1 Samuel 25:2–13

Nabal and Abigail

2 Now there was a man in aMaon whose business was in bCarmel; and the man was very 1rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And it came about while che was shearing his sheep in Carmel

3 (now the man’s name was Nabal, and his awife’s name was Abigail. And the woman was 1intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was ba Calebite),

4 that David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

5 So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, 1visit Nabal and greet him in my name;

6 and thus you shall say, ‘1Have a long life, apeace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.

7 ‘Now I have heard athat you have shearers; now your shepherds have been with us and we have not insulted them, bnor have they missed anything all the days they were in Carmel.

8 ‘Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on aa 1festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”

9 When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in David’s name; then they waited.

10 But Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “aWho is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master.

11 “Shall I then atake my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men 1whose origin I do not know?”

12 So David’s young men retraced their way and went back; and they came and told him according to all these words.

13 David said to his men, “Each of you gird on his sword.” So each man girded on his sword. And David also girded on his sword, and about afour hundred men went up behind David while two hundred bstayed with the baggage.