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Friday, August 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

1 Samuel 25:8

`Ask thy young men, and they declare to thee, and the young men find grace in thine eyes, for on a good day we have come; give, I pray thee, that which thy hand findeth, to thy servants, and to thy son, to David.'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Decision;   Nabal;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Armies of Israel, the;   Ingratitude;   Travellers;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Nabal;   Samuel;   Sheep;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abigail;   Carmel;   David;   Wife;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Sheep;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Economic Life;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Gift, Giving;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Invitation;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Carmel ;   Nabal ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Abigail;   Nabal;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Sheep;   Shepherd;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Sheep;   Young Men;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hospitality;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Ask your young men, and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor with you, for we have come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have on hand to your servants and to your son David.’”
Hebrew Names Version
Ask your young men, and they will tell you: therefore let the young men find favor in your eyes; for we come in a good day. Please give whatever comes to your hand, to your servants, and to your son David.
King James Version
Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
Lexham English Bible
Ask your servants and they will tell you! Let the young men find favor in your eyes because we have come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have on hand for your servants and for your son David."
English Standard Version
Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.'"
New Century Version
Ask your servants, and they will tell you. We come at a happy time, so be kind to my young men. Please give anything you can find for them and for your son David.'"
New English Translation
Ask your own servants; they can tell you! May my servants find favor in your sight, for we have come at the time of a holiday. Please provide us—your servants and your son David—with whatever you can spare."
Amplified Bible
'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.'"
New American Standard Bible
'Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Aske thy seruants and they wil shew thee. Wherefore let these yong men finde fauour in thine eyes: (for we come in a good season) giue, I pray thee, whatsoeuer commeth to thine hand vnto thy seruants, and to thy sonne Dauid.
Legacy Standard Bible
Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son, to David.'"
Contemporary English Version
Ask your shepherds, and they'll tell you the same thing. My servants are your servants, and you are like a father to me. This is a day for celebrating, so please be kind and share some of your food with us.
Complete Jewish Bible
Ask your own men; they'll tell you. Therefore, receive my men favorably, since we have come on a festive day. Please give what you can to your servants and to your son David.'"
Darby Translation
Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee. Therefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes; for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, what thy hand may find to thy servants, and to thy son David.
Easy-to-Read Version
Ask your servants and they will tell you this is true. Please be kind to my young men. We come to you now, at this happy time. Please give these young men anything you can. Please do this for me, your friend David."
George Lamsa Translation
Ask your servants, and they will tell you. Now therefore let the young men find favor in your eyes; for we have come on a good day; give whatever you wish to your servants and to your son David.
Good News Translation
Just ask them, and they will tell you. We have come on a feast day, and David asks you to receive us kindly. Please give what you can to us your servants and to your dear friend David."
Literal Translation
Ask your young men, and they will tell you. And may the young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come at a good day. Please give that which your hand finds to your servants, and to your son, to David.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Axe thy yonge men, they shal tell the, and let thy yonge men fynde fauoure in yi sighte: for we are come in a good daye, geue thy seruauntes & thy sonne Dauid what thy hande fyndeth.
American Standard Version
Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee: wherefore let the young men find favor in thine eyes; for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thy hand, unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
Bible in Basic English
If your young men are questioned they will say the same thing. So now, let my young men have grace in your eyes, for we are come at a good time; please give anything you may have by you to your servants and to your son David.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Aske thy laddes, & they will shew thee: Wherfore let these young men finde fauour in thyne eyes (for we come in a good season) & geue I pray thee whatsoeuer commeth to thyne hande vnto thy seruauntes, and to thy sonne Dauid.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee; wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes; for we come on a good day; give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thy hand, unto thy servants, and to thy son David.'
King James Version (1611)
Aske thy yong men, and they will shew thee: wherefore let the yong men finde fauour in thine eyes: (for we come in a good day) giue, I pray thee, whatsoeuer commeth to thine hand, vnto thy seruants, and to thy sonne Dauid.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Ask thy servants, and they will tell thee. Let then thy servants find grace in thine eyes, for we are come on a good day; give we pray thee, whatsoever thy hand may find, to thy son David.
English Revised Version
Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee: wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes; for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand, unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
Berean Standard Bible
Ask your young men, and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor with you, for we have come on the day of a feast. Please give whatever you can afford to your servants and to your son David.'"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
axe thi children, and thei schulen schewe to thee. Now therfor thi children fynde grace in thin iyen; for in a good dai we camen to thee; what euer thing thin hond fyndith, yyue to thi seruauntis, and to thi sone Dauid.
Update Bible Version
Ask your young men, and they will tell you: therefore let the young men find favor in your eyes; for we come in a good day: give, I pray you, whatever comes to your hand, to your slaves, and to your son David.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
World English Bible
Ask your young men, and they will tell you: therefore let the young men find favor in your eyes; for we come in a good day. Please give whatever comes to your hand, to your servants, and to your son David.
New King James Version
Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David."'
New Living Translation
Ask your own men, and they will tell you this is true. So would you be kind to us, since we have come at a time of celebration? Please share any provisions you might have on hand with us and with your friend David."
New Life Bible
Ask your young men and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a special day. I ask you to give whatever you have ready to your servants and to your son David.'"
New Revised Standard
Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your sight; for we have come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.'"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Ask thy young men, that they may tell thee, that so my young men may find favour in thine eyes, for, on a good day, have we come! Give, I pray thee, what thy hand findeth, to thy servants, and to thy son, to David!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Ask thy servants, and they will tell thee. Now therefore let thy servants find favour in thy eyes: for we are come in a good day, whatsoever thy hand shall find give to thy servants, and to thy son David.
Revised Standard Version
Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes; for we come on a feast day. Pray, give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.'"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.'"

Contextual Overview

2 And [there is] a man in Maon, and his work [is] in Carmel; and the man [is] very great, and he hath three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats; and he is shearing his flock in Carmel. 3 And the name of the man [is] Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail, and the woman [is] of good understanding, and of fair form, and the man [is] hard and evil [in] doings; and he [is] a Calebite. 4 And David heareth in the wilderness that Nabal is shearing his flock, 5 and David sendeth ten young men, and David saith to the young men, `Go ye up to Carmel, and ye have come in unto Nabal, and asked of him in my name of welfare, 6 and said thus: To life! and thou, peace; and thy house, peace; and all that thou hast -- peace! 7 and, now, I have heard that thou hast shearers; now, the shepherds whom thou hast have been with us, we have not put them to shame, nor hath anything been looked after by them, all the days of their being in Carmel. 8 `Ask thy young men, and they declare to thee, and the young men find grace in thine eyes, for on a good day we have come; give, I pray thee, that which thy hand findeth, to thy servants, and to thy son, to David.' 9 And the young men of David come in, and speak unto Nabal according to all these words, in the name of David -- and rest. 10 And Nabal answereth the servants of David and saith, `Who [is] David, and who the son of Jesse? to-day have servants been multiplied who are breaking away each from his master; 11 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]!'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a good day: Nehemiah 8:10-12, Esther 9:19, Ecclesiastes 11:2, Luke 11:41, Luke 14:12-14

thy son: 1 Samuel 3:6, 1 Samuel 24:11

Reciprocal: Genesis 32:13 - which Genesis 33:15 - find grace Genesis 47:15 - Give us bread Judges 9:33 - as thou shalt find 2 Kings 8:9 - Thy son Benhadad Esther 2:18 - gave gifts Esther 8:17 - a feast Psalms 69:13 - in an Proverbs 21:10 - findeth no favour

Cross-References

Genesis 15:15
and thou -- thou comest in unto thy fathers in peace; thou art buried in a good old age;
Genesis 25:7
And these [are] the days of the years of the life of Abraham, which he lived, a hundred and seventy and five years;
Genesis 25:8
and Abraham expireth, and dieth in a good old age, aged and satisfied, and is gathered unto his people.
Genesis 25:9
And Isaac and Ishmael his sons bury him at the cave of Machpelah, at the field of Ephron, son of Zoar the Hittite, which [is] before Mamre --
Genesis 25:17
And these [are] the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven years; and he expireth, and dieth, and is gathered unto his people;
Genesis 25:28
and Isaac loveth Esau, for [his] hunting [is] in his mouth; and Rebekah is loving Jacob.
Genesis 25:29
And Jacob boileth pottage, and Esau cometh in from the field, and he [is] weary;
Genesis 35:18
And it cometh to pass in the going out of her soul (for she died), that she calleth his name Ben-Oni; and his father called him Benjamin;
Genesis 49:29
And he commandeth them, and saith unto them, `I am being gathered unto my people; bury me by my fathers, at the cave which [is] in the field of Ephron the Hittite;
Numbers 20:24
`Aaron is gathered unto his people, for he doth not go in unto the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because that ye provoked My mouth at the waters of Meribah.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ask thy young men, and they will show thee,.... The shepherds before mentioned, who kept their flocks hard by them:

wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes; the ten young men David sent to Nabal:

for we are come in a good day; a day in which Nabal made a feast for his shearers, as was usual then, and still is, see 2 Samuel 13:23; and at such times as persons are generally cheerful and merry, so free and liberal, and as there were plenty of provisions, not only enough for the guests and shearers, but to spare, and there was no need for an increase of expense, it might upon the whole be concluded it was a proper time for David to apply for accommodations for himself and his men:

give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants,

and to thy son David; he did not request anything extraordinary of him, or to put him to any expense, but what was at hand, and he could spare, he prayed him to deliver to the young men he sent, for their use, and the use of other his servants, and particularly David, who styled himself his son, being of the same tribe with Nabal, and Nabal his senior.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 25:8. Whatsoever cometh to thine hand — As thou art making a great feast for thy servants, and I and my men, as having essentially served thee, would naturally come in for a share were we present; send a portion by my ten young men, for me and my men, that we also may rejoice with you. Certainly this was a very reasonable and a very modest request. This mode of address is not unfrequent among the Hindoos: "O father, fill the belly of thy son; he is in distress."


 
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