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“1 ¶ And 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.”
“2 ¶ And [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. 3 Now 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. 5 And 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: 6
And 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. 7 And 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. 8 Ask 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. 9 And when
David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words
in the name of David, and ceased. 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.
11 Shall 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]?”
“12 ¶ So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came
and told him all those sayings. 13 And 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. 15
But 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: 16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day,
all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 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.”
“11 ¶ And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David
hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, [which is] before Jeshimon? 2 Then
Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three
thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness
of Ziph. 3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which [is] before
Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that
Saul came after him into the wilderness. 4 David therefore sent out
spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed. 5 And David
arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: 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 round about
him.”
“6 ¶ Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to
Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down
with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
7 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 round about him. 8 Then said
Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this
day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to
the earth at once, and I will not [smite] him the second time. 9 And
David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his
hand against the LORD’S anointed, and be guiltless? 10 David said
furthermore, [As] the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day
shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish. 11 The
LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine 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. 12 So David took the
spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them
away, and no man saw [it], nor knew [it], neither awaked: for they
[were] all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon
them.”
“13 ¶ Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an
hill afar off; a great space [being] between them: 14 And David cried to
the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not,
Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who [art] thou [that] criest to the
king? 15 And David said to Abner, [Art] not thou a [valiant] man? and
who [is] like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy
lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king
thy lord. 16 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. 17 And Saul knew David’s
voice, and said, [Is] this thy voice, my son David? And David said, [It
is] my voice, my lord, O king. 18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord
thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil [is]
in mine hand? 19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear
the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me,
let him accept an offering: but if [they be] 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. 20
Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the
LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one
doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.”
“21 ¶ Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no
more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day:
behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. 22 And David
answered and said, Behold the king’s spear! and let one of the young men
come over and fetch it. 23 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 mine hand against the
LORD’S anointed. 24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in
mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and
let him deliver me out of all tribulation. 25 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.” (1 Samuel 26:1-25 AV)
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