David Spares Saul’s Life

24 ^[a]After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.^(A)” ² So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look^(B) for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

³ He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave^(C) was there, and Saul went in to relieve^(D) himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. ⁴ The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke^(E) of when he said^[b] to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’”^(F) Then David crept up unnoticed and cut^(G) off a corner of Saul’s robe.

⁵ Afterward, David was conscience-stricken^(H) for having cut off a corner of his robe. ⁶ He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed,^(I) or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” ⁷ With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

⁸ Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.^{(J) 9} He said to Saul, “Why do you listen^(K) when men say, ‘David is bent on harming^(L) you’? ¹⁰ This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared^(M) you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ ¹¹ See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut^(N) off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty^(O) of wrongdoing^(P) or rebellion. I have not wronged^(Q) you, but you are hunting^(R) me down to take my life.^{(S) 12} May the Lord judge^(T) between you and me. And may the Lord avenge^(U) the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. ¹³ As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,^(V)’ so my hand will not touch you.

¹⁴ “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog?^(W) A flea?^{(X) 15} May the Lord be our judge^(Y) and decide^(Z) between us. May he consider my cause and uphold^(AA) it; may he vindicate^(AB) me by delivering^(AC) me from your hand.”

¹⁶ When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice,^(AD) David my son?” And he wept aloud. ¹⁷ “You are more righteous than I,”^(AE) he said. “You have treated me well,^(AF) but I have treated you badly.^{(AG) 18} You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the Lord delivered^(AH) me into your hands, but you did not kill me. ¹⁹ When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward^(AI) you well for the way you treated me today. ²⁰ I know that you will surely be king^(AJ) and that the kingdom^(AK) of Israel will be established in your hands. ²¹ Now swear^(AL) to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.^(AM)”

²² So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.^(AN)

David, Nabal and Abigail

25 Now Samuel died,^(AO) and all Israel assembled and mourned^(AP) for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah.^(AQ) Then David moved down into the Desert of Paran.^[c]

² A certain man in Maon,^(AR) who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy.^(AS) He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing^(AT) in Carmel. ³ His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail.^(AU) She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite.^(AV)

⁴ While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. ⁵ So he sent ten young men and said to them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. ⁶ Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health^(AW) to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!^(AX)

⁷ “‘Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat^(AY) them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. ⁸ Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever^(AZ) you can find for them.’”

⁹ When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David’s name. Then they waited.

¹⁰ Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who^(BA) is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. ¹¹ Why should I take my bread^(BB) and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”

¹² David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word. ¹³ David said to his men^(BC), “Each of you strap on your sword!” So they did, and David strapped his on as well. About four hundred men went^(BD) up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.^(BE)

¹⁴ One of the servants told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings,^(BF) but he hurled insults at them. ¹⁵ Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat^(BG) us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing.^{(BH) 16} Night and day they were a wall^(BI) around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them. ¹⁷ Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked^(BJ) man that no one can talk to him.”

¹⁸ Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs^[d] of roasted grain,^(BK) a hundred cakes of raisins^(BL) and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys.^{(BM) 19} Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead;^(BN) I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell^(BO) her husband Nabal.

²⁰ As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. ²¹ David had just said, “It’s been useless—all my watching over this fellow’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing.^(BP) He has paid^(BQ) me back evil^(BR) for good. ²² May God deal with David,^[e] be it ever so severely,^(BS) if by morning I leave alive one male^(BT) of all who belong to him!”

²³ When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground.^{(BU) 24} She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord,^(BV) and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. ²⁵ Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool^(BW),^(BX) and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. ²⁶ And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed^(BY) and from avenging^(BZ) yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal.^{(CA) 27} And let this gift,^(CB) which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.

²⁸ “Please forgive^(CC) your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting^(CD) dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles,^(CE) and no wrongdoing^(CF) will be found in you as long as you live. ²⁹ Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life,^(CG) the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl^(CH) away as from the pocket of a sling.^{(CI) 30} When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler^(CJ) over Israel, ³¹ my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember^(CK) your servant.”^(CL)

³² David said to Abigail, “Praise^(CM) be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. ³³ May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed^(CN) this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. ³⁴ Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal^(CO) would have been left alive by daybreak.”

³⁵ Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted^(CP) your request.”

³⁶ When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high^(CQ) spirits and very drunk.^(CR) So she told^(CS) him nothing at all until daybreak. ³⁷ Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.^{(CT) 38} About ten days later, the Lord struck^(CU) Nabal and he died.

³⁹ When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.”

Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. ⁴⁰ His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”

⁴¹ She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” ⁴² Abigail^(CV) quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife. ⁴³ David had also married Ahinoam^(CW) of Jezreel, and they both were his wives.^{(CX) 44} But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel^[f](CY) son of Laish, who was from Gallim.^(CZ)

The Branch From Jesse

¹⁰ In that day^(AE) the Root of Jesse^(AF) will stand as a banner^(AG) for the peoples; the nations^(AH) will rally to him,^(AI) and his resting place^(AJ) will be glorious.^{(AK) 11} In that day^(AL) the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant^(AM) of his people from Assyria,^(AN) from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt,^(AO) from Cush,^[b](AP) from Elam,^(AQ) from Babylonia,^[c] from Hamath^(AR) and from the islands^(AS) of the Mediterranean.^(AT)

Songs of Praise

12 In that day^(BP) you will say:

⁴ In that day^(CA) you will say:

God’s Final Word: His Son

1 In the past God spoke^(A) to our ancestors through the prophets^(B) at many times and in various ways,^{(C) 2} but in these last days^(D) he has spoken to us by his Son,^(E) whom he appointed heir^(F) of all things, and through whom^(G) also he made the universe.^{(H) 3} The Son is the radiance of God’s glory^(I) and the exact representation of his being,^(J) sustaining all things^(K) by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins,^(L) he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.^{(M) 4} So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.^(N)

The Son Superior to Angels

⁵ For to which of the angels did God ever say,

Or again,

⁶ And again, when God brings his firstborn^(Q) into the world,^(R) he says,

⁷ In speaking of the angels he says,

⁸ But about the Son he says,

¹⁰ He also says,

¹³ To which of the angels did God ever say,

¹⁴ Are not all angels ministering spirits^(AF) sent to serve those who will inherit^(AG) salvation?^(AH)

Warning to Pay Attention

2 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.^{(AI) 2} For since the message spoken^(AJ) through angels^(AK) was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,^{(AL) 3} how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?^(AM) This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord,^(AN) was confirmed to us by those who heard him.^{(AO) 4} God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles,^(AP) and by gifts of the Holy Spirit^(AQ) distributed according to his will.^(AR)

Jesus Made Fully Human

⁵ It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. ⁶ But there is a place where someone^(AS) has testified:

In putting everything under them,^[k] God left nothing that is not subject to them.^[l] Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.^{[m] 9} But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor^(AV) because he suffered death,^(AW) so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.^(AX)

¹⁰ In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists,^(AY) should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.^{(AZ) 11} Both the one who makes people holy^(BA) and those who are made holy^(BB) are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.^{[n](BC) 12} He says,

¹³ And again,

And again he says,

¹⁴ Since the children have flesh and blood,^(BG) he too shared in their humanity^(BH) so that by his death he might break the power^(BI) of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil^(BJ)— ¹⁵ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear^(BK) of death. ¹⁶ For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.^{(BL) 17} For this reason he had to be made like them,^[r](BM) fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful^(BN) and faithful high priest^(BO) in service to God,^(BP) and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.^{(BQ) 18} Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.^(BR)