David restrained his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and started down<n id="1" /> the road.p>

David said to Saul, &#8220;Why do you pay attention when men say, &#8216;David is seeking to do you harm&#8217;?

May the <sc>Lordsc> be our judge and arbiter. May he see and arbitrate my case and deliver me from your hands!&#8221;p>

Now if a man finds his enemy, does he send him on his way in good shape? May the <sc>Lordsc> repay you with good this day for what you have done to me.

<t /><p class="bodytext">There was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. This man was very wealthy;<n id="1" /> he owned three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. At that time he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

But Nabal responded to David&#8217;s servants, &#8220;Who is David, and who is this son of Jesse? This is a time when many servants are breaking away from their masters!

<p class="bodytext">But one of the servants told Nabal&#8217;s wife Abigail, &#8220;David sent messengers from the desert to greet<n id="1" /> our lord, but he screamed at them.

<p class="bodytext">Riding on her donkey, she went down under cover of the mountain. David and his men were coming down to meet her, and she encountered them.

<p class="bodytext">When Abigail saw David, she got down quickly from the donkey, threw herself down before David, and bowed to the ground.

Falling at his feet, she said, &#8220;My lord, I accept all the guilt! But please let your female servant speak with my lord! Please listen to the words of your servant!

The <sc>Lordsc> will do for my lord everything that he promised you,<n id="1" /> and he will make<n id="2" /> you a leader over Israel.

Then David took from her hand what she had brought to him. He said to her, &#8220;Go back<n id="1" /> to your home in peace. Be assured that I have listened to you<n id="2" /> and responded favorably.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

In the morning, when Nabal was sober,<n id="1" /> his wife told him about these matters. He had a stroke and was paralyzed.<n id="2" />

So Saul arose andp> <p class="bodytext">went down to the desert of Ziph, accompanied by three thousand select men of Israel, to look for David in the desert of Ziph.

<p class="bodytext">When Saul recognized David&#8217;s voice, he said, &#8220;Is that your voice, my son David?&#8221; David replied, &#8220;Yes, it&#8217;s my voice, my lord the king.&#8221;

So Achish gave him Ziklag on that day. (For that reason Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah until this very day.)

When David would attack a district,<n id="1" /> he would leave neither man nor woman alive. He would take sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing and would then go back to Achish.

<p class="bodytext">Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented over him and had buried him in Ramah, his hometown.<n id="1" /> In the meantime Saul had removed the mediums<n id="2" /> and magicians<n id="3" /> from the land.

<p class="bodytext">When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out loudly.<n id="1" /> The woman said to Saul, &#8220;Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!&#8221;

The <sc>Lordsc> has done exactly as I prophesied!<n id="1" /> The <sc>Lordsc> has torn the kingdom from your hand and has given it to your neighbor David!