There was a rich man there with 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. This rich man, Nabal, had a wife whose name was Abigail. She was intelligent and beautiful.But he was rude and evil, a man from Caleb. David sent ten people to Nabal. They greeted him, “Peace be with you!” and then told Nabal that David’s men had not harmed his shepherds. As they waited calmly for him to offer them some food, Nabal said, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters.” Shall I take my bread, my water and my meat that I have prepared for my shearers, and give it to you, men I don’t even know where they come from?” So David’s people turned on their way, and went back to tell this to David. Then David said, “Everyone put on his sword!”
About four hundred men followed him.
When Abigail heard of this, she said to her people, “Behold, David sent messengers to Nabal to greet him. But he insulted them, even though they protected us and the shepherds in the field.” Then Abigail hurried with donkeys which were loaded with 200 loaves of bread, five sheep ready dressed, two jugs of wine, five sacks of parched grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 cakes of figs. Abigail rode behind on a donkey. But she didn’t tell her husband. By the covert of the mountain, she met David, who was coming her way, and he was very angry. Than Abigial got off her donkey and fell before David and bowed to the ground. She fell at this feet and said,
“…So is he. Now therefore, as your soul lives, the Lord has withheld you from blood guiltiness. So shall your enemies, and all who seek to do evil to my lord, be as Nabal. Here is my gift of blessings which your servant has brought to my lord.”