16. Night and day they protected us. They were like a wall around us while we were with them caring for the sheep.
17. Now think about it, and decide what you can do. Terrible trouble is coming to our master and all his family. Nabal is such a wicked man that no one can even talk to him.”
18. Abigail hurried. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two leather bags full of wine, five cooked sheep, a bushel of cooked grain, a hundred cakes of raisins, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs and put all these on donkeys.
19. Then she told her servants, “Go on. I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband.
20. Abigail rode her donkey and came down toward the mountain hideout. There she met David and his men coming down toward her.
21. David had just said, “It’s been useless! I watched over Nabal’s property in the desert. I made sure none of his sheep was missing. I did good to him, but he has paid me back with evil.
22. May God punish my enemies even more. I will not leave one of Nabal’s men alive until morning.”
23. When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed facedown on the ground before him.
24. She fell at David’s feet and said, “My master, let the blame be on me! Please let me talk to you. Listen to what I say.
25. My master, don’t pay attention to this worthless man Nabal. He is like his name. His name means ‘fool,’ and he is truly a fool. But I, your servant, didn’t see the men you sent.
26. The Lord has kept you from killing and punishing anyone. As surely as the Lord lives and as surely as you live, may your enemies become like Nabal!
27. I have brought a gift to you for the men who follow you.
28. Please forgive my wrong. The Lord will certainly let your family have many kings, because you fight his battles. As long as you live, may you do nothing bad.
29. Someone might chase you to kill you, but the Lord your God will keep you alive. He will throw away your enemies’ lives as he would throw a stone from a sling.
30. The Lord will keep all his promises of good things for you. He will make you leader over Israel.
31. Then you won’t feel guilty or troubled because you killed innocent people and punished them. Please remember me when the Lord brings you success.”