35. Then David accepted her present and told her, “Return home in peace. I have heard what you said. We will not kill your husband.”
36. When Abigail arrived home, she found that Nabal was throwing a big party and was celebrating like a king. He was very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything about her meeting with David until dawn the next day.
37. In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him what had happened. As a result he had a stroke, and he lay paralyzed on his bed like a stone.
38. About ten days later, the lord struck him, and he died.
39. When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise the lord, who has avenged the insult I received from Nabal and has kept me from doing it myself. Nabal has received the punishment for his sin.” Then David sent messengers to Abigail to ask her to become his wife.
40. When the messengers arrived at Carmel, they told Abigail, “David has sent us to take you back to marry him.”
41. She bowed low to the ground and responded, “I, your servant, would be happy to marry David. I would even be willing to become a slave, washing the feet of his servants!”
42. Quickly getting ready, she took along five of her servant girls as attendants, mounted her donkey, and went with David’s messengers. And so she became his wife.
43. David also married Ahinoam from Jezreel, making both of them his wives.
44. Saul, meanwhile, had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to a man from Gallim named Palti son of Laish.