1 Samuel 25 Samuel's death and David's retreat into the desert of Paran

 1 Samuel 25

Samuel's death and David's retreat into the desert of Paran

1 And Samuel died, and all Israel came together, and they mourned him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David got up and went down to the desert of Paran.

2 And there was a man in Maon, who had his possessions in Carmel, and this man was very powerful, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3 And it was the name of this man Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail; and she was the woman of good understanding and beautiful, but the man was hard, and evil in works, and he was from the house of Caleb.

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

5 And David sent ten young men, and said to the young men, Go up to Carmel, and going to Nabal, ask him, in my name, how he is.

6 And so you will say to that prosperous man: Peace be yours, and may your house be peaceful, and everything you have be peaceful!

7 Now therefore, I have heard that you have shearers: now the shepherds you have were with us; we did not grieve them, nor did they miss anything every day that they were in Carmelo.

8 Ask your young men, and they will tell you; these young men, because they find grace in your eyes, because we have come on a good day; So give your servants and David your son whatever you find at hand.

9 And when the young men of David came, and having spoken all those words to David in the name of David, they were silent.