1 Samuel 25:11

Amplified Bible

"So should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Am I supposed to take my bread, my water, and my meat that I butchered for my shearers and give them to these men? I don’t know where they are from.”

Hebrew Names Version
Shall I then take my bread, and 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?

King James Version
Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?

Lexham English Bible
Should I take my bread and my water and my meat which I have slaughtered for my shearers and give it to men whom I do not know where they are from?

English Standard Version
Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men who come from I do not know where?"

New Century Version
I have bread and water, and I have meat that I killed for my servants who cut the wool. But I won't give it to men I don't know."

New English Translation
Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers and give them to these men? I don't even know where they came from!"

New American Standard Bible
"Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men whose origin I do not know?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I haue killed for my sherers, and giue it vnto men, whom I know not whence they be?

Legacy Standard Bible
Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men whose origin I do not know?"

Contemporary English Version
What makes you think I would take my bread, my water, and the meat that I've had cooked for my own servants and give it to you? Besides, I'm not sure that David sent you!

Complete Jewish Bible
Am I supposed to take my bread, my water and my meat that I slaughtered for my shearers and give it to men coming from who knows where?"

Darby Translation
And shall I take my bread, and my water, and my flesh which I have killed for my shearers, and give [it] to men whom I know not whence they are?

Easy-to-Read Version
I have bread and water, and I have the meat I killed for my servants who cut the wool from my sheep. But I won't give them to men I don't even know."

George Lamsa Translation
Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men whom I know not whence they are?

Good News Translation
I'm not going to take my bread and water, and the animals I have butchered for my sheepshearers, and give them to people who come from I don't know where!"

Literal Translation
And shall I take my bread, and my water, and my meat which I have killed for my shearers, and give to men whom I have not known, from where they are?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Shulde I take my bred, water and flesh, that I haue slayne for my clyppers, & geue it vnto me whom I knowe not whence they are?

American Standard Version
Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men of whom I know not whence they are?

Bible in Basic English
Am I to take my bread and my wine and the meat I have got ready for my wool-cutters and give it to men coming from I have no idea where?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Shal I then take my bread, my water, and my fleshe that I haue killed for my shearers, and geue it vnto men whom I wot not whence they be?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men of whom I know not whence they are?'

King James Version (1611)
Shall I then take my bread and my water, and my flesh that I haue killed for my shearers, and giue it vnto men, whom I know not whence they bee?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And shall I take my bread, and my wine, and my beasts that I have slain for my shearers, and shall I give them to men of whom I know not whence they are?

English Revised Version
Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men of whom I know not whence they be?

Berean Standard Bible
Why should I take my bread and water and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give them to these men whose origin I do not know?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor schal Y take my looues and my watris, and the fleischis of beestis, whiche Y haue slayn to my schereris, and schal Y yyue to men, whiche Y knowe not of whennus thei ben?

Young's Literal Translation
and I have taken my bread, and my water, and my flesh, which I slaughtered for my shearers, and have given [it] to men whom I have not known whence they [are]!'

Update Bible Version
Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men of whom I don't know from where they are?

Webster's Bible Translation
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]?

World English Bible
Shall I then take my bread, and 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?

New King James Version
Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?"

New Living Translation
Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I've slaughtered for my shearers and give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?"

New Life Bible
Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my wool cutters, and give it to men when I do not know where they came from?"

New Revised Standard
Shall I take my bread and my water and the meat that I have butchered for my shearers, and give it to men who come from I do not know where?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Shall I, then, take my bread, and my wine, and my slain beasts, that I have slaughtered for my shearers, - and give unto men of whom I know not whence they are?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and the flesh of my cattle, which I have killed for my shearers, and give to men whom I know not whence they are?

Revised Standard Version
Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men who come from I do not know where?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men whose origin I do not know?"

Contextual Overview

²Now there was a man in Maon whose business and possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel ³(now the man's name was Nabal and his wife's name was Abigail. She was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings; he was a Calebite). ⁴David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. ⁵So 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; ⁶and this is what you shall say, 'Have a long life! Peace be to you, and peace to your house, and peace to all that you have. ⁷'Now I have heard that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us and we have not harmed them, nor were they missing anything all the time they were in Carmel. ⁸'Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your sight [and be well-treated], for we have come on a good (festive) day. Please, give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.'" ⁹When David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David; then they waited. ¹⁰But Nabal answered David's servants and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today, each of whom is breaking away from his master. ¹¹"So should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Shall I then: 1 Samuel 25:3, 1 Samuel 24:13, Deuteronomy 8:17, Judges 8:6, Job 31:17, Psalms 73:7, Psalms 73:8, 1 Peter 4:9

flesh: Heb. slaughter

give it: Ecclesiastes 11:1, Ecclesiastes 11:2, Galatians 6:10

whom: 1 Samuel 25:14, 1 Samuel 25:15, John 9:29, John 9:30, 2 Corinthians 6:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 43:16 - slay Deuteronomy 23:4 - Because they met Judges 8:24 - because 1 Kings 12:13 - answered 2 Chronicles 10:13 - answered Proverbs 13:16 - a fool Proverbs 15:1 - grievous Proverbs 30:22 - a fool Ecclesiastes 10:13 - beginning Isaiah 32:6 - the vile

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you [abundantly], And make your name great (exalted, distinguished); And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others];

Genesis 16:14
Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi (Well of the Living One Who Sees Me); it is between Kadesh and Bered.

Genesis 17:19
But God said, "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed, and you shall name him Isaac (laughter); and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his descendants after him.

Genesis 22:17
indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies [by conquering them].

Genesis 24:62
Now Isaac had returned from going to Beer-lahai-roi (Well of the Living One Who Sees Me), for he was living in the Negev.

Genesis 50:24
Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up out of this land to the land which He promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob [to give you]."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Shall I then take my bread, and my water,.... Which include all food and liquors, everything eatable and drinkable; and "water" may be particularly mentioned, because very scarce in the wilderness, and so precious; though the Septuagint version has "wine" instead of "water":

and my flesh which I have killed for my shearers; whether oxen, or sheep, or lambs, as there might be of each sort, for an entertainment made on such an occasion:

and give [it] unto men whom I know not whence they [be]? which is another argument Abarbinel makes use of that he meant not David, but his men only, because he did not know who and from whence they were.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The mention of water indicates a country where water was scarce (compare Joshua 15:19). Or “bread and water” may be equivalent to “meat and drink.”