8. Ask your shepherds, and they'll tell you the same thing.My servants are your servants, and you are like a father to me. This is a day for celebrating, so please be kind and share some of your food with us.
9. David's men went to Nabal and gave him David's message, then they waited for Nabal's answer.
10. This is what he said:Who does this David think he is? That son of Jesse is just one more slave on the run from his master, and there are too many of them these days.
11. What makes you think I would take my bread, my water, and the meat that I've had cooked for my own servants and give it to you? Besides, I'm not sure that David sent you!
12. The men returned to their camp and told David everything Nabal had said.
13. “Everybody get your swords!” David ordered.They all strapped on their swords. Two hundred men stayed behind to guard the camp, but the other four hundred followed David.
14-16. Meanwhile, one of Nabal's servants told Abigail:David's men were often nearby while we were taking care of the sheep in the fields. They were very good to us, they never hurt us, and nothing was ever stolen from us while they were nearby. With them around day or night, we were as safe as we would have been inside a walled city.David sent some messengers from the desert to wish our master well, but he shouted insults at them.
17. He's a bully who won't listen to anyone.Isn't there something you can do? Please think of something! Or else our master and his family and everyone who works for him are all doomed.
18. Abigail quickly got together two hundred loaves of bread, two large clay jars of wine, the meat from five sheep, a large sack of roasted grain, a hundred handfuls of raisins, and two hundred handfuls of dried figs. She loaded all the food on donkeys
19. and told her servants, “Take this on ahead, and I'll catch up with you.” She didn't tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.
20. Abigail was riding her donkey on the path that led around the hillside, when suddenly she met David and his men heading straight at her.
21. David had just been saying, “I wasted my time guarding Nabal's things in the desert and keeping them from being stolen! I was good to him, and now he pays me back with insults.
22. I swear that by morning, there won't be a man or boy left from his family or his servants' families. I pray that God will punish me if I don't do it!”
23. Abigail quickly got off her donkey and bowed down in front of David.
24. Then she said:Sir, please let me explain!
25. Don't pay any attention to that good-for-nothing Nabal. His name means “fool”, and it really fits him!I didn't see the men you sent,
26-27. but please take this gift of food that I've brought and share it with your followers. The Lord has kept you from taking revenge and from killing innocent people. But I hope your enemies and anyone else who wants to harm you will end up like Nabal. I swear this by the living Lord and by your life.
28. Please forgive me if I say a little more. The Lord will always protect you and your family, because you fight for him. I pray that you won't ever do anything evil as long as you live.