1Samuele morì, e tutto Israele si radunò e ne fece cordoglio; e lo seppellirono nella sua proprietà, a Rama. Allora Davide si levò, e scese verso il deserto di Paran. 2Or v’era un uomo a Maon, che aveva i suoi beni a Carmel; era molto ricco, avea tremila pecore e mille capre, e si trovava a Carmel per la tosatura delle sue pecore. 3Quest’uomo avea nome Nabal, e il nome di sua moglie era Abigail, donna di buon senso e di bell’aspetto; ma l’uomo era duro e malvagio nell’agir suo; discendeva da Caleb. 4Davide, avendo saputo nel deserto che Nabal tosava le sue pecore, 5gli mandò dieci giovani, ai quali disse: "Salite a Carmel, andate da Nabal, salutatelo a nome mio, 6e dite così: Salute! pace a te, pace alla tua casa, e pace a tutto quello che t’appartiene! 7Ho saputo che tu hai i tosatori; ora, i tuoi pastori sono stati con noi, e noi non abbiam fatto loro alcun oltraggio, e nulla è stato loro portato via per tutto il tempo che sono stati a Carmel. 8Domandane ai tuoi servi, e te lo diranno. Trovin dunque questi giovani grazia agli occhi tuoi, giacché siam venuti in giorno di gioia; e da’, ti prego, ai tuoi servi e al tuo figliuolo Davide ciò che avrai fra mano". 9Quando i giovani di Davide arrivarono, ripeterono a Nabal tutte queste parole in nome di Davide, poi si tacquero. 10Ma Nabal rispose ai servi di Davide, dicendo: "Chi è Davide? E chi e il figliuolo d’Isai? Sono molti, oggi, i servi che scappano dai loro padroni; 11e prenderei io il mio pane, la mia acqua e la carne che ho macellata pei miei tosatori, per darli a gente che non so donde venga?" 12I giovani ripresero la loro strada, tornarono, e andarono a riferire a Davide tutte queste parole. 13Allora Davide disse ai suoi uomini: "Ognun di voi si cinga la sua spada". Ognuno si cinse la sua spada, e Davide pure si cinse la sua, e saliron dietro a Davide circa quattrocento uomini; duecento rimasero presso il bagaglio. 14Or Abigail, moglie di Nabal, fu informata della cosa da uno de’ suoi servi, che le disse: "Ecco, Davide ha inviato dal deserto de’ messi per salutare il nostro padrone, ed egli li ha trattati male. 15Eppure, quella gente è stata molto buona verso di noi; noi non ne abbiam ricevuto alcun oltraggio, e non ci han portato via nulla per tutto il tempo che siamo andati attorno con loro quand’eravamo per la campagna. 16Di giorno e di notte sono stati per noi come una muraglia, per tutto il tempo che siamo stati con loro pascendo i greggi. 17Or dunque rifletti, e vedi quel che tu debba fare; poiché un guaio è certo che avverrà al nostro padrone e a tutta la sua casa; ed egli è uomo così malvagio, che non gli si può parlare". 18Allora Abigail prese in fretta duecento pani, due otri di vino, cinque montoni allestiti, cinque misure di grano arrostito, cento picce d’uva secca e duecento masse di fichi, e caricò ogni cosa su degli asini. 19Poi disse ai suoi servi: "Andate innanzi a me; ecco, io vi seguirò". Ma non disse nulla a Nabal suo marito. 20E com’ella, a cavallo al suo asino, scendeva il monte per un sentiero coperto, ecco Davide e i suoi uomini che scendevano di fronte a lei, sì ch’ella li incontrò. 21Or Davide avea detto: "Invano dunque ho io protetto tutto ciò che colui aveva nel deserto, in guisa che nulla è mancato di tutto ciò ch’ei possiede; ed egli m’ha reso male per bene. 22Così tratti Iddio i nemici di Davide col massimo rigore! Fra qui e lo spuntar del giorno, di tutto quel che gli appartiene io non lascerò in vita un sol uomo". 23E quando Abigail ebbe veduto Davide, scese in fretta dall’asino e gettandosi con la faccia a terra, si prostrò dinanzi a lui. 24Poi, gettandosi ai suoi piedi, disse: "O mio signore, la colpa e mia! Deh, lascia che la tua serva parli in tua presenza, e tu ascolta le parole della tua serva! 25Te ne prego, signor mio, non far caso di quell’uomo da nulla ch’è Nabal; poiché egli è quel che dice il suo nome; si chiama Nabal, e in lui non c’è che stoltezza; ma io, la tua serva, non vidi i giovani mandati dal mio signore. 26Or dunque, signor mio, com’è vero che vive l’Eterno e che l’anima tua vive, l’Eterno t’ha impedito di spargere il sangue e di farti giustizia con le tue proprie mani. Ed ora, i tuoi nemici e quelli che voglion fare del male al mio signore siano come Nabal! 27E adesso, ecco questo regalo che la tua serva reca al mio signore; sia dato ai giovani che seguono il mio signore. 28Deh, perdona il fallo della tua serva; poiché per certo l’Eterno renderà stabile la casa del mio signore, giacché il mio signore combatte le battaglie dell’Eterno, e in tutto il tempo della tua vita non s’è trovata malvagità in te. 29E se mai sorgesse alcuno a perseguitarti e ad attentare alla tua vita, l’anima del mio signore sarà custodita nello scrigno della vita presso l’Eterno, ch’è il tuo Dio; ma l’anima de’ tuoi nemici l’Eterno la lancerà via, come dalla rete d’una frombola. 30E quando l’Eterno avrà fatto al mio signore tutto il bene che t’ha promesso e t’avrà stabilito come capo sopra Israele, 31il mio signore non avrà questo dolore e questo rimorso d’avere sparso del sangue senza motivo e d’essersi fatto giustizia da sé. E quando l’Eterno avrà fatto del bene al mio signore, ricordati della tua serva". 32E Davide disse ad Abigail: "Sia benedetto l’Eterno, l’Iddio d’Israele, che t’ha oggi mandata incontro a me! 33E sia benedetto il tuo senno, e benedetta sii tu che m’hai oggi impedito di spargere del sangue e di farmi giustizia con le mie proprie mani! 34Poiché certo, com’è vero che vive l’Eterno, l’Iddio d’Israele, che m’ha impedito di farti del male, se tu non ti fossi affrettata a venirmi incontro, fra qui e lo spuntar del giorno a Nabal non sarebbe rimasto un sol uomo". 35Davide quindi ricevé dalle mani di lei quello ch’essa avea portato, e le disse: "Risali in pace a casa tua; vedi, io ho dato ascolto alla tua voce, e ho avuto riguardo a te". 36Ed Abigail venne da Nabal; ed ecco ch’egli faceva banchetto in casa sua; banchetto da re. Nabal aveva il cuore allegro, perch’era ebbro fuor di modo; ond’ella non gli fece sapere alcuna cosa, piccola o grande, fino allo spuntar del giorno. 37Ma la mattina, quando gli fu passata l’ebbrezza, la moglie raccontò a Nabal queste cose; allora gli si freddò il cuore, ed ei rimase come un sasso. 38E circa dieci giorni dopo, l’Eterno colpì Nabal, ed egli morì. 39Quando Davide seppe che Nabal era morto, disse: "Sia benedetto l’Eterno, che m’ha reso giustizia dell’oltraggio fattomi da Nabal, e ha preservato il suo servo dal far del male! La malvagità di Nabal, l’Eterno l’ha fatta ricadere sul capo di lui!" Poi Davide mandò da Abigail a proporle di diventar sua moglie. 40E i servi di Davide vennero da Abigail a Carmel, e le parlarono così: "Davide ci ha mandati da te, perché vuol prenderti in moglie". 41Allora ella si levò, si prostrò con la faccia a terra, e disse: "Ecco, la tua serva farà da schiava, per lavare i piedi ai servi del mio signore". 42Poi Abigail si levò tosto, montò sopra un asino, e, seguìta da cinque fanciulle tenne dietro ai messi di Davide, e divenne sua moglie. 43Davide sposò anche Ahinoam di Izreel, e ambedue furono sue mogli. 44Or Saul avea dato Mical sua figliuola, moglie di Davide, a Palti, figliuolo di Laish, che era di Gallim.
1Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran. 2There 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. 3Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful face: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb. 4David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. 6You shall tell him, ‘Long life to you! Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. 7Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds have now been with us, and we didn’t hurt them, neither was there anything missing from them, all the while they were in Carmel. 8Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let the young men find favor in your eyes; for we come in a good day. Please give whatever comes to your hand, to your servants, and to your son David.’” 9When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased. 10Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days. 11Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men who I don’t know where they come from?” 12So David’s young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words. 13David said to his men, “Every man put on his sword!” Every man put on his sword. David also put on his sword. About four hundred men followed David; and two hundred stayed by the baggage. 14But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to Greet our master; and he railed at them. 15But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything, as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields. 16They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 17Now therefore know and consider what you will do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his house; for he is such a worthless fellow that one can’t speak to him.” 18Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two bottles of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five measures of parched grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys. 19She said to her young men, “Go on before me. Behold, I come after you.” But she didn’t tell her husband, Nabal. 20It was so, as she rode on her donkey, and came down by the covert of the mountain, that behold, David and his men came down toward her; and she met them. 21Now David had said, “Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him. He has returned me evil for good. 22God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that belongs to him by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall.” 23When Abigail saw David, she hurried, and alighted from her donkey, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground. 24She fell at his feet, and said, “On me, my lord, on me be the iniquity; and please let your handmaid speak in your ears. Hear the words of your handmaid. 25Please don’t let my lord regard this worthless fellow, even Nabal; for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; but I, your handmaid, didn’t see the young men of my lord, whom you sent. 26Now therefore, my lord, as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, since Yahweh has withheld you from blood guiltiness, and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now therefore let your enemies, and those who seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. 27Now this present which your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28Please forgive the trespass of your handmaid. For Yahweh will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights the battles of Yahweh; and evil shall not be found in you all your days. 29Though men may rise up to pursue you, and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with Yahweh your God. He will sling out the souls of your enemies, as from the hollow of a sling. 30It shall come to pass, when Yahweh has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you, and shall have appointed you prince over Israel, 31that this shall be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. When Yahweh has dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid.” 32David said to Abigail, “Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33Blessed is your discretion, and blessed are you, that have kept me this day from blood guiltiness, and from avenging myself with my own hand. 34For indeed, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, who has withheld me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely there wouldn’t have been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall.” 35So David received of her hand that which she had brought him: and he said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. Behold, I have listened to your voice, and have granted your request.” 36Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken. Therefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. 37In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. 38About ten days later, Yahweh struck Nabal, so that he died. 39When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed is Yahweh, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil. Yahweh has returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head.” David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to him as wife. 40When the servants of David had come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you, to take you to him as wife.” 41She arose, and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said, “Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” 42Abigail hurried, and arose, and rode on a donkey, with five ladies of hers who followed her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. 43David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they both became his wives. 44Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.
1En Samuel stierf; en gans Israel vergaderde zich, en zij bedreven rouw over hem, en begroeven hem in zijn huis te Rama. En David maakte zich op, en toog af naar de woestijn Paran. 2En er was een man te Maon, en zijn bedrijf was te Karmel; en die man was zeer groot, en hij had drie duizend schapen, en duizend geiten; en hij was in het scheren zijner schapen te Karmel. 3En de naam des mans was Nabal, en de naam zijner huisvrouw was Abigail; en de vrouw was goed van verstand, en schoon van gedaante; maar de man was hard en boos van daden, en hij was een Kalebiet. 4Als David hoorde in de woestijn, dat Nabal zijn schapen schoor, 5Zo zond David tien jongelingen; en David zeide tot de jongelingen: Gaat op naar Karmel, en als gij tot Nabal komt, zo zult gij hem in mijn naam naar den welstand vragen; 6En zult alzo zeggen tot dien welvarende: Vrede zij u, en uw huize zij vrede, en alles, wat gij hebt, zij vrede! 7En nu, ik heb gehoord, dat gij scheerders hebt; nu, de herders, die gij hebt, zijn bij ons geweest; wij hebben hun geen smaadheid aangedaan, en zij hebben ook niets gemist al de dagen, die zij te Karmel geweest zijn. 8Vraag het uw jongelingen, en zij zullen het u te kennen geven. Laat dan deze jongelingen genade vinden in uw ogen, want wij zijn op een goeden dag gekomen; geef toch uw knechten, en uw zoon David, hetgeen uw hand vinden zal. 9Toen de jongelingen van David gekomen waren, en in Davids naam naar al die woorden tot Nabal gesproken hadden, zo hielden zij stil. 10En Nabal antwoordde den knechten van David, en zeide: Wie is David, en wie is de zoon van Isai? Er zijn heden vele knechten, die zich afscheuren, elk van zijn heer. 11Zou ik dan mijn brood, en mijn water, en mijn geslacht vlees nemen, dat ik voor mijn scheerders geslacht heb, en zou ik het den mannen geven, die ik niet weet, van waar zij zijn? 12Toen keerden zich de jongelingen van David naar hun weg; en zij keerden weder, en kwamen, en boodschapten hem achtervolgens al deze woorden. 13David dan zeide tot zijn mannen: Een iegelijk gorde zijn zwaard aan. Toen gordde een iegelijk zijn zwaard aan, en David gordde ook zijn zwaard aan; en zij togen op achter David, omtrent vierhonderd man, en daar bleven er tweehonderd bij het gereedschap. 14Doch een jongeling uit de jongelingen boodschapte het aan Abigail, de huisvrouw van Nabal, zeggende: Zie, David heeft boden gezonden uit de woestijn, om onzen heer te zegenen; maar hij is tegen hen uitgevaren. 15Nochtans zijn zij ons zeer goede mannen geweest; en wij hebben geen smaadheid geleden, en wij hebben niets gemist al de dagen, die wij met hen verkeerd hebben, toen wij op het veld waren. 16Zij zijn een muur om ons geweest, zo bij nacht als bij dag, al de dagen, die wij bij hen geweest zijn, weidende de schapen. 17Weet dan nu, en zie, wat gij doen zult; want het kwaad is ten volle over onzen heer besloten, en over zijn ganse huis; en hij is een zoon Belials, dat men hem niet mag aanspreken. 18Toen haastte zich Abigail, en nam tweehonderd broden, en twee lederzakken wijns, en vijf toebereide schapen, en vijf maten geroost koren, en honderd stukken rozijnen, en tweehonderd klompen vijgen, en legde die op ezelen. 19En zij zeide tot haar jongelingen: Trekt heen voor mijn aangezicht; ziet, ik kom achter ulieden; doch haar man Nabal gaf zij het niet te kennen. 20Het geschiedde nu, toen zij op den ezel reed, en dat zij afkwam in het verborgene des bergs, en ziet, David en zijn mannen kwamen af haar tegemoet, en zij ontmoette hen. 21David nu had gezegd: Trouwens ik heb te vergeefs bewaard al wat deze in de woestijn heeft, alzo dat er niets van alles, wat hij heeft, gemist is; en hij heeft mij kwaad voor goed vergolden. 22Zo doe God aan de vijanden van David, en zo doe Hij daartoe, indien ik van allen, die hij heeft, iets tot morgen overlaat, dat mannelijk is! 23Toen nu Abigail David zag, zo haastte zij zich, en kwam van den ezel af, en zij viel voor het aangezicht van David op haar aangezicht, en zij boog zich ter aarde. 24En zij viel aan zijn voeten en zeide: Och, mijn heer, mijn zij de misdaad, en laat toch uw dienstmaagd voor uw oren spreken, en hoor de woorden uwer dienstmaagd. 25Mijn heer stelle toch zijn hart niet aan dezen Belials man, aan Nabal; want gelijk zijn naam is, alzo is hij; zijn naam is Nabal, en dwaasheid is bij hem; en ik, uw dienstmaagd, heb de jongelingen van mijn heer niet gezien, die gij gezonden hebt. 26En nu, mijn heer! zo waarachtig als de HEERE leeft, en uw ziel leeft, het is de HEERE, Die u verhinderd heeft van te komen met bloedstorting, dat uw hand u zou verlossen; en nu, dat als Nabal worden uw vijanden, en die tegen mijn heer kwaad zoeken! 27En nu, dit is de zegen, dien uw dienstmaagd mijn heer toegebracht heeft, dat hij gegeven worde den jongelingen, die mijns heren voetstappen nawandelen. 28Vergeef toch aan uw dienstmaagd de overtreding, want de HEERE zal zekerlijk mijn heer een bestendig huis maken, dewijl mijn heer de oorlogen des HEEREN oorloogt, en geen kwaad bij u gevonden is van uw dagen af. 29Wanneer een mens opstaan zal om u te vervolgen, en om uw ziel te zoeken, zo zal de ziel mijns heren ingebonden zijn in het bundeltje der levenden bij den HEERE, uw God; maar de ziel uwer vijanden zal Hij slingeren uit het midden van de holligheid des slingers. 30En het zal geschieden, als de HEERE mijn heer naar al het goede doen zal, dat Hij over u gesproken heeft, en Hij u gebieden zal een voorganger te zijn over Israel; 31Zo zal dit u, mijn heer, niet zijn tot wankeling, noch aanstoot des harten, te weten, dat gij bloed zonder oorzaak zoudt vergoten hebben, en dat mijn heer zichzelven zou verlost hebben; en als de HEERE mijn heer weldoen zal, zo zult gij uwer dienstmaagd gedenken. 32Toen zeide David tot Abigail: Gezegend zij de HEERE, de God Israels, Die u te dezen dage mij tegemoet gezonden heeft! 33En gezegend zij uw raad en gezegend zijt gij, dat gij mij te dezen dage geweerd hebt, van te komen met bloedstorting, dat mijn hand mij verlost zou hebben! 34Want voorzeker, de HEERE, de God Israels, leeft, Die mij verhinderd heeft, van u kwaad te doen, dat, ten ware dat gij u gehaast hadt, en mij tegemoet gekomen waart, zo ware van Nabal niemand, die mannelijk is, overgebleven tot het morgenlicht! 35Toen nam David uit haar hand, wat zij hem gebracht had; en hij zeide tot haar: Trek met vrede op naar uw huis; zie, ik heb naar uw stem gehoord, en heb uw aangezicht aangenomen. 36Toen nu Abigail tot Nabal kwam, ziet, zo had hij een maaltijd in zijn huis, als eens konings maaltijd; en het hart van Nabal was vrolijk op denzelven, en hij was zeer dronken; daarom gaf zij hem niet een woord, klein noch groot, te kennen, tot aan het morgenlicht. 37Het geschiedde nu in den morgen, toen de wijn van Nabal gegaan was, zo gaf hem zijn huisvrouw die woorden te kennen. Toen bestierf zijn hart in het binnenste van hem, en hij werd als een steen. 38En het geschiedde omtrent na tien dagen, zo sloeg de HEERE Nabal, dat hij stierf. 39Toen David hoorde, dat Nabal dood was, zo zeide hij: Gezegend zij de HEERE, Die den twist mijner smaadheid getwist heeft van de hand van Nabal, en heeft zijn knecht onthouden van het kwade, en dat de HEERE het kwaad van Nabal op zijn hoofd heeft doen wederkeren! En David zond heen, en liet met Abigail spreken, dat hij ze zich ter vrouwe nam. 40Als nu de knechten van David tot Abigail gekomen waren te Karmel, zo spraken zij tot haar, zeggende: David heeft ons tot u gezonden, dat hij zich u ter vrouwe neme. 41Toen stond zij op, en neigde zich met het aangezicht ter aarde, en zij zeide: Ziet, uw dienstmaagd zij tot een dienares, om de voeten der knechten mijns heren te wassen. 42Abigail nu haastte, en maakte zich op, en zij reed op een ezel, met haar vijf jonge maagden, die haar voetstappen nawandelden; zij dan volgde de boden van David na, en zij werd hem ter huisvrouw. 43Ook nam David Ahinoam van Jizreel; alzo waren ook die beiden hem tot vrouwen. 44Want Saul had zijn dochter Michal, de huisvrouw van David, gegeven aan Palti, den zoon van Lais, die van Gallim was.
La numerazione dei versetti segue la traduzione scelta e in alcuni capitoli può differire di un versetto.