Study Desk

One of Nabal's servants said to Abigail, Nabal's wife, "David sent messengers from the desert to greet our master, but Nabal insulted them.

Then she told her servants, "Go on. I'll follow you." But she did not tell her husband.

David had just said, "It's been useless! I watched over Nabal's property in the desert. I made sure none of his sheep was missing. I did good to him, but he has paid me back with evil.

My master, don't pay attention to this worthless man Nabal. He is like his name. His name means ‘fool,' and he is truly a fool. But I, your servant, didn't see the men you sent.

Someone might chase you to kill you, but the Lord your God will keep you alive. He will throw away your enemies' lives as he would throw a stone from a sling.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Praise the Lord ! Nabal insulted me, but the Lord has supported me! He has kept me from doing wrong. The Lord has punished Nabal for his wrong." Then David sent a message to Abigail, asking her to be his wife.

Saul's daughter Michal was also David's wife, but Saul had given her to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah opposite Jeshimon, but David stayed in the desert. When he heard Saul had followed him,

But David said to Abishai, "Don't kill Saul! No one can harm the Lord 's appointed king and still be innocent!

But may the Lord keep me from harming his appointed king! Take the spear and water jug that are near Saul's head. Then let's go."

My master and king, listen to me. If the Lord made you angry with me, let him accept an offering. But if people did it, may the Lord curse them! They have made me leave the land the Lord gave me. They have told me, ‘Go and serve other gods.'

The Lord rewards us for the things we do right and for our loyalty to him. The Lord handed you over to me today, but I wouldn't harm the Lord 's appointed king.

But David thought to himself, "Saul will catch me someday. The best thing I can do is escape to the land of the Philistines. Then he will give up looking for me in Israel, and I can get away from him."

He prayed to the Lord , but the Lord did not answer him through dreams, Urim, or prophets.

But the woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done. He has forced the mediums and fortune-tellers from the land. You are trying to trap me and get me killed."

But Saul refused, saying, "I won't eat." His servants joined the woman in asking him to eat, and he listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed.

The Philistine commanders asked, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" Achish told them, "This is David. He served Saul king of Israel, but he has been with me for over a year now. I have found nothing wrong in David since the time he left Saul."

But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, "Send David back to the city you gave him. He cannot go with us into battle. If he does, we'll have an enemy in our own camp. He could please his king by killing our own men.

David is the one the Israelites dance and sing about, saying: ‘Saul has killed thousands of his enemies, but David has killed tens of thousands.'"

So Achish called David and said to him, "As surely as the Lord lives, you are loyal. I would be pleased to have you serve in my army. Since the day you came to me, I have found no wrong in you. But the other kings don't trust you.