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And Dauid sware vnto Saul, and Saul went home: but Dauid and his men gate them vp vnto the holde.

Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife, Abigail: and shee was a woman of good vnderstanding, and of a beautifull countenance: but the man was churlish and euill in his doings, and hee was of the house of Caleb.

But one of the yong men told Abigail Nabals wife, saying, Behold, Dauid sent messengers out of the wildernesse to salute our master: and he railed on them.

But the men were very good vnto vs, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing as long as wee were conuersant with them, when we were in the fields.

And she said vnto her seruants, Goe on before me, behold, I come after you: but she told not her husband Nabal.

Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, euen Nabal: for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: But I thine handmaid saw not the yong men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seeke thy soule: but the soule of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God, and the soules of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.

That this shall bee no griefe vnto thee, nor offence of heart vnto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causelesse, or that my lord hath auenged himselfe: But when the Lord shall haue dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmayd.

But it came to passe in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

But Saul had giuen Michal his daughter, Dauids wife, to Phalti the sonne of Laish, which was of Gallim.

And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Ieshimon by the way: but Dauid abode in the wildernesse, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wildernesse.

So Dauid and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his speare stucke in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.

The Lord forbid that I should stretch foorth mine hand against the Lords Anointed: but I pray thee, take thou now the speare that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let vs goe.

Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king heare the words of his seruant: If the Lord haue stirred thee vp against mee, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord: for they haue driuen me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Goe serue other gods.

The Lord render to euery man his righteousnesse, and his faithfulnesse: for the Lord deliuered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch foorth mine hand against the Lords Anointed.

But hee refused, and said, I will not eate. But his seruants together with the woman compelled him, and he hearkened vnto their voyce: so he arose from the earth, & sate vpon the bed.

And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but Dauid and his men passed on in the rere-ward with Achish.

And Dauid said vnto Achish, But what haue I done? and what hast thou found in thy seruant so long as I haue bene with thee vnto this day, that I may not goe fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

And had taken the women captiues, that were therein; they slewe not any either great or smal, but caried them away, and went on their way.

And Dauid was greatly distressed: for the people spake of stoning him, because the soule of all the people was grieued, euery man for his sonnes, and for his daughters: but Dauid encouraged himselfe in the Lord his God.