1. Samuel died, and all the Israelites came together and mourned for him. Then they buried him at his home in Ramah.After this, David went to the wilderness of Paran.
2-3. There was a man of the clan of Caleb named Nabal, who was from the town of Maon, and who owned land near the town of Carmel. He was a very rich man, the owner of 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. His wife Abigail was beautiful and intelligent, but he was a mean, bad-tempered man.Nabal was shearing his sheep in Carmel,
4. and David, who was in the wilderness, heard about it,
5. so he sent ten young men with orders to go to Carmel, find Nabal, and give him his greetings.
6. He instructed them to say to Nabal: “David sends you greetings, my friend, with his best wishes for you, your family, and all that is yours.
7. He heard that you were shearing your sheep, and he wants you to know that your shepherds have been with us and we did not harm them. Nothing that belonged to them was stolen all the time they were at Carmel.
8. Just ask them, and they will tell you. We have come on a feast day, and David asks you to receive us kindly. Please give what you can to us your servants and to your dear friend David.”
9. David's men delivered this message to Nabal in David's name. Then they waited there,
10. and Nabal finally answered, “David? Who is he? I've never heard of him! The country is full of runaway slaves nowadays!
11. I'm not going to take my bread and water, and the animals I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give them to people who come from I don't know where!”
12. David's men went back to him and told him what Nabal had said.
13. “Buckle on your swords!” he ordered, and they all did. David also buckled on his sword and left with about 400 of his men, leaving 200 behind with the supplies.
14. One of Nabal's servants said to Nabal's wife Abigail, “Have you heard? David sent some messengers from the wilderness with greetings for our master, but he insulted them.
15. Yet they were very good to us; they never bothered us, and all the time we were with them in the fields, nothing that belonged to us was stolen.
16. They protected us day and night the whole time we were with them looking after our flocks.