1 Samuel 25:1-11 ▼

1 Samuel died, and all Israel gathered to mourn for him. They buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David went to the desert of Paran.

2 Now, there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very rich man. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3 This man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. She was sensible and beautiful, but he was harsh and mean. He was a descendant of Caleb.

4 While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

5 So David sent ten young men and told them, |Go to Carmel, visit Nabal, and greet him for me.

6 Say to him, 'May you live [long]! May you, your home, and all you have prosper!

7 I hear that your sheepshearers are with you. Your shepherds have been with us, [and] we have not mistreated them. Nothing of theirs has been missing as long as they've been in Carmel.

8 Ask your young men, and let them tell you. Be kind to my young men, since we have come on a special occasion. Please give us and your son David anything you can [spare].'|

9 When David's young men came to Nabal, they repeated all of this to him for David, and then they waited.

10 |Who is David?| Nabal answered David's servants. |Who is Jesse's son? So many servants nowadays are leaving their masters.

11 Should I take my bread, my water, and my meat that I butchered for my shearers and give them to men coming from who knows where?|