Liber I Samuelis, 25

1. Mortuus est autem Samuel; et congregatus est universus Israel, et planxerunt eum et sepelierunt eum in domo sua in Rama. Consurgensque David descendit in desertum Maon.

1. Now Samuel died; and all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him in his house at Ramah. Then David rose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

2. Erat autem vir quispiam in solitudine Maon, et possessio eius in Carmel; et homo ille magnus nimis; erantque ei oves tria milia et mille caprae. Et accidit ut tonderet gregem suum in Carmel.

2. And there was a man in Ma'on, whose business was in Carmel. The man was very rich; he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3. Nomen autem viri illius erat Nabal et nomen uxoris eius Abigail. Eratque mulier illa prudentissima et speciosa; porro vir eius durus et moribus malis; erat autem de genere Chaleb.

3. Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Ab'igail. The woman was of good understanding and beautiful, but the man was churlish and ill-behaved; he was a Calebite.

4. Cum ergo audisset David in deserto quod tonderet Nabal gregem suum,

4. David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

5. misit decem iuvenes et dixit eis: “Ascendite in Carmel et venietis ad Nabal et salutabitis eum ex nomine meo pacifice

5. So David 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.

6. et dicetis fratri meo: “Et tibi pax et domui tuae pax et omnibus, quaecumque habes, sit pax!

6. And thus you shall salute him: `Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.

7. Et nunc audivi quod tonsores essent apud te. Pastores autem tui erant nobiscum in deserto; numquam eis molesti fuimus, nec aliquando defuit eis quidquam de grege omni tempore, quo fuerunt nobiscum in Carmel.

7. I hear that you have shearers; now your shepherds have been with us, and we did them no harm, and they missed nothing, all the time they were in Carmel.

8. Interroga pueros tuos, et indicabunt tibi. Nunc ergo inveniant pueri isti gratiam in oculis tuis, in die enim bona venimus; quodcumque invenerit manus tua, da servis tuis et filio tuo David””.

8. Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes; for we come on a feast day. Pray, give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.'"

9. Cumque venissent pueri David, locuti sunt ad Nabal omnia verba haec ex nomine David et siluerunt.

9. When David's young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name of David; and then they waited.

10. Respondens autem Nabal pueris David ait: “Quis est David, et quis est filius Isai? Hodie increverunt servi, qui fugiunt dominos suos.

10. And Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who are breaking away from their masters.

11. Tollam ergo panes meos et aquas meas et carnes pecorum, quae occidi, tonsoribus meis et dabo viris, quos nescio unde sint?”.

11. Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men who come from I do not know where?"

12. Regressi sunt itaque pueri David per viam suam et reversi venerunt et nuntiaverunt ei omnia verba haec.

12. So David's young men turned away, and came back and told him all this.

13. Tunc David ait viris suis: “Accingatur unusquisque gladio suo!”. Et accincti sunt singuli gladio suo, accinctusque est et David ense suo, et secuti sunt David quasi quadringenti viri; porro ducenti remanserunt ad sarcinas.

13. And David said to his men, "Every man gird on his sword!" And every man of them girded on his sword; David also girded on his sword; and about four hundred men went up after David, while two hundred remained with the baggage.

14. Abigail autem uxori Nabal nuntiavit unus de pueris suis dicens: “Ecce misit David nuntios de deserto, ut benedicerent domino nostro, sed aversatus est eos.

14. But one of the young men told Ab'igail, Nabal's wife, "Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed at them.

15. Homines isti boni satis fuerunt nobis et non molesti; nec quidquam aliquando periit omni tempore, quo sumus conversati cum eis in deserto.

15. Yet the men were very good to us, and we suffered no harm, and we did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them;

16. Pro muro erant nobis tam in nocte quam in die omnibus diebus, quibus pavimus apud eos greges.

16. they were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.

17. Quam ob rem considera et recogita quid facias, quoniam malum decretum est adversus dominum nostrum et adversus domum eius universam. Et ipse filius Belial est, ita ut nemo ei possit loqui”.

17. Now therefore know this and consider what you should do; for evil is determined against our master and against all his house, and he is so ill-natured that one cannot speak to him."

18. Festinavit igitur Abigail et tulit ducentos panes et duos utres vini et quinque arietes coctos et quinque sata frumenti tosti et centum ligaturas uvae passae et ducentas massas caricarum et imposuit super asinos.

18. Then Ab'igail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two skins 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 asses.

19. Dixitque pueris suis: “Praecedite me, ecce ego post tergum sequar vos”. Viro autem suo Nabal non indicavit.

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. Cum ergo ascendisset asinum et descenderet in tegmine montis, David et viri eius descendebant in occursum eius; quibus et illa occurrit.

20. And as she rode on the ass, and came down under cover of the mountain, behold, David and his men came down toward her; and she met them.

21. Et aiebat David: “Vere frustra servavi omnia, quae huius erant in deserto, et non periit quidquam de cunctis, quae ad eum pertinebant; et reddidit mihi malum pro bono.

21. Now David had said, "Surely in vain have I guarded all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him; and he has returned me evil for good.

22. Haec faciat Deus inimicis David et haec addat, si reliquero de omnibus, quae ad eum pertinent, usque mane quidquid masculini sexus”.

22. God do so to David and more also, if by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him."

23. Cum autem vidisset Abigail David, festinavit et descendit de asino et procidit coram David super faciem suam et adoravit super terram.

23. When Ab'igail saw David, she made haste, and alighted from the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed to the ground.

24. Et cecidit ad pedes eius et dixit: “In me sit, domine mi, haec iniquitas; loquatur, obsecro, ancilla tua in auribus tuis, et audi verba famulae tuae.

24. She fell at his feet and said, "Upon me alone, my lord, be the guilt; pray let your handmaid speak in your ears, and hear the words of your handmaid.

25. Ne ponat, oro, dominus meus cor suum super virum istum iniquum Nabal, quia secundum nomen suum stultus est, et est stultitia cum eo; ego autem ancilla tua non vidi pueros domini mei, quos misisti.

25. Let not my lord regard this ill-natured fellow, Nabal; for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; but I your handmaid did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent.

26. Nunc ergo, domine mi, vivit Dominus, et vivit anima tua, quia Dominus prohibuit te, ne venires in sanguine et salvares te manu tua; et nunc fiant sicut Nabal inimici tui et qui quaerunt domino meo malum.

26. Now then, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, seeing the LORD has restrained you from bloodguilt, and from taking vengeance with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal.

27. Quapropter suscipe benedictionem hanc, quam attulit ancilla tua domino meo, et da pueris, qui sequuntur dominum meum.

27. And now let this present which your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord.

28. Aufer iniquitatem famulae tuae. Faciens enim faciet Dominus domino meo domum fidelem, quia proelia Domini dominus meus proeliatur; malitia ergo non inveniatur in te omnibus diebus vitae tuae.

28. Pray forgive the trespass of your handmaid; for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD; and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live.

29. Si enim surrexerit aliquando homo persequens te et quaerens animam tuam, erit anima domini mei custodita in fasciculo vitae apud Dominum Deum tuum; sed inimicorum tuorum animam ipse iaciat in impetu et circulo fundae.

29. If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the LORD your God; and the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling.

30. Cum ergo fecerit Dominus domino meo omnia, quae locutus est, bona de te et constituerit te ducem super Israel,

30. And when the LORD has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you prince over Israel,

31. non erit tibi hoc in singultum et in scrupulum cordis domino meo, quod effuderis sanguinem innoxium et ipse te ultus fueris; et cum benefecerit Dominus domino meo, recordaberis ancillae tuae”.

31. my lord shall have no cause of grief, or pangs of conscience, for having shed blood without cause or for my lord taking vengeance himself. And when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid."

32. Et ait David ad Abigail: “Benedictus Dominus, Deus Israel, qui misit te hodie in occursum meum. Et benedicta prudentia tua,

32. And David said to Ab'igail, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me!

33. et benedicta tu, quae prohibuisti me hodie, ne irem ad sanguinem et ulciscerer me manu mea.

33. Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from avenging myself with my own hand!

34. Alioquin, vivit Dominus, Deus Israel, qui prohibuit me malum facere tibi, nisi cito venisses in occursum mihi, non remansisset Nabal usque ad lucem matutinam quidquid masculini sexus”.

34. For as surely as the LORD the God of Israel lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had made haste and come to meet me, truly by morning there had not been left to Nabal so much as one male."

35. Suscepit ergo David de manu eius omnia, quae attulerat ei, dixitque ei: “Vade pacifice in domum tuam. Ecce audivi vocem tuam et honoravi faciem tuam”.

35. Then 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 hearkened to your voice, and I have granted your petition."

36. Venit autem Abigail ad Nabal; et ecce erat ei convivium in domo eius quasi convivium regis, et cor Nabal iucundum; erat enim ebrius nimis. Et non indicavit ei verbum pusillum aut grande usque in mane.

36. And Ab'igail came to Nabal; and, lo, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; so she told him nothing at all until the morning light.

37. Diluculo autem, cum digessisset vinum Nabal, haec indicavit ei uxor sua; et emortuum est cor eius intrinsecus, et factus est quasi lapis.

37. And in 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.

38. Cumque pertransissent decem dies, percussit Dominus Nabal, et mortuus est.

38. And about ten days later the LORD smote Nabal; and he died.

39. Quod cum audisset David mortuum Nabal, ait: “Benedictus Dominus, qui iudicavit causam opprobrii mei de manu Nabal et servum suum custodivit a malo et malitiam Nabal reddidit Dominus in caput eius”. Misit ergo David et locutus est ad Abigail, ut sumeret eam sibi in uxorem.

39. When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil; the LORD has returned the evil-doing of Nabal upon his own head." Then David sent and wooed Ab'igail, to make her his wife.

40. Et venerunt pueri David ad Abigail in Carmel et locuti sunt ad eam dicentes: “David misit nos ad te, ut accipiat te sibi in uxorem”.

40. And when the servants of David came to Ab'igail at Carmel, they said to her, "David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife."

41. Quae consurgens adoravit prona in terram et ait: “Ecce famula tua sit in ancillam, ut lavet pedes servorum domini mei”.

41. And she rose and bowed with her face to the ground, and said, "Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord."

42. Et festinavit et surrexit Abigail et ascendit super asinum, et quinque puellae ierunt cum ea pedisequae eius; et secuta est nuntios David et facta est illi uxor.

42. And Ab'igail made haste and rose and mounted on an ass, and her five maidens attended her; she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.

43. Sed et Achinoam accepit David de Iezrahel, et fuit utraque uxor eius.

43. David also took Ahin'o-am of Jezreel; and both of them became his wives.

44. Saul autem dedit Michol filiam suam uxorem David Phalti filio Lais, qui erat de Gallim.

44. Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of La'ish, who was of Gallim.