^25:5he⁵ sent ten servants,⁶ saying to them,⁷ “Go up to Carmel to see Nabal and give him greetings in my name.⁸^25:6Then you will say to my brother,⁹ “Peace to you and your house! Peace to all that is yours! ^25:7Now I hear that they are shearing sheep for you. When your shepherds were with us, we neither insulted them nor harmed them the whole time they were in Carmel. ^25:8Ask your own servants; they can tell you! May my servants find favor in your sight, for we have come¹⁰ at the time of a holiday. Please provide us—your servants¹¹ and your son David—with whatever you can spare.”¹²

^25:9So David’s servants went and spoke all these words to Nabal in David’s name. Then they paused. ^25:10But Nabal responded to David’s servants, “Who is David, and who is this son of Jesse? This is a time when many servants are breaking away from their masters!

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Footnotes

5 Heb “David”; for stylistic reasons the pronoun has been used in the translation.
6 Or “young men.”
7 Heb “and David said to the young men.”
8 Heb “and inquire concerning him in my name in regard to peace.”
9 The text is difficult here. The and most of the early versions support the reading לֶחָי (lekhai, “to life,” or “to the one who lives”). Some of the older English versions (, ; cf. ) took the expression to mean “to him who lives (in prosperity),” but this translation requires reading a good deal into the words. While the expression could have the sense of “Long life to you!” (cf. , ) or perhaps “Good luck to you!” this seems somewhat redundant in light of the salutation that follows in the context. The Latin has fratribus meis (“to my brothers”), which suggests that Jerome understood the Hebrew word to have an alef that is absent in the (i.e., לֶאֱחָי, le’ekhay). Jerome’s plural, however, remains a problem, since in the context David is addressing a single individual, namely Nabal, and not a group. However, it is likely that the witnesses to a consonantal Hebrew text that is to be preferred here, especially if the word were to be revocalized as a singular rather than a plural. While it is impossible to be certain about this reading, the present translation essentially follows the in reading “my brother” (so also ; cf. , , ).
10 The translation follows many medieval Hebrew in reading בָּאנוּ (ba’nu, “we have come”) rather than the ’s בָּנוּ (banu, “we have built”).
11 This refers to the ten servants sent by David.
12 Heb “whatever your hand will find.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

So David sent ten young men. And David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal and greet him in my name. And thus you shall greet him: ‘Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. I hear that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us, and we did them no harm, and they missed nothing all the time they were in Carmel. Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”

When David’s young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name of David, and then they waited. And Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

So he sent ten young men and said to them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!

“ ‘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. 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 you can find for them.’ ”

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

Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

so David sent ten young men instructing them, “Go up to Carmel, and when you come to Nabal, greet him in my name. Then say this: ‘Long life to you, and peace to you, peace to your family, and peace to all that is yours. I hear that you are shearing. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harass them, and nothing of theirs was missing the whole time they were in Carmel. Ask your young men, and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor with you, for we have come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have on hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”

David’s young men went and said all these things to Nabal on David’s behalf, and they waited. Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is Jesse’s son? Many slaves these days are running away from their masters.

NLTNew Living Translation

he sent ten of his young men to Carmel with this message for Nabal: “Peace and prosperity to you, your family, and everything you own! I am told that it is sheep-shearing time. While your shepherds stayed among us near Carmel, we never harmed them, and nothing was ever stolen from them. Ask your own men, and they will tell you this is true. So would you be kind to us, since we have come at a time of celebration? Please share any provisions you might have on hand with us and with your friend David.” David’s young men gave this message to Nabal in David’s name, and they waited for a reply.

“Who is this fellow David?” Nabal sneered to the young men. “Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

So David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel and go to Nabal; you will greet him in my name. Then you must say to him, ‘Long life to you, and may it go well with you, with your house, and with all that is yours. Now I have heard that you have shearers. Now while your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and nothing of theirs was missing, all the days they were in Carmel. Ask your servants and they will tell you! Let the young men find favor in your eyes because we have come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have on hand for your servants and for your son David.”

So David’s young men came and they spoke all these words to Nabal in the name of David. Then they waited. But Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? Today, there are many servants breaking away from the presence of their masters.

KJV 1900King James Version

And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name: And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel. Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David. And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased. And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.

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