Study Desk

"Behold, your eyes have seen today how the LORD had given you into my hand in the cave. Some told me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, 'I will not reach out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD'S anointed.'

"May the LORD judge between me and you; and may the LORD avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you.

"As the proverb of the ancients says, 'Out of the wicked comes wickedness'; but my hand shall not be against you.

He said to David, "You are more righteous and upright [in God's eyes] than I; for you have done good to me, but I have done evil to you.

David gave Saul his oath; and Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the mountain stronghold.

(now the man's name was Nabal and his wife's name was Abigail. She was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings; he was a Calebite).

But Nabal answered David's servants and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today, each of whom is breaking away from his master.

But one of Nabal's young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, "Listen, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to bless (greet) our master, and he shouted at them [in contempt].

"But David's men were very good to us, and we were not harmed or treated badly, nor did we miss anything as long as we were with them, when we were in the fields.

"Now then, know this and consider what you should do, for evil is [already] planned against our master and against all his household; but he is such a worthless and wicked man that one cannot speak [reasonably] to him."

She said to her young men (servants), "Go on ahead of me; behold, I am coming after you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

"Please do not let my lord pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal (fool) is his name and foolishness (stupidity) is with him; but I your maidservant did not see my lord's young men whom you sent.

"Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound in the [precious] bundle of the living with the LORD your God; but the lives of your enemies—those He will hurl out as from the center of a sling.

But in the morning, when Nabal was sober, and his wife told him these things, his heart died within him and he became [paralyzed and helpless] like a stone.

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

Saul camped on the hill of Hachilah, which is beside the road east of Jeshimon, but David stayed in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul came into the wilderness after him,

But David said to Abishai, "Do not kill him, for who can put out his hand against the LORD'S anointed [king] and be guiltless (innocent)?"

"The LORD forbid that I would put out my hand against the LORD'S anointed; but now take the spear that is by his head and the jug of water, and let us go."

"Now therefore, please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD has incited you against me, let Him accept an offering [from me]; but if it is men, may they be cursed before the LORD, because they have driven me out this day to keep me from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.'

"The LORD will repay each man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD handed you over to me today, but I refused to put out my hand against the LORD'S anointed.