im. But your servant did not see the young men of my
lord, whom you sent. Now, my lord, as surely as Jehovah lives and as you
live, since Jehovah has kept you from murder and from avenging yourself
by your own hand, may your enemies and those who seek to harm my lord be
like Nabal. Let this present which your servant has brought to my lord
be given to the young men who follow him. I beg of you, forgive the
wrong done by your servant, for Jehovah will certainly make my lord's
family strong, for my lord is fighting for Jehovah, and you shall not be
guilty of any evil deed as long as you live. Should a man rise up to
pursue you and seek your life, Jehovah your God will care for you, but
he will cast away the lives of your enemies as from a sling. When
Jehovah has done for you all the good that he has promised and has made
you ruler over Israel, you will not have to be sorry that you shed blood
without cause or that you were revenged by your own hand. When Jehovah
gives prosperity to my lord, then too remember your servant."

David said to Abigail, "Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel, who sent
you this day to meet me, and blessed be your good sense. A blessing on
you, who have kept me this day from murder and from avenging myself by
my own hand. For as surely as Jehovah the God of Israel lives, who has
kept me from doing you harm, unless you had quickly come to meet me,
truly by daybreak not one man would have been left to Nabal."

So David received from her all which she had brought him. And he said to
her, "Go back in peace to your house. See, I have listened to your
advice and granted your request."

When Abigail returned to Nabal, he was holding a feast in his house like
a king. He was feeling merry, for he was very drunk; so she told him
nothing whatever until daybreak. But in the morning, when the effects of
the wine were gone, his wife told him what she had done. Then his heart
stopped beating and he became like a stone. About ten days later he had
a stroke from which he died.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Thanks be to Jehovah who
has punished Nabal's insult to me and has kept me from doing wrong, for
Jehovah has visited Nabal's crime upon his own head."

Then David sent to ask Abigail to become his wife. When his servants
came to her at Carmel and said, "David has sent us to you to take you to
him to be his wife," she rose and bowed her face to the earth and said,
"See, your slave is willing