1 Samuel 25:2-17

2Now there was a manH376 in MaonH4584 whose businessH4639 was in CarmelH3760. He was a veryH3966 wealthyH1419 manH376 with a thousandH505 goatsH5795 and threeH7969 thousandH505 sheepH6629, which he wasH1961 shearingH1494 in CarmelH3760. 3HisH376 nameH8034 was NabalH5037, and his wife’sH802 nameH8034 was AbigailH26. She was an intelligentH2896H7922 and beautifulH3303H8389 womanH802, but her husbandH376, a CalebiteH3820, was harshH7186 and evilH7451 in his dealingsH4611H1931.

4While DavidH1732 was in the wildernessH4057, he heardH8085 thatH3588 NabalH5037 was shearingH1494 sheepH6629. 5So DavidH1732 sentH7971 tenH6235 young menH5288 and instructed themH559H1732H5288, “Go upH5927 toH413 NabalH5037 at CarmelH3760. Greet himH7592H7965 in my nameH8034 6and say to himH559, ‘Long life to youH2416, and peaceH7965 to youH859 and to your houseH1004H7965 and to allH3605 thatH834 belongs to youH7965. 7NowH6258 I hearH8085 thatH3588 it is time for shearingH1494. When your shepherdsH7462 wereH1961 with usH5973, we did notH3808 harass themH3637, and nothingH3808H3972 of theirs was missingH6485 the wholeH3605 timeH3117 they wereH1961 in CarmelH3760. 8AskH7592 your young menH5288, and they will tellH5046 you. So let my young menH5288 findH4672 favor with youH2580H5869, forH3588 we have comeH935 onH5921 the dayH3117 of a feastH2896. PleaseH4994 giveH5414 whateverH834 you can spareH4672H3027 to your servantsH5650 and to your sonH1121 DavidH1732.’”

9When David’sH1732 young menH5288 arrivedH935, they relayedH1696 allH3605 theseH428H8034 wordsH1697 toH413 NabalH5037 on behalf of DavidH1732. Then they waitedH5117.

10

But NabalH5037 askedH559 themH5650H1732, “WhoH4310 is DavidH1732? WhoH4310 is this son ofH1121 JesseH3448? ManyH7231 servantsH5650 these daysH3117 are breaking awayH6555H376 fromH6440 their mastersH113. 11Why should I takeH3947 my breadH3899 andH853 waterH4325 and the meatH2878 I have slaughteredH2873 for my shearersH1494, and give themH5414 to these menH582 whose originH335H2088H1992 I do notH3808 knowH3045?”

12So David’sH1732 menH5288 turned aroundH2015H1870 and went backH7725H935, and they relayedH5046 to him allH3605 theseH428 wordsH1697.

13And DavidH1732 saidH559 to his menH582, “Strap onH2296 your swordsH2719!” So DavidH1732 andH1571 all his menH376 strapped onH2296 their swordsH2719H2296, and about fourH702 hundredH3967 menH376 followedH5927H310 DavidH1732, while two hundredH3967 stayedH3427 withH5921 the suppliesH3627.

14Meanwhile, oneH259 of Nabal’sH5288 young menH5288H559 informedH5046 Nabal’sH5037 wifeH802 AbigailH26, “LookH2009, DavidH1732 sentH7971 messengersH4397 from the wildernessH4057 to greetH1288 our masterH113, but he screamedH5860 at them. 15Yet these menH582 were veryH3966 goodH2896 to us. When we wereH1961 in the fieldH7704, we were notH3808 harassedH3637, and nothingH3808H3972 of ours went missingH6485 the wholeH3605 timeH3117 we livedH1980 among themH854. 16They wereH1961 a wallH2346 around usH5921, bothH1571 dayH3119 andH1571 nightH3915, the wholeH3605 timeH3117 we wereH1961 herdingH7462 our sheepH6629 near themH5973. 17NowH6258 consider carefullyH3045H7200 whatH4100 you must doH6213, becauseH3588 disasterH7451 loomsH3615 overH413 our masterH113 andH5921 allH3605 his householdH1004. For heH1931 is such a scoundrelH1121H1100 that nobody can speakH1696 to himH413!”