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.