabal’s workers heard what Nabal said to David’s men, and he ran to tell Abigail, Nabal’s wife. He told her, “David sent messengers from the desert country to talk to our boss. But he talked badly to them. 15 Truly David’s mob were good to us, while we looked after the sheep. They did not steal from us. 16 Day and night they watched over us whenever we looked after the sheep. 17 This boss of ours has made trouble for us now. Something really bad might happen to us here. Can you do something about it? He’s no good. I can’t talk to him at all.”

18 Abigail did not wait. She quickly gathered all kinds of things together. She got 200 loaves of bread, and 2 leather bags that were full of wine, and 5 cooked sheep, and 5 bags of cooked seeds, and lots of fruit like bush tomato, and lots of fruit like bush figs. And she put all this food on some donkeys. 19 She said to her workers, “You mob go ahead. I will follow behind you.” She did not say anything to her husband about it.

20-22 So Abigail went off on a donkey. You see, David talked to himself like this, as he went along, “I looked after Nabal’s men and his sheep in the desert country just for nothing. I didn’t take anything that belonged to him. I was good to him, but he talked badly about me. Tonight, while it is still dark, I will kill all the men and boys at his place. If I do not do that, I will ask God to make big trouble for me.” That’s the way David talked.

As Abigail went along on her donkey, she went through a gap in the hills. She saw David as he came with his men. 23 As soon as she saw him, she quickly jumped off the donkey and got down on her knees to show respect to him, her face close to the ground. 24 She said, “Boss. Please wait and listen to me now. Be angry with me, not Nabal. Forget him. 25 Do not listen to that no good man. That name Nabal means stupid one. He’s always like that. You see, I was not there, at the time your workers came to our place.

26-27 But now I have brought all kinds of food for you and your men to eat. So don’t be angry with us now. I know for sure that it is God that stopped you here, so that you did not kill lots of people dead. And I want God to kill anybody that does wrong to you, just like I reckon he will kill Nabal one day. 28 So please let us go, even though my husband did wrong to you. I know that God will make you the big boss of all of us Israel mob. And later, after you die, your family will keep on being our bosses. I know that you fight against the people that God wants to fight. I hope you will keep on living straight always, for the rest of your life. 29 If other people chase you, to kill you, God will look after you and will keep you safe. You are his special one. He will soon finish up those other people. 30 After he does that, you will be boss in Israel, the way he promised before.

31 So here today do not do payback to us. Do not kill us just for nothing. If you kill us, you will bring big shame on yourself. If you kill people now that are not guilty, it will be a problem for you later. But if you don’t kill us, that will be good. I know that God will make you the big boss one day. At that time, please do not forget me, but be good to me.” That’s the story Abigail told David.

32 Then David settled down and said to Abigail, “I reckon God is really great. He sent you to meet me here. 33 You thought carefully about it, then you came and met me here. So now I ask God to be good to you. Yes, I came to fight, but you stopped me, so I didn’t kill lots of people dead. 34 God knows that this is true. He stopped me, or I might have killed you mob dead. Every man and boy in this place might have died before tomorrow morning. But you came quickly to meet me and stop me.”

35 And David thanked her, and he told his men to get all the food from Abigail. And he said to her, “All right. You can go home now. I have heard you, and I will do what you are asking me.”

36 While Abigail was away, other people came together at their house, to have a big party with her husband. Nabal was happy, and he got very drunk. After Abigail got back, she did not tell him about David. 37 In the morning Nabal was sober, so Abigail told him about David. As soon as he heard he was so shocked that he had a stroke. He became just like a stone and couldn’t move. 38 After 10 days, God hit him properly, and he died.

39-40 As soon as David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise God. That old man talked badly to me. He talked very badly, so God finished him properly. God also stopped me so that I didn’t do wrong.”

So David sent messengers to Carmel, and they went and said to Abigail, “David sent us. He wants you to come with us, to marry him.”

41 She got down on her knees to show respect, her face close to the ground, and she said, “Yes, I will go. I am happy to work for him and his men, and I will even wash their feet too.” 42 She quickly got on a donkey and went off. 5 working women also went with her. They all went to David’s camp. And then David and Abigail got married. 43-44 You see, David’s first wife was Saul’s daughter, Mihal. But Saul took her away and gave her to another man called Paltiel. His father’s name was Layish, and he came from a place called Gallim. After that, David got another wife called Ahinoam. She came from a place called Jezreel. So Abigail and Ahinoam, they were both his wives.[a]

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