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Avigayil came to Naval; there he was in his house, holding a feast fit for a king. He was in high spirits, because he was very drunk. So she told him nothing whatever until the next morning.

In the morning, when he was sober and his wife told him what had happened, he had a stroke and became as motionless as a stone.

When David heard that Naval was dead, he said, "Blessed be Adonai for having taken my side in the matter of Naval's insult and for having prevented his servant from doing anything bad. On the contrary, Adonai has caused Naval's bad deeds to return on his own head." Then David sent a message that he wanted to make Avigayil his own wife.

When David's servants reached Avigayil in Karmel, they said to her, "David has sent us to you to bring you to him to be his wife."

Avigayil then hurried, set out and rode off on a donkey, with five of her female servants following her; she went after David's messengers; and she became his wife.

David also took Achino‘am of Yizre‘el; both of them became his wives.

Meanwhile, Sha'ul had given Mikhal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Layish, who came from Gallim.

David set out and went to where Sha'ul had pitched his camp. He saw where Sha'ul and Avner the son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping. Sha'ul was lying inside the barricade with the troops asleep all around him.

So David and Avishai went to the soldiers by night. Sha'ul was lying there asleep inside the barricade. His spear was stuck in the ground next to his head, with Avner and the troops asleep all around him.

But David said to Avishai, "Don't destroy him! Nobody can raise his hand against Adonai 's anointed without becoming guilty!"

Adonai forbid that I should raise my hand against Adonai 's anointed! But now, we'll take the spear by his head and the jug of water, and get out of here."

It's not good, what you've done! As Adonai lives, you deserve to die; because you didn't keep watch over your lord, Adonai 's anointed. And now, see where the king's spear is, and the jug of water that was next to his head!"

and continued, "Why is my lord chasing his servant? What have I done? What evil am I planning?

Please, now, may my lord the king hear what his servant is saying. If it is Adonai who has stirred you up against me, let him receive an offering. But if it's human beings, then a curse on them before Adonai ! — because, as things stand today, they have driven me out, so that I can no longer share in Adonai 's inheritance — they've said, ‘Go, serve other gods!'

Adonai will give every person a reward suited to his uprightness and faithfulness. Adonai put you in my power today, but I would not raise my hand against Adonai 's anointed.

Sha'ul answered David, "Blessings on you, my son David! No question that you will accomplish everything you set out to do!" So David went on his way, and Sha'ul returned to his place.

So David set out with his six hundred men and passed on to Akhish the son of Ma‘okh, king of Gat.

David lived with Akhish, he and his men, each man with his household — including David with his two wives Achino‘am from Yizre‘el and Avigayil from Karmel, Naval's widow.

he and his men began going up and raiding the G'shuri, the Gizri and the ‘Amaleki (from ancient times these people had lived in the land in the direction of Shur, all the way to Egypt).

The reason David spared neither men nor women to be brought to Gat is that he thought, "We don't want them telling on us, saying, ‘David did so-and-so.'" That's how he conducted his raids for as long as he lived in the country of the P'lishtim.