1 Samuel 25:1-9

11Then Samuel died; and all Israel assembled and 2mourned for him, and they 3buried him at his house in Ramah. And David set out and went down to the 4wilderness of Paran.

2Now there was a man in 5Maon whose business was in 6Carmel; and the man was very 7rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And it came about while 8he was shearing his sheep in Carmel 3(now the man’s name was Nabal, and his 9wife’s name was Abigail. And the woman was 10intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was 11a Calebite), 4that David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel and 12visit Nabal, and greet him in my name; 6and this is what you shall say: ‘13Have a long life, 14peace to you, and peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! 7Now then, I have heard 15that you have shearers. Now, your shepherds have been with us; we have not harmed them, 16nor has anything of theirs gone missing all the days they were in Carmel. 8Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on 17a 18festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.’”

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