Study Desk

David gave Saul his promise, and Saul went home. But David and his men went up to the safe place.

Now Samuel died. All Israel gathered together and was filled with sorrow for him. They buried him at his house in Ramah. Then David got ready and went down to the desert of Paran.

There was a man in Maon who worked in Carmel. The man was very rich. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. He was cutting the wool from his sheep in Carmel.

The man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. The woman was of good understanding and beautiful. But the man was bad and sinful in his ways. He was a Calebite.

David heard in the desert that Nabal was cutting the wool from his sheep.

David said to his men, "Every man put on his sword!" So every man put on his sword, and David put on his sword also. About 400 men went up behind David, while 200 stayed with their things.

So know this and think about what you should do. For bad plans have been made against our owner and all his family. He is such a sinful man that no one can speak to him."

As she went on her donkey and came down hidden by the mountain, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them.

She fell at his feet and said, "Let the sin be on me alone, my lord. I beg you, let your woman servant speak to you. Listen to the words of your woman servant.

I beg you, do not let my lord think about this sinful man, Nabal. For he is like his name. Nabal is his name and he is foolish. But I your woman servant did not see my lord's young men whom you sent.

Abigail came to Nabal and saw that he was having a special supper in his house, like the special supper of a king. Nabal's heart was full of joy, because he was very drunk. So she did not tell him anything until the morning.

But in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things. And his heart died within him so that he became like a stone.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Thanks be to the Lord, Who has punished Nabal for putting me to shame. He has kept His servant from sin. And the Lord has turned the sin of Nabal upon himself." Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to be his wife.

When David's servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, "David has sent us to you, to take you as his wife."

Then she got ready in a hurry and traveled on a donkey, with her five young women who followed her. She followed the men David had sent, and became his wife.

David had taken Ahinoam of Jezreel also. They both became his wives.

Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

Then David got ready and came to the place where Saul was staying. He saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army. Saul was lying in the center of the tents, and the people were sleeping around him.

So David and Abishai came to the people during the night. Saul lay sleeping in the center of the tents, with his spear in the ground at his head. Abner and the people were lying around him.

But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him. For who can put his hand out against the Lord's chosen one and not be guilty?"