1. Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and mourned for him, and buried him at his house at Ramah. Then David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2. There was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3. Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail. This woman was intelligent and had a beautiful face; but the man was surly and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.
4. David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
5. David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.
6. Tell him, ‘Long life to you! Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.
7. Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds have now been with us, and we didn’t harm them, neither was there anything missing from them, all the while they were in Carmel.