Study Desk

Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do: for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he [is such] a son of Belial, that [a man] cannot speak to him.

And it was [so], [as] she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and behold, David and his men came down over against her; and she met them.

And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, [upon] me [let this] iniquity [be]: and let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thy audience, and hear the words of thy handmaid.

Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, [even] Nabal; for as his name [is], so [is] he; Nabal [is] his name, and folly [is] with him: but I thy handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

And Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart [was] merry within him, for he [was] very drunken: Therefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine had left Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became [as] a stone.

And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed [be] the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to himself for a wife.

And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.

David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.

But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, who [was] of Gallim.

And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner, the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched around him.

So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay about him.

And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed and be guiltless?

David said furthermore, [As] the LORD liveth, the LORD will smite him; or his day will come to die; or he will descend into battle and perish.

The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the LORD'S anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that [is] at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.

This thing [is] not good that thou hast done. [As] the LORD liveth, [ye are] worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master the LORD'S anointed. And now see where the king's spear [is], and the cruse of water that [was] at his bolster.

And he said, Why doth my lord thus pursue his servant? for what have I done? or what evil [is] in my hand?

Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD hath stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if [they are] the children of men, cursed [be] they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.

The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into [my] hand to-day, but I would not stretch forth my hand against the LORD'S anointed.

Then Saul said to David, Blessed [be] thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great [things], and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.