MLV(i)
17 Now 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 a man cannot speak to him.
18 Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two jugs of wine and five sheep ready dressed and five measures of parched grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs and laid them on donkeys. 19 And she said to her young men, Go on before me, behold, I come after you*. But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 And it 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.
21 Now 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 and he has returned me evil for good. 22 God do so to the enemies of David and more also, if I leave of all that pertains to him by the morning light so much as one who urinates on the wall.
23 And when Abigail saw David, she hastened and alighted from her donkey and fell before David on her face and bowed herself to the ground. 24 And she fell at his feet and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me be the iniquity and I beseech you, let your handmaid speak in your ears and hear the words of your handmaid. 25 I beseech you, do not let my lord regard this worthless fellow, even Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name and senselessness is with him. But I your handmaid saw not the young men of my lord whom you sent.
26 Now therefore, my lord, as Jehovah lives and as your soul lives, since Jehovah 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. 27 And now this present which your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.
28 I beseech you, forgive the trespass of your handmaid. For Jehovah will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights the battles of Jehovah and evil will not be found in you all your days. 29 And though men have risen up to pursue you and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord will be bound in the bundle of life with Jehovah your God. And the souls of your enemies, them he will sling out as from the hollow of a sling.
30 And it will happen, when Jehovah will have done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and will have appointed you prince over Israel, 31 that this will 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. And when Jehovah will have dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid.
32 And David said to Abigail, Praise Jehovah, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, 33 and your discretion is blessed and you are blessed, who have kept me this day from blood guiltiness and from avenging myself with my own hand. 34 For in very deed, as Jehovah, the God of Israel, lives, who has withheld me from hurting you, unless you had hastened and come to meet me, surely there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one who urinates on the wall.
35 So David received from her hand what she had brought him. And he said to her, Go up in peace to your house. See, I have listened to your voice and have accepted your person.
18 Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two jugs of wine and five sheep ready dressed and five measures of parched grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs and laid them on donkeys. 19 And she said to her young men, Go on before me, behold, I come after you*. But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 And it 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.
21 Now 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 and he has returned me evil for good. 22 God do so to the enemies of David and more also, if I leave of all that pertains to him by the morning light so much as one who urinates on the wall.
23 And when Abigail saw David, she hastened and alighted from her donkey and fell before David on her face and bowed herself to the ground. 24 And she fell at his feet and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me be the iniquity and I beseech you, let your handmaid speak in your ears and hear the words of your handmaid. 25 I beseech you, do not let my lord regard this worthless fellow, even Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name and senselessness is with him. But I your handmaid saw not the young men of my lord whom you sent.
26 Now therefore, my lord, as Jehovah lives and as your soul lives, since Jehovah 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. 27 And now this present which your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.
28 I beseech you, forgive the trespass of your handmaid. For Jehovah will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights the battles of Jehovah and evil will not be found in you all your days. 29 And though men have risen up to pursue you and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord will be bound in the bundle of life with Jehovah your God. And the souls of your enemies, them he will sling out as from the hollow of a sling.
30 And it will happen, when Jehovah will have done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and will have appointed you prince over Israel, 31 that this will 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. And when Jehovah will have dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid.
32 And David said to Abigail, Praise Jehovah, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, 33 and your discretion is blessed and you are blessed, who have kept me this day from blood guiltiness and from avenging myself with my own hand. 34 For in very deed, as Jehovah, the God of Israel, lives, who has withheld me from hurting you, unless you had hastened and come to meet me, surely there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one who urinates on the wall.
35 So David received from her hand what she had brought him. And he said to her, Go up in peace to your house. See, I have listened to your voice and have accepted your person.