1
Then
Samuel died; and
all Israel gathered together and
mourned for him, and
buried him at his
house in
Ramah. And
David arose and
went down to the
wilderness of
Paran.
w{l -.Wd.P.siY;w lea'r.fIy -l'k .Wc.b'QiY;w lea.Wm.v t'm'Y;w ? d,reY;w diw'D ~'q'Y;w h'm'r'B w{tyeb.B .WhUr.B.qiY;w ? !'ra'P r;B.dim -l,a
2
Now there was a
man in
Maon whose
business was in
Carmel; and the
man was
very rich, and he had
three thousand sheep and a
thousand goats. And it
came about while he was
shearing his
sheep in
Carmel
lw{d'G vyia'h.w l,m.r;K;b .Whef][;m.W !w{['m.B vyia.w ? ~yiZi[ @,l,a.w ~yip'l]a -t,v{l.v !a{c w{l.w d{a.m ? l,m.r;K;B w{na{c -t,a z{z.giB yih.y;w
3
(now the
man's name was
Nabal, and his
wife's name was
Abigail. And the
woman was
intelligent * and
beautiful in
appearance, but the
man was
harsh and
evil in his
dealings, and he was a
Calebite ),
h'Via'h.w lIy'gib]a w{T.via ~ev.w l'b'n vyia'h ~ev.w ? [;r.w h,v'q vyia'h.w r;a{T t;pyiw l,k,f -t;bw{j ? w{b,l'k a.Wh.w ~yil'l][;m
4
that
David heard in the
wilderness that
Nabal was
shearing his
sheep.
w{na{c -t,a l'b'n zez{g -yiK r'B.diM;B diw'D [;m.viY;w
5
So
David sent ten young men; and
David said to the
young men,
"Go up to
Carmel,
visit * Nabal and
greet * him in my
name;
diw'D r,ma{Y;w ~yir'[.n h'r'f][ diw'D x;l.viY;w ? l'b'n -l,a ~,ta'b.W h'l,m.r;k .Wl][ ~yir'[.N;l ? ~w{l'v.l yim.vib w{l -m,T.l,a.v.W
6
and
thus you shall
say, 'Have a long
life,
peace be to you, and
peace be to your
house, and
peace be to
all that you have.
~w{l'v '$.tyeb.W ~w{l'v h'T;a.w y'x,l h{K ~,T.r;m]a;w ? ~w{l'v '$.l -r,v]a l{k.w
7
'Now I have
heard that you have
shearers;
now your
shepherds have
been with us and we have not
insulted them,
nor have they
missed anything all the
days they were in
Carmel.
~yi[{r'h h'T;[ .$'l ~yiz.z{g yiK yiT.[;m'v h'T;[.w ? d;q.pin -a{l.w ~.Wn.m;l.k,h a{l .Wn'Mi[ .Wy'h '$.l -r,v]a ? l,m.r;K;B ~'tw{y/h yem.y -l'K h'm.Wa.m ~,h'l
8
'Ask your
young men and they will
tell you. Therefore let my
young men find favor in your
eyes, for we have
come on a
festive day.
Please give whatever you
find at
hand to your
servants and to your
son David.' "
.Wa.c.mIy.w .$'l .WdyiG;y.w '$y,r'[.n -t,a l;a.v ? bw{j ~w{y -l;[ -yiK '$y,nye[.B !ex ~yir'[.N;h ? '$y,d'b][;l '$.d'y a'c.miT r,v]a tea a'N -h'n.T .Wn'B ? diw'd.l '$.nib.l.W
9
When
David's young men came, they
spoke to
Nabal according to
all these words in
David's name; then they
waited.
~yir'b.D;h -l'k.K l'b'n -l,a .Wr.B;d.y;w diw'd yer][;n .Wa{b'Y;w ? .Wx.Wn'Y;w diw'D ~ev.B h,Lea'h
10
But
Nabal answered David's servants and
said,
"Who is
David? And
who is the
son of
Jesse? There are
many servants today who are
each breaking away from his
master.
yim r,ma{Y;w diw'd yed.b;[ -t,a l'b'n !;[;Y;w ? ~yid'b][ .WB;r ~w{Y;h y'vIy -n,b yim.W diw'd ? wy'n{d]a yen.Pim vyia ~yic.r'P.tiM;h
11
"Shall I then
take my
bread and my
water and my
meat that I have
slaughtered for my
shearers, and
give it to
men whose origin * * I do not
know?"
yit'x.bij tea.w y;myem -t,a.w yim.x;l -t,a yiT.x;q'l.w ? r,v]a ~yiv'n]a;l yiT;t'n.w y'z.z{g.l yiT.x;b'j r,v]a ? h'Meh h,Zim yea yiT.[;d'y a{l
12
So
David's young men retraced their
way and
went back; and they
came and
told him according to
all these words.
.Wa{b'Y;w .WbUv'Y;w ~'K.r;d.l diw'd -yer][;n .Wk.p;h;Y;w ? h,Lea'h ~yir'b.D;h l{k.K w{l .WdiG;Y;w
13
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 while two
hundred stayed with the
baggage.
w{B.r;x -t,a vyia .Wr.gix wy'v'n]a;l diw'D r,ma{Y;w ? diw'D -m;G r{G.x;Y;w w{B.r;x -t,a vyia .Wr.G.x;Y;w ? tw{aem [;B.r;a.K diw'd yer]x;a .Wl][;Y;w w{B.r;x -t,a ? ~yileK;h -l;[ .Wb.v'y ~Iy;ta'm.W vyia
14
But
one of the
young men told Abigail,
Nabal's wife,
saying,
"Behold,
David sent messengers from the
wilderness to
greet our
master, and he
scorned them.
d'x,a -r;[;n dyiGih l'b'n t,vea lIy;gyib]a;l.w ? ~yik'a.l;m diw'D x;l'v heNih r{mael ~yir'[.N;hem ? ~,h'B j;['Y;w .Wnyen{d]a -t,a .$er'b.l r'B.diM;hem
15
"Yet the
men were
very good to us, and we were not
insulted,
nor did we
miss anything as
long * as we
went about with them, while we were in the
fields.
.Wn.m;l.k'h a{l.w d{a.m .Wn'l ~yib{j ~yiv'n]a'h.w ? .Wn.k;L;h.tih yem.y -l'K h'm.Wa.m .Wn.d;q'p -a{l.w ? h,d'F;B .Wnetw{y.hiB ~'Tia
16
"They were a
wall to us
both by
night and by
day,
all the
time we were with them
tending the
sheep.
~'mw{y -m;G h'l.y;l -m;G .Wnyel'[ .Wy'h h'mw{x ? !a{C;h ~yi[{r ~'Mi[ .Wnetw{y/h yem.y -l'K
17
"Now therefore,
know and
consider what you should
do, for
evil is
plotted against our
master and
against all his
household; and he is such a
worthless man that
no one can
speak to him."
h't.l'k -yiK yif][;T -h;m yia.r.W yi[.D h'T;[.w ? a.Wh.w w{tyeB -l'K l;[.w .Wnyen{d]a -l,a h'['r'h ? wy'lea reB;Dim l;[;Yil.B -n,B
18
Then
Abigail hurried and
took two
hundred loaves of
bread and
two jugs of
wine and
five sheep already
prepared and
five measures of
roasted grain and a
hundred clusters of
raisins and two
hundred cakes of
figs, and
loaded them on
donkeys.
~Iy;n.v.W ~,x,l ~Iy;ta'm x;QiT;w lIy;gw{b]a reh;m.T;w ? ~yia.s vem'x.w tw{w'f][ !a{c vem'x.w !Iy;y -yel.bin ? ~,f'T;w ~yileb.D ~Iy;ta'm.W ~yiqUMic h'aem.W yil'q ? ~yir{m]x;h -l;[
19
She
said to her
young men,
"Go on
before me;
behold, I am
coming after you." But she did not
tell her
husband Nabal.
~,kyer]x;a yin.nih y;n'p.l .Wr.bi[ 'hy,r'[.nil r,ma{T;w ? h'dyiGih a{l l'b'n H'vyia.l.W h'a'B
20
It
came about as she was
riding on her
donkey and
coming down by the
hidden part of the
mountain, that
behold,
David and his
men were
coming down toward her; so she
met them.
r,tes.B t,d,r{y.w rw{m]x;h -l;[ t,b,k{r ayih h'y'h.w ? H'ta'r.qil ~yid.r{y wy'v'n]a;w diw'd heNih.w r'h'h ? ~'t{a v{G.piT;w
21
Now
David had
said,
"Surely in
vain I have
guarded all that
this man has in the
wilderness, so that
nothing * was
missed of
all that belonged to him; and he has
returned me
evil for
good.
r,v]a -l'K -t,a yiT.r;m'v r,q,V;l .$;a r;m'a diw'd.w ? w{l -r,v]a -l'Kim d;q.pin -a{l.w r'B.diM;B h,z'l ? h'bw{j t;x;T h'['r yil -b,v'Y;w h'm.Wa.m
22
"May
God do so to the
enemies of
David, and
more al
so,
if by
morning I
leave as much as one
male * of
any who belong to him."
@yis{y h{k.w diw'd yeb.y{a.l ~yih{l/a h,f][;y -h{K ? r,q{B;h -d;[ w{l -r,v]a -l'Kim ryia.v;a -mia ? ryiq.B !yiT.v;m
23
When
Abigail saw David, she
hurried and
dismounted from her
donkey, and
fell on her
face before David and
bowed herself to the
ground.
d,reT;w reh;m.T;w diw'D -t,a lIy;gyib]a a,reT;w ? 'hy,n'P -l;[ diw'd yeP;a.l l{PiT;w rw{m]x;h l;[em ? #,r'a .Wx;T.viT;w
24
She
fell at his
feet and
said, "On me
alone, my
lord, be the
blame. And
please let your
maidservant speak to you, and
listen to the
words of your
maidservant.
yin{d]a yin]a -yiB r,ma{T;w wy'l.g;r -l;[ l{PiT;w ? [;m.v.W '$y,n.z'a.B '$.t'm]a a'n -r,B;d.t.W !{w'[,h ? '$,t'm]a yer.biD tea
25
"Please do not let my
lord pay attention to
this worthless man,
Nabal, for as his
name is,
so is he.
Nabal is his
name and
folly is with him; but I your
maidservant did not
see the
young men of my
lord whom you
sent.
vyia -l,a w{Bil -t,a yin{d]a ~yif'y a'n -l;a ? a.Wh -n,K w{m.vik yiK l'b'n -l;[ h,Z;h l;[;Yil.B;h ? a{l '$.t'm]a yin]a;w w{Mi[ h'l'b.n.W w{m.v l'b'n ? 'T.x'l'v r,v]a yin{d]a yer][;n -t,a yityia'r
26
"Now therefore, my
lord, as the
LORD lives, and as your
soul lives,
since the
LORD has
restrained you from
shedding blood, and from
avenging yourself by your own
hand,
now then let your
enemies and those who
seek evil against my
lord, be as
Nabal.
r,v]a '$.v.p;n -yex.w h'wh.y -y;x yin{d]a h'T;[.w ? '$.d'y ;[evw{h.w ~yim'd.b aw{Bim h'wh.y '$]['n.m ? ~yiv.q;b.m;h.w '$y,b.y{a l'b'n.k .Wy.hIy h'T;[.w .$'l ? h'['r yin{d]a -l,a
27
"Now let
this gift which your
maidservant has
brought to my
lord be
given to the
young men who
accompany * my
lord.
'$.t'x.piv ayibeh -r,v]a ta{Z;h h'k'r.B;h h'T;[.w ? yel.g;r.B ~yik.L;h.tiM;h ~yir'[.N;l h'n.Tin.w yin{da;l ? yin{d]a
28
"Please forgive the
transgression of your
maidservant; for the
LORD will
certainly make for my
lord an
enduring house,
because my
lord is
fighting the
battles of the
LORD, and
evil will not be
found in you
all your
days.
h'wh.y h,f][;y -h{f'[ yiK '$,t'm]a [;v,p.l a'n a'f ? h'wh.y tw{m]x.lim -yiK !'m/a,n tIy;B yin{da;l ? '$y,m'Yim '$.b aec'Mit -a{l h'['r.w ~'x.lin yin{d]a
29
"Should
anyone rise up to
pursue you and to
seek your
life, then the
life of my
lord shall be
bound in the
bundle of the
living with the
LORD your
God; but the
lives of your
enemies He will
sling out as from the
hollow of a
sling.
h't.y'h.w '$,v.p;n -t,a veQ;b.l.W '$.p'd.ril ~'d'a ~'q'Y;w ? h'wh.y tea ~yiY;x;h rw{r.ciB h'r.Wr.c yin{d]a v,p,n ? .$w{t.B h'N,[.L;q.y '$y,b.y{a v,p,n tea.w '$y,h{l/a ? [;l'Q;h @;K
30
"And
when the
LORD does for my
lord according to
all the
good that He has
spoken concerning you, and
appoints you
ruler over Israel,
r,BiD -r,v]a l{k.K yin{da;l h'wh.y h,f][;y -yiK h'y'h.w ? lea'r.fIy -l;[ dyig'n.l '$..Wic.w '$y,l'[ h'bw{J;h -t,a
31
this will not
cause grief or a
troubled heart to my
lord, both by having
shed blood without cause and by my
lord having
avenged himself. When the
LORD deals well with my
lord, then
remember your
maidservant."
bel lw{v.kim.l.W h'q.Wp.l '$.l ta{z h,y.hit a{l.w ? yin{d]a ;[yivw{h.l.W ~'Nix ~'D -.k'P.vil.w yin{da;l ? '$,t'm]a -t,a 'T.r;k'z.w yin{da;l h'wh.y bijyeh.w w{l
32
Then
David said to
Abigail,
"Blessed be the
LORD God of
Israel,
who sent you
this day to
meet me,
yeh{l/a h'wh.y .$.Wr'B l;gyib]a;l diw'D r,ma{Y;w ? yita'r.qil h,Z;h ~w{Y;h .$ex'l.v r,v]a lea'r.fIy
33
and
blessed be your
discernment, and
blessed be you,
who have
kept me
this day from
bloodshed and from
avenging myself by my own
hand.
yinitil.K r,v]a .T'a h'k.Wr.b.W .$em.[;j .$.Wr'b.W ? yil yid'y ;[ev{h.w ~yim'd.b aw{Bim h,Z;h ~w{Y;h
34
"Nevertheless, as the
LORD God of
Israel lives,
who has
restrained me from
harming you,
unless you had
come quickly to
meet me,
surely * there would not have been
left to
Nabal until the
morning light as much as one
male *."
yin;['n.m r,v]a lea'r.fIy yeh{l/a h'wh.y -y;x ~'l.Wa.w ? yita'r.qil yita{b'T;w .T.r;him yel.Wl yiK .$'t{a [;r'hem ? !yiT.v;m r,q{B;h rw{a -d;[ l'b'n.l r;tw{n -mia yiK ? ryiq.B
35
So
David received from her
hand what she had
brought him and
said to her,
"Go up to your
house in
peace.
See, I have
listened to you and
granted your
request."
w{l h'ayibeh -r,v]a tea H'd'Yim diw'D x;QiY;w ? yiT.[;m'v yia.r .$etyeb.l ~w{l'v.l yil][ r;m'a H'l.w ? .$Iy'n'P a'F,a'w .$elw{q.b
36
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 at
all * until the
morning light.
h,T.vim w{l -heNih.w l'b'n -l,a lIy;gyib]a a{b'T;w ? wy'l'[ bw{j l'b'n bel.w .$,l,M;h heT.vim.K w{tyeb.B ? w{L h'dyiGih -a{l.w d{a.m -d;[ r{Kiv a.Wh.w ? r,q{B;h rw{a -d;[ lw{d'g.w !{j'q r'b'D
37
But in the
morning, when the
wine had
gone out of
Nabal, his
wife told him
these things, and his
heart died within him so that he
became as a
stone.
w{l -d,G;T;w l'b'Nim !Iy;Y;h taec.B r,q{B;b yih.y;w ? w{B.riq.B w{Bil t'm'Y;w h,Lea'h ~yir'b.D;h -t,a w{T.via ? !,b'a.l h'y'h a.Wh.w
38
About
ten days later, the
LORD struck Nabal and he
died.
l'b'n -t,a h'wh.y @{GiY;w ~yim'Y;h t,r,f][;K yih.y;w ? t{m'Y;w
39
When
David heard that
Nabal was
dead, he
said,
"Blessed be the
LORD,
who has
pleaded the
cause of my
reproach from the
hand of
Nabal and has
kept back His
servant from
evil. The
LORD has also
returned the
evildoing of
Nabal on his own
head." Then
David sent a
proposal to
Abigail, to
take her as his
wife.
.$.Wr'B r,ma{Y;w l'b'n tem yiK diw'D [;m.viY;w ? l'b'n d;Yim yit'P.r,x byir -t,a b'r r,v]a h'wh.y ? l'b'n t;['r tea.w h'['rem .$;f'x w{D.b;[ -t,a.w ? reB;d.y;w diw'D x;l.viY;w w{va{r.B h'wh.y byiveh ? h'Via.l w{l H'T.x;q.l lIy;gyib]a;B
40
When the
servants of
David came to
Abigail at
Carmel, they
spoke to her,
saying, "
David has
sent us to you to
take you as his
wife."
h'l,m.r;K;h lIy;gyib]a -l,a diw'd yed.b;[ .Wa{b'Y;w ? .$Iy;lea .Wn'x'l.v diw'D r{mael 'hy,lea .Wr.B;d.y;w ? h'Via.l w{l .$eT.x;q.l
41
She
arose and
bowed with her
face to the
ground and
said,
"Behold, your
maidservant is a
maid to
wash the
feet of my
lord's servants."
heNih r,ma{T;w h'c.r'a ~Iy;P;a .Wx;T.viT;w ~'q'T;w ? yin{d]a yed.b;[ yel.g;r #{x.ril h'x.piv.l '$.t'm]a
42
Then
Abigail quickly arose, and
rode on a
donkey, with her
five maidens who
attended * her; and she
followed * the
messengers of
David and
became his
wife.
rw{m]x;h -l;[ b;K.riT;w lIy;gyib]a ~'q'T;w reh;m.T;w ? yer]x;a .$,leT;w H'l.g;r.l tw{k.l{h;h 'hy,t{r][;n vem'x.w ? h'Via.l w{l -yih.T;w diw'd yek]a.l;m
43
David had also
taken Ahinoam of
Jezreel, and they
both * became his
wives.
'ny,y.hiT;w la,[.r.ziYim diw'D x;q'l ~;[{nyix]a -t,a.w ? ~yiv'n.l w{l !,hyeT.v -m;G
44
Now
Saul had
given Michal his
daughter,
David's wife, to
Palti the
son of
Laish,
who was from
Gallim.
diw'D t,vea w{TiB l;kyim -t,a !;t'n l.Wa'v.w ? ~yiL;Gim r,v]a vIy;l -n,b yij.l;p.l