David’s two wives had been taken captive – Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal’s widow.

(For this reason, to this very day, neither Dagon’s priests nor anyone else who enters Dagon’s temple step on Dagon’s threshold in Ashdod.)

When David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship. Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life.

When Saul’s servants reported what David had said,

The cliff to the north was closer to Micmash, the one to the south closer to Geba.

Then Saul clothed David with his own fighting attire and put a bronze helmet on his head. He also put body armor on him.

The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was both wise and beautiful, but the man was harsh and his deeds were evil. He was a Calebite.

Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman, for until now I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish.”

Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? Instead you have greedily rushed upon the plunder! You have done what is wrong in the Lord’s estimation.”

So Samuel listened to everything the people said and then reported it to the Lord.

When Samuel came to him, Saul said to him, “May the Lord bless you! I have done what the Lord said.”

In this initial skirmish Jonathan and his armor bearer struck down about twenty men in an area that measured half an acre.

God will severely punish David, if I leave alive until morning even one male from all those who belong to him!”

He said to them, “Why do you behave in this way? For I hear about these evil things from all these people.

He will take your best fields and vineyards and give them to his own servants.

Then the Philistine said, “I defy Israel’s troops this day! Give me a man so we can fight each other!”

So Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.

It’s like the old proverb says: ‘From evil people evil proceeds.’ But my hand will not be against you.

When Eli heard the outcry, he said, “What is this commotion?” The man quickly came and told Eli.

The people who did not die were struck with sores; the city’s cry for help went all the way up to heaven.