I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. I will speak about you to my father. When I find out what the problem is,<n id="1" /> I will let you know.&#8221;p>

However, Saul said nothing about it<n id="1" /> that day, for he thought,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Something has happened to make him ceremonially unclean. Yes, he must be unclean.&#8221;

Now be aware of this, and see what you can do. For disaster has been planned for our lord and his entire household.<n id="1" /> He is such a wicked person<n id="2" /> that no one tells him anything!&#8221;p>

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.

<p class="bodytext">So the servants of David went to Abigail at Carmel and said to her, &#8220;David has sent us to you to bring you back to be his wife.&#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!

So Eli said to Samuel, &#8220;Go back and lie down. When he calls you, say, &#8220;Speak, <sc>Lordsc>, for your servant is listening.&#8221; So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.p>

But the servant said to him, &#8220;Look, there is a man of God in this town. He is highly respected. Everything that he says really happens.<n id="1" /> Now let&#8217;s go there. Perhaps he will tell us where we should go from here.&#8221;<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">Saul replied, &#8220;Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel&#8217;s tribes, and is not my family clan the smallest of all the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Then Samuel talked to the people about how the kingship would work.<n id="1" /> He wrote it all down on a scroll and set it before the <sc>Lordsc>. Then Samuel sent all the people away to their homes.

While<n id="1" /> Saul spoke to the priest, the panic in the Philistines&#8217; camp was becoming greater and greater. So Saul said to the priest, &#8220;Withdraw your hand!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Then Saul instructed his servants, &#8220;Tell David secretly, &#8216;The king is pleased with you, and all his servants like you. So now become the king&#8217;s son-in-law.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">So Jonathan spoke on David&#8217;s behalf<n id="1" /> to his father Saul. He said to him, &#8220;The king should not sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, his actions have been very beneficial<n id="2" /> for you.

<p class="bodytext">When David finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, &#8220;Is that your voice, my son David?&#8221; Then Saul wept loudly.<n id="1" />

When the woman came to Saul and saw how terrified he was, she said to him, &#8220;Your servant has done what you asked.<n id="1" /> I took my life into my own hands and did what you told me.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">When David&#8217;s<n id="1" /> oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry<n id="2" /> with David and said, &#8220;Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the desert? I am familiar with your pride and deceit!<n id="3" /> You have come down here to watch the battle!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">When David heard that Nabal had died, he said, &#8220;Praised be the <sc>Lordsc> who has vindicated me and avenged the insult that I suffered from Nabal!<n id="1" /> The <sc>Lordsc> has kept his servant from doing evil, and he has repaid Nabal for his evil deeds.&#8221;<n id="2" /> Then David sent word to Abigail and asked her to become his wife.p>