And Shemu'el died, and all Yisra'el gathered and mourned for him, and they buried him in his house in Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

And there was a man in Ma'on, and his work was in Karmel. And the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And it happened when he was shearing his sheep in Karmel,

And the name of the man was Naval, and the name of his wife was Avigayil. And the woman was good in understanding and beautiful in form. And the man was harsh and evil in deeds, and he was (like a dog) [like his heart].

And David heard in the wilderness that Naval was shearing his sheep.

And David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, 'Go up to Karmel, and go to Naval, and ask him in my name for peace.'

'And you shall say, Thus, 'Live!' And you, peace, and your house, peace, and all that belongs to you, peace.'

'And now, I have heard that you are shearing. Now, the shepherds who were yours were with us; we did not shame them, and nothing was missed from them all the days they were in Karmel.'

'Ask your young men, and they will tell you. And may the young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a good day. Give, please, what your hand finds to your servants and to your son, to David.'

'And David's young men came, and they spoke to Naval all these words in the name of David, and they waited.'

'And Naval answered David's servants and said, 'Who is David? And who is the son of Yishay? Today many servants are breaking away, each from his master.'

'And I shall take my bread, and my water, and my meat which I have slaughtered for my shearers, and I shall give it to men whom I do not know from where they are.'

'And David's young men turned back on their way, and they returned, and they came and told him all these words.'

'And David said to his men, 'Gird on, each man his sword!' And each man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And they went up after David, about four hundred men, and two hundred stayed with the supplies.'

'And to Avigayil, Naval's wife, one of the young men told, saying, 'Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to bless our master, and he raged against them.'

'And the men were very good to us, and we were not shamed, and nothing was missed from us all the days we walked with them while we were in the field.'

'They were a wall around us, both night and day, all the days we were with them, tending the sheep.'

'And now, know and see what you will do, for evil has been decided against our master and against all his house, and he is a worthless man, so that no one can speak to him.'

'And Avigayil hurried, and she took two hundred loaves of bread, and two skins of wine, and five sheep that were dressed, and five measures of roasted grain, and one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and she put them on the donkeys.'

'And she said to her young men, 'Go on before me; look, I am coming after you.' And to her husband, Naval, she did not tell.

'And it happened, she was riding on a donkey, and descending in a hidden part of the mountain, and look, David and his men were descending to meet her, and she met them.'

'And David said, 'Surely, in vain I have guarded all that belongs to this one in the wilderness, and nothing that belongs to him has been missed, and he has repaid me evil for good.'

'Thus shall Elohim do to the enemies of David, and thus shall He add, if I leave of all that belongs to him until the morning, any who urinate on a wall.'

'And Avigayil saw David, and she hurried, and she descended from the donkey, and she fell before David on her face, and she bowed herself to the ground.'

'And she fell on his feet, and said, 'On me, my master, the iniquity! And speak, please, your servant in your ears, and hear the words of your servant.'

'Please, let my master not set his heart on this worthless man, on Naval, for as his name is, so is he; Naval is his name, and foolishness is with him. And I, your servant, did not see the young men of my master whom you sent.'

'And now, my master, as יהוה lives, and as your soul lives, that יהוה has restrained you from coming in blood, and your hand saving you. And now, may your enemies be like Naval, and those who seek evil against my master.'

'And now, this blessing which your servant has brought to my master, let it be given to the young men who walk at the feet of my master.'

'Please, forgive the transgression of your servant, for יהוה will surely make my master a lasting house, because my master fights the battles of יהוה, and evil shall not be found in you all your days.'

'And a man shall rise to pursue you and to seek your life, and the life of my master shall be bound up in the bundle of life with יהוה your Elohim, and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out from the middle of a sling.'

'And it shall be, when יהוה does for my master according to all the good He has spoken concerning you, and commands you to be a ruler over Yisra'el.'

'And this shall not be a stumbling block to you, nor an offense to the heart of my master, nor bloodshed without cause, nor my master saving himself. And יהוה will do good to my master, and you will remember your servant.'

'And David said to Avigayil, 'Blessed be יהוה, the Elohim of Yisra'el, who sent you this day to meet me.'

'And blessed be your understanding, and blessed are you, who have kept me this day from coming in blood, and my hand saving me.'

'But as יהוה, the Elohim of Yisra'el, lives, who has restrained me from doing you harm, if you had not hurried and come to meet me, surely there would not have been left to Naval until the morning light, any who urinate on a wall.'

'And David took from her hand what she had brought him, and he said to her, 'Go up in peace to your house; look, I have heard your voice and have accepted your person.'

'And Avigayil came to Naval, and look, he had a feast in his house like the feast of a king, and Naval's heart was good within him, and he was very drunk. And she did not tell him anything, small or great, until the morning light.'

'And it happened in the morning, when the wine left Naval, and his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became like a stone.'

'And it happened, about ten days later, that יהוה struck Naval, and he died.'

'And David heard that Naval had died, and he said, 'Blessed be יהוה, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Naval, and has kept back His servant from evil. And יהוה has returned the evil of Naval upon his own head.' And David sent and spoke to Avigayil to take her to him as a wife.'

'And David's servants came to Avigayil in Karmel, and they spoke to her, saying, 'David has sent us to you to take you to him as a wife.'

And she arose and bowed herself with her face to the ground, and she said, 'Look, your servant is a maidservant to wash the feet of the servants of my master.'

And Avigayil hurried and arose, and she rode on the donkey, and her five young women who went at her feet. And she went after David's messengers, and she became his wife.

And David took Ahinoam from Yizre'el, and they both also became his wives.

And Sha'ul gave Michal, his daughter, David's wife, to Paltiel, the son of Layish, who was from Gallim.