to thy voice, and have accepted thy person."

And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house,
like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for
he was very drunken: {424} wherefore she told him nothing, less or
more, until the morning light.

And it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of
Nabal, that his wife told him these things, and his heart died within
him, and he became as a stone.

And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal,
that he died.

And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the
Lord, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of
Nabal, and hath kept back his servant from evil: and the evil-doing of
Nabal hath the Lord returned upon his own head."

And David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to him to
wife. And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel,
they spoke unto her, saying, "David hath sent us unto thee, to take
thee to him to wife."

And she arose, and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said,
"Behold, thine handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants
of my lord."

And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels
of hers that followed her; and she went after the messengers of David,
and became his wife.

DAVID BECOMES KING.

_The Lament for Saul and Jonathan. After Long Waiting the
Throne is Gained_.

(At last came that fatal battle with the Philistines in the hills and,
when the sun set, Saul and his three sons lay dead upon the field.)

And it came to pass after the death of Saul, on the {425} third day,
that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes
rent, and earth upon his head: and when he came to David, he fell to
the earth, and did obeisance. And David said to him, "From whence
comest thou?" And he said unto him, "Out of the camp of Israel am I
escaped."

And David said to him, "How went the day? I pray thee, tell me."

And he answered, "The people are fled from the battle, and many of the
people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are
dead also."

And David said to the young man that told him, "How knowest thou that
Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?"

And the young man that told him said, "As I happened by chance upon
Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the
chariots and the horsemen followed hard after him. And w