25

Saa^mu^en Guei Seix

¹Saa^mu^en guei seix liuz, I^saa^laa^en nyei zuangx mienh gapv zunv daaih weic ninh nzauh nyiemv. Ninh mbuo yaac dorh ninh mingh zangx jienv wuov Laamaa, Saa^mu^en ganh nyei biauv⚓
Ndaawitv yaac suiv njiec mingh yiem Baalaan Deic-Bung-Huaang. ²Maaih dauh mienh yiem Maa^on Mungv. Ninh maaih ndau yiem nitv Kaanmen. Naaiv dauh mienh za'gengh butv zoih haic, maaih buo cin dauh ba'gi yungh caux yietc cin dauh yungh. Ninh yiem Kaanmen japv ba'gi yungh biei. ³Naaiv dauh mienh nyei mbuox heuc Naa^mbaan, se Kaalepv Mienh. Ninh nyei auv heuc Aa^mbi^gaa^yin, se guai haic, nzueic haic nyei m'sieqv dorn. Mv baac ninh nyei nqox hnyouv doqc yaac ciouv haic. ⁴Ndaawitv yiem deic-bung-huaang wuov zanc, ninh hiuv duqv Naa^mbaan japv ba'gi yungh biei. ⁵Ndaawitv ziouc paaiv ziepc dauh mienh⚓ mingh lorz Naa^mbaan yaac paaiv ziangx waac gorngv, “Mingh Kaanmen lorz Naa^mbaan, yaac longc yie nyei mbuox gorngv wuic buangh waac. ⁶Oix zuqc gorngv mbuox ninh, ‘Tov bun meih caux meih nyei biauv zong caux meih maaih nyei yietc zungv duqv baengh orn aqv.
⁷“ ‘Ih zanc yie haiz gorngv meih maaih mienh tengx meih japv ba'gi yungh biei. Meih nyei goux ba'gi yungh nyei mienh caux yie mbuo yiem Kaanmen nyei ziangh hoc, yie mbuo maiv zoux doqc bun ninh mbuo. Ninh mbuo yaac maiv caa yietc nyungc. ⁸Gunv naaic meih ganh nyei mienh, ninh mbuo zungv oix mbuox meih. Weic naaiv, tov meih korv-lienh yie nyei mienh, weic zuqc yie mbuo daaih doix meih mbuo zoux jorm nyei hnoi. Meih haih bun deix haaix nyungc meih nyei bou mbuo caux meih nyei dorn, Ndaawitv, tov bun aqv.’+”
⁹Ndaawitv nyei mienh mingh taux wuov, ninh mbuo ziouc longc Ndaawitv nyei mbuox gorngv wuov deix waac mbuox Naa^mbaan. Gorngv liuz, ninh mbuo zuov jienv aqv.
¹⁰Naa^mbaan dau Ndaawitv nyei bou, “Ndaawitv dongh haaix dauh? Jetc^si nyei dorn dongh haaix dauh? Ih jaax hnoi maaih bou camv haic biaux ninh mbuo nyei ziouv. ¹¹Yie fungc oix zuqc zorqv yie nyei njuov caux yie nyei wuom caux yie weic yie nyei japv ba'gi yungh biei nyei gong-mienh daix daaih nyei orv bun yie maiv hiuv duqv yiem haaix daaih nyei mienh?”
¹²Ndaawitv nyei mienh ziouc daaux sin nzuonx mingh aengx gorngv nzengc naaiv deix waac mbuox Ndaawitv. ¹³Ndaawitv gorngv mbuox ninh nyei mienh, “Meih mbuo dauh dauh zorqv meih mbuo nyei nzuqc ndaauv sai jienv.” Dauh dauh mienh ziouc zorqv nzuqc ndaauv sai jienv aqv. Ndaawitv ganh yaac sai jienv nzuqc ndaauv. Gan Ndaawitv mingh nyei mienh maaih leih maiv go feix baeqv dauh. Maaih nyic baeqv dauh liouh njiec wuov zuov ga'naaiv.
¹⁴Maaih dauh Naa^mbaan nyei bou mingh mbuox Naa^mbaan nyei auv, Aa^mbi^gaa^yin, “Ndaawitv yiem deic-bung-huaang paaiv douc fienx mienh daaih wuic buangh yie mbuo nyei ziouv. Ninh yaac gorngv ciouv bun ninh mbuo. ¹⁵Mv baac wuov deix mienh za'gengh zoux longx bun yie mbuo. Yie mbuo yaac maiv zuqc haaix dauh zoux doqc bun yie mbuo. Da'faanh yie mbuo caux ninh mbuo yiem wuov lomc-huaang nyei ziangh hoc, yie mbuo maiv caa haaix nyungc aqv. ¹⁶Lungh muonz yie mbuo caux ninh mbuo yiem bungx ba'gi yungh nyei ziangh hoc, ninh mbuo zoux hnangv laatc beu jienv yie mbuo. ¹⁷Ih zanc yie tov bun meih hiuv duqv naaiv deix sic yaac hnamv mangc gaax horpc zuqc hnangv haaix nor zoux. Nziex ninh mbuo oix hoic yie mbuo nyei ziouv caux ninh nyei biauv zong mienh. Ninh nyei fiem-fingx ciouv, doqc haic. Maiv maaih haaix dauh haih caux ninh gorngv waac.”
¹⁸Aa^mbi^gaa^yin ziouc siepv-siepv nyei liuc leiz nyic baeqc norm njuov, i ndopv-mbuoqc a'ngunc diuv, biaa dauh ziqv ziangx nyei ba'gi yungh, yietc tongv ziepc hmz morqv⚓ caauv zuoqc nyei hmeiv, caux yietc baeqv ndunh a'ngunc biouv-nqaai, caux nyic baeqv ndunh ngongh nyorx biouv-nqaai, bun lorh tor jienv. ¹⁹Aa^mbi^gaa^yin ziouc gorngv mbuox ninh nyei bou, “Meih mbuo gunv mingh ndaangc, yie nqa'haav gan jienv meih mbuo mingh.” Mv baac ninh maiv mbuox ninh nyei nqox, Naa^mbaan. ²⁰Aa^mbi^gaa^yin geh jienv lorh njiec zorng wuov zanc, buatc Ndaawitv caux ninh nyei mienh yiem ninh nyei wuov ndaangc maengx njiec, hungx jienv ninh daaih. Aa^mbi^gaa^yin ziouc buangh ninh mbuo. ²¹Ndaawitv coqv hoqc gorngv liuz, “Yie yiem deic-bung-huaang baeqc baeqc tengx goux wuov dauh mienh maaih nyei nyungc-nyungc ga'naaiv hnangv. Ninh nyei ga'naaiv maiv maaih yietc nyungc dingx laaih. Yie zoux longx bun ninh, mv baac ninh winh orqv bun yie. ²²Se gorngv taux njang ndorm yie corc liouh njiec wuov dauh mienh nyei yietc dauh m'jangc dorn nor, tov Tin-Hungh hniev-hniev nyei dingc yie, Ndaawitv, nyei zuiz.”
²³Aa^mbi^gaa^yin yietv buatc Ndaawitv, ninh siepv-siepv nyei njiec lorh daaih puoqv njiec taux ndau baaix Ndaawitv. ²⁴Aa^mbi^gaa^yin mbaapv njiec Ndaawitv nyei zaux ga'hlen gorngv, “Yie nyei ziouv aah! Zoux dorngc nyei zuiz ndortv zuqc yie ganh hnangv. Tov bun meih nyei m'sieqv bou gorngv bun meih muangx. Tov muangx meih nyei m'sieqv bou gorngv nyei waac. ²⁵Tov yie nyei ziouv maiv dungx dingc wuov dauh ciouv haic nyei mienh, Naa^mbaan, nyei zuiz. Ninh se hnangv ninh nyei mbuox. Ninh nyei mbuox heuc Naa^mbaan, eix leiz se Hngongx. Ninh benx zoux sic hngongx nyei mienh. Mv baac yie, meih nyei m'sieqv bou, maiv duqv buatc meih, yie nyei ziouv, paaiv daaih nyei mienh.
²⁶“Ziouv dangv jienv meih, yie nyei ziouv, maiv bun meih ganh nyei buoz jaauv win, liouc nziaamv cuotv. Weic naaiv yie ziangv jienv ziangh jienv nyei Ziouv houv waac yaac dorng jienv meih nyei nza'hmien houv jienv gorngv, tov bun meih nyei win-wangv caux yietc zungv oix hoic meih, wuov deix mienh hnangv Naa^mbaan nor. ²⁷Yie, meih nyei m'sieqv bou, dorh daaih naaiv deix ga'naaiv bun meih, yie nyei ziouv. Tov jiu bun gan meih nyei yietc zungv mienh. ²⁸Tov guangc nqoi meih nyei m'sieqv bou zoux dorngc nyei zuiz. Ziouv ndongc haaix zungv oix bun meih zoux hungh yaac liepc wuonv meih nyei hungh douh, weic zuqc meih tengx Ziouv mborqv jaax. Da'faanh meih maaih maengc ziangh jienv nyei hnoi-nyieqc, tov bun yiem meih gu'nyuoz maiv maaih haaix nyungc orqv sic. ²⁹Maiv gunv maaih mienh zunc jienv oix zorqv meih nyei maengc, Ziouv, meih nyei Tin-Hungh, oix beu jienv meih hnangv beu jaaix nyei ga'naaiv nor, mv baac meih nyei win-wangv nyei maengc Ziouv oix longc ndopv-hlaang⚓ fengx guangc hnangv fengx la'bieiv guangc nor. ³⁰Taux Ziouv ziux ninh laengz nyei waac zoux longx bun meih aengx liepc meih zoux hungh gunv I^saa^laa^en Mienh wuov zanc, ³¹meih maiv bun mienh nyei nziaamv liouc cuotv yaac maiv tengx ganh jaauv win, meih nyei hnyouv ziouc maiv zuqc guaix ganh. Ziouv bun meih duqv longx nyei ziangh hoc, tov meih jangx meih nyei m'sieqv bou.”
³²Ndaawitv gorngv mbuox Aa^mbi^gaa^yin, “Ceng Ziouv, I^saa^laa^en nyei Tin-Hungh, dongh ih hnoi paaiv meih daaih buangh yie wuov dauh. ³³Laengz zingh Tin-Hungh weic meih maaih cong-mengh. Yaac tov Tin-Hungh ceix fuqv bun meih, weic zuqc ih hnoi meih laanh jienv yie, maiv bun yie longc yie ganh nyei buoz jaauv win, bun mienh nyei nziaamv liouc cuotv. ³⁴Ziouv dangv jienv maiv bun yie hoic meih. Mv baac yie ziangv jienv ziangh jienv nyei Ziouv gorngv, se gorngv meih maiv siepv-siepv nyei daaih buangh yie nor, taux njang hnoi ndorm, da'faanh Naa^mbaan nyei biauv zong yietc zungv m'jangc dorn maiv zengc yietc dauh.”
³⁵Ndaawitv ziouc zipv Aa^mbi^gaa^yin dorh daaih bun ninh nyei yietc zungv ga'naaiv. Ndaawitv aengx gorngv mbuox ninh, “Gunv baengh orn nyei nzuonx biauv aqv. Yie muangx meih gorngv liuz yaac ei jienv meih tov nyei waac zoux.”
³⁶Aa^mbi^gaa^yin nzuonx mingh lorz Naa^mbaan. Wuov zanc ninh yiem biauv mbenc hnaangx hlo nyei hnangv hungh diex mbenc nor. Naa^mbaan hopv diuv nquin duqv longx haic, hnyouv za'gengh orn-lorqc aqv. Aa^mbi^gaa^yin ziouc maiv gorngv haaix nyungc mbuox ninh, zuov taux da'nyeic ndorm cingx daaih gorngv. ³⁷Da'nyeic ndorm Naa^mbaan nzang daaih, ninh nyei auv gorngv naaiv deix jauv bun ninh muangx. Naa^mbaan ziouc butv baengc hniev, ziangh sin mbai mi'aqv.⚓ ³⁸Nqa'haav leih maiv go ziepc hnoi Ziouv ziouc daix Naa^mbaan. Ninh ziouc daic mi'aqv.
³⁹Ndaawitv haiz gorngv Naa^mbaan daic mi'aqv, ninh ziouc gorngv, “Ceng Ziouv, ninh tengx yie jaauv win bun Naa^mbaan weic Naa^mbaan mangc piex yie nyei sic. Ziouv yaac laanh jienv maiv bun yie zoux dorngc, yaac bun Naa^mbaan zoux dorngc nyei sic ndortv zuqc Naa^mbaan ganh.”
Ndaawitv ziouc paaiv mienh mingh tov Aa^mbi^gaa^yin daaih zoux ninh nyei auv. ⁴⁰Ndaawitv nyei bou mingh taux Kaanmen wuov, ninh mbuo gorngv mbuox Aa^mbi^gaa^yin, “Ndaawitv paaiv yie mbuo daaih oix meih mingh zoux ninh nyei auv.”
⁴¹Aa^mbi^gaa^yin ziouc puoqv njiec hmien taux ndau yaac gorngv, “Yie se meih nyei m'sieqv bou. Yie a'hneiv nzaaux meih nyei bou nyei zaux.” ⁴²Aa^mbi^gaa^yin ziouc siepv-siepv nyei jiez sin daaih geh jienv lorh aengx caux biaa dauh fu-sux ninh nyei nouh beiz gan jienv Ndaawitv nyei douc waac mienh mingh. Ninh ziouc benx Ndaawitv nyei auv mi'aqv. ⁴³Ndaawitv longc ndaangc Yitv^le^en Mienh, Aa^hi^no^am. Ninh mbuo i dauh ziouc benx Ndaawitv nyei auv. ⁴⁴Mv baac Saulo zorqv ninh nyei sieqv, Mikaan, se Ndaawitv nyei auv-hlo, jiu bun Ganlim Mienh, Laa^itc nyei dorn, Banti, longc zoux auv mi'aqv.⚓

25

David, Nabal and Abigail

¹Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David moved down into the Desert of Paran.⚓
²A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. ³His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite.
⁴While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. ⁵So he sent ten young men and said to them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. ⁶Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!
⁷“ ‘Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. ⁸Ask 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 you can find for them.’ ”
⁹When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David’s name. Then they waited.
¹⁰Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. ¹¹Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”
¹²David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word. ¹³David said to his men, “Each of you strap on your sword!” So they did, and David strapped his on as well. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.
¹⁴One of the servants told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them. ¹⁵Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. ¹⁶Night and day they were a wall around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them. ¹⁷Now 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 man that no one can talk to him.”
¹⁸Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs⚓ of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. ¹⁹Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead; I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
²⁰As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. ²¹David 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. He has paid me back evil for good. ²²May God deal with David,⚓ be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!”
²³When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. ²⁴She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. ²⁵Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool, and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. ²⁶And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal. ²⁷And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.
²⁸“Please forgive your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles, and no wrongdoing will be found in you as long as you live. ²⁹Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, 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 away as from the pocket of a sling. ³⁰When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler over Israel, ³¹my 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 your servant.”
³²David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. ³³May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. ³⁴Otherwise, 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 would have been left alive by daybreak.”
³⁵Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request.”
³⁶When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until daybreak. ³⁷Then 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. ³⁸About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.
³⁹When 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. ⁴⁰His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”
⁴¹She 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.” ⁴²Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife. ⁴³David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives. ⁴⁴But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel⚓ son of Laish, who was from Gallim.