1And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.25.2 possessions: or, business 3Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
4¶ And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep. 5And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:25.5 greet…: Heb. ask him in my name of peace 6And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. 7And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.25.7 hurt: Heb. shamed 8Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David. 9And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.25.9 ceased: Heb. rested
10¶ And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. 11Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?25.11 flesh: Heb. slaughter
12So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings. 13And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
14¶ But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.25.14 railed…: Heb. flew upon them 15But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:25.15 hurt: Heb. shamed 16They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 17Now 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.
18¶ Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.25.18 clusters: or, lumps 19And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal. 20And 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 against her; and she met them. 21Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good. 22So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. 23And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, 24And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.25.24 audience: Heb. ears 25Let 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 thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.25.25 regard: Heb. lay it to his heart25.25 Nabal: that is, Fool 26Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.25.26 avenging…: Heb. saving thyself 27And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.25.27 blessing: or, present25.27 follow…: Heb. walk at the feet of, etc 28I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days. 29Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.25.29 as out…: Heb. in the midst of the bought of a sling 30And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel; 31That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.25.31 no grief: Heb. no staggering, or, stumbling
32¶ And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: 33And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. 34For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. 35So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.
36¶ 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: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. 37But it came to pass 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. 38And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.
39¶ 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 him to wife. 40And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife. 41And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. 42And 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.25.42 after her: Heb. at her feet 43David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.
44¶ But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.25.44 Phalti: also called, Phaltiel
大衛與亞比該
1撒母耳死了，以色列人都聚在一起哀悼他，把他安葬在拉瑪他自己的墳地裡。之後，大衛到了巴蘭的曠野。 2瑪雲有個富翁擁有三千隻綿羊和一千隻山羊，他的產業在迦密。當時他正在迦密剪羊毛。 3他名叫拿八，是迦勒族人，妻子名叫亞比該，既聰慧又漂亮。拿八粗暴兇惡。 4大衛在曠野得知拿八正在剪羊毛， 5就派十個部下到迦密去見拿八，吩咐他們以他的名義向拿八問安， 6對拿八說：「願你和你全家平安，願你一切順利！ 7我聽說你正在剪羊毛。你的牧人與我們在迦密的時候，我們沒有欺負過他們，他們沒有丟過任何東西。 8你問問你的僕人就知道了。請你恩待我的部下，因為今天是好日子，求你隨手賞一點東西給晚輩我和我的部下。」
9大衛的部下就去把大衛的話告訴拿八，等候他的答覆。 10拿八說：「大衛是誰？耶西的兒子是誰？這些日子有很多僕人逃離主人， 11我怎能把餅、水和為剪羊毛者預備的肉分給一群來歷不明的人呢？」 12大衛的部下回去把拿八的話稟告大衛。 13大衛聽了，就吩咐眾人備刀，他自己也帶了刀去拿八那裡。大衛帶了四百人去，留下二百人看守營地。
14拿八的一個僕人告訴拿八的妻子亞比該說：「大衛從曠野派人來向我們主人問安，主人卻辱罵他們。 15大衛的僕人對我們很好，從來不欺負我們。我們跟他們一起在田野的時候，從來沒有丟過任何東西。 16我們在他們附近牧羊的時候，他們晝夜不斷地保護我們。 17所以，請你趕快想個法子，不然主人和他全家恐怕都會大難臨頭。主人是個兇暴的人，沒有人敢跟他說話。」
18亞比該連忙用驢馱上二百塊餅、兩皮袋酒、五隻宰好了的羊、三十七升烤麥、一百塊葡萄餅和二百塊無花果餅， 19又吩咐僕人說：「你們先去吧！我隨後就來。」她沒有把這事告訴丈夫拿八。 20她騎著驢下山的時候，就看見大衛和他的部下迎面而來。 21大衛曾說：「我在曠野保護這人的羊群，使牠們不致丟失，真是枉費功夫。他竟以怨報德。 22如果我讓他家裡一個男子活到明早，願上帝重重地懲罰我！」
23亞比該看見大衛，連忙下驢俯伏下拜。 24她俯伏在大衛腳前說：「我主啊，我願意承擔一切的罪過，請聽婢女說。 25請不要理會拿八那個惡徒，他人如其名25·25 「拿八」意思是「愚蠢」。，是個名符其實的蠢人。當時婢女沒有見到你派來的使者。 26我主啊，既然耶和華阻止你親手殺人報仇，我就憑永活的耶和華和你的性命起誓，願你的仇敵和傷害你的人都像拿八一樣沒有好下場。 27現在，請把婢女帶來的禮物分給你的部下吧。 28請饒恕婢女的罪過，耶和華必使你的子孫世代做王，因為你是在為耶和華而戰，願你一生沒有過錯。 29你就是被人追殺，也會在你的上帝耶和華的保護下安然無恙。你敵人的性命卻要像石頭一樣被耶和華用投石器拋出去。 30-31如果你現在沒有殺人報仇，傷害無辜，到了耶和華照應許賜福給你、立你做以色列王的時候，你就不會心裡不安了。我主啊，耶和華賜福給你的時候，求你不要忘了婢女。」
32大衛對亞比該說：「以色列的上帝耶和華當受稱頌！祂今天派你來見我。 33你很有見識，你今天攔阻我親手殺人復仇，值得稱讚。 34我憑阻止我殺你的以色列的上帝——永活的耶和華起誓，若不是你趕來迎接我，拿八家中不會有一個男子活到明天早上。」 35大衛接受了亞比該的禮物，對她說：「安心回家吧，我答應你的請求。」
36她回到家時，拿八正在大擺宴席，排場如御宴。她見拿八心情愉快，喝得酩酊大醉，就什麼也沒告訴他，等第二天早上再說。 37次日清晨，拿八酒醒以後，他妻子把發生的一切告訴他，他嚇得昏死過去，身體僵硬如石。 38過了十天，耶和華擊打拿八，他就死了。
39大衛聽見拿八的死訊，就說：「讚美耶和華！拿八羞辱我，祂為我申了冤，又阻止僕人行惡。祂使拿八得到了報應。」後來，大衛差遣使者去向亞比該求婚。 40他的使者就啟程到迦密去向亞比該傳達大衛的心意。 41亞比該聽了，立刻俯伏在地上說：「婢女願意效勞，為我主的僕人洗腳。」 42她連忙騎上驢，帶了五個侍女，跟隨大衛的使者前去，做了大衛的妻子。 43大衛已經娶了耶斯列人亞希暖，她們二人就同做大衛的妻子。 44掃羅已經把自己的女兒——大衛的妻子米甲嫁給了迦琳人拉億的兒子帕提。
