Study Desk

Then David said to his men, "Each of you gird on his sword." So each man girded on his sword. And David also girded on his sword, and about four hundred men went up behind David, and two hundred stayed with the baggage.

So now, know and see what you should do, for evil is decided against our master and against all his household; and he is such a vile man that no one can speak to him."

So it was happening, as she was riding on her donkey and coming down by the hidden part of the mountain, that behold, David and his men were coming down toward her; and she met them.

And she fell at his feet and said, "On me alone, my lord, be the blame. And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and listen to the words of your maidservant.

Please do not let my lord pay attention to this vile man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and wicked foolishness is with him; but I your maidservant did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.

Then Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; so she did not tell him anything small or great until the morning light.

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 as a stone.

Then David heard that Nabal was dead, so he said, "Blessed be Yahweh, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept back His servant from evil. Yahweh has also returned the evil of Nabal on his own head." Then David sent a proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife.

Then the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel and spoke to her, saying, "David has sent us to you to take you as his wife."

Then Abigail hurried and arose, and she rode on a donkey, with her five young women who went about with her; and she went after the messengers of David and became his wife.

David had also taken Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives.

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

David then arose and came to the place where Saul had camped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, as well as Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army; and Saul was lying in the circle of the camp, and the people were camped around him.

So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping inside the circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people were lying around him.

But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can send forth his hand against the anointed of Yahweh and be without guilt?"

David also said, "As Yahweh lives, surely Yahweh will smite him, or his day will come that he dies, or he will go down into battle and be swept away.

Yahweh forbid that I should send forth my hand against the anointed of Yahweh; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let us go."

This thing that you have done is not good. As Yahweh lives, all of you must surely die because you did not keep watch over your lord, the anointed of Yahweh. So now, see where the king's spear is and the jug of water that was at his head."

He also said, "Why then is my lord pursuing his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand?

So now, please let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If Yahweh has incited you up against me, let Him accept an offering; but if it is men, cursed are they before Yahweh, for they have driven me out today so that I would have no attachment with the inheritance of Yahweh, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.'