1 Samuel 25:11

THE MESSAGE

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!"

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?"

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

²There was a certain man in Maon who carried on his business in the region of Carmel. He was very prosperous—three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, and it was sheep-shearing time in Carmel. The man's name was Nabal (Fool), a Calebite, and his wife's name was Abigail. The woman was intelligent and good-looking, the man brutish and mean. ⁴David, out in the backcountry, heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep and sent ten of his young men off with these instructions: "Go to Carmel and approach Nabal. Greet him in my name, ‘Peace! Life and peace to you. Peace to your household, peace to everyone here! I heard that it's sheep-shearing time. Here's the point: When your shepherds were camped near us we didn't take advantage of them. They didn't lose a thing all the time they were with us in Carmel. Ask your young men—they'll tell you. What I'm asking is that you be generous with my men—share the feast! Give whatever your heart tells you to your servants and to me, David your son.'" ⁹David's young men went and delivered his message word for word to Nabal. Nabal tore into them, "Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? The country is full of runaway servants these days. Do you think I'm going to take good bread and wine and meat freshly butchered for my sheepshearers and give it to men I've never laid eyes on? Who knows where they've come 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
I'll make you a great nation and bless you. I'll make you famous; you'll be a blessing. I'll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I'll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you."

Genesis 16:14
That's how that desert spring got named "God-Alive-Sees-Me Spring." That spring is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

Genesis 17:19
But God said, "That's not what I mean. Your wife, Sarah, will have a baby, a son. Name him Isaac (Laughter). I'll establish my covenant with him and his descendants, a covenant that lasts forever.

Genesis 24:62
Isaac was living in the Negev. He had just come back from a visit to Beer Lahai Roi. In the evening he went out into the field; while meditating he looked up and saw camels coming. When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel and asked the servant, "Who is that man out in the field coming toward us?" "That is my master." She took her veil and covered herself.

Genesis 50:24
At the end, Joseph said to his brothers, "I am ready to die. God will most certainly pay you a visit and take you out of this land and back to the land he so solemnly promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

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.”