1 Samuel 25:1-13

New American Standard Bible

Samuel’s Death

25 ^(A)Then Samuel died; and all Israel assembled and ^(B)mourned for him, and they ^(C)buried him at his house in Ramah. And David set out and went down to the ^(D)wilderness of Paran.

Nabal and Abigail

² Now there was a man in ^(E)Maon whose business was in ^(F)Carmel; and the man was very ^[a]rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And it came about while ^(G)he was shearing his sheep in Carmel ³ (now the man’s name was Nabal, and his ^(H)wife’s name was Abigail. And the woman was ^[b]intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was ^(I)a Calebite), ⁴ that David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. ⁵ So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel and ^[c]visit Nabal, and greet him in my name; ⁶ and this is what you shall say: ‘^[d]Have a long life, ^(J)peace to you, and peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! ⁷ Now then, I have heard ^(K)that you have shearers. Now, your shepherds have been with us; we have not harmed them, ^(L)nor has anything of theirs gone missing all the days they were in Carmel. ⁸ Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on ^(M)a ^[e]festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.’”

⁹ When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal in accordance with all these words in David’s name; then they waited. ¹⁰ But Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “^(N)Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master. ¹¹ Shall I then ^(O)take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men ^[f]whose origin I do not know?” ¹² So David’s young men made their way back and returned; and they came and informed him in accordance with all these words. ¹³ Then David said to his men, “Each of you strap on his sword.” So each man strapped on his sword. And David also strapped on his sword, and about ^(P)four hundred men went up behind David, while two hundred ^(Q)stayed with the baggage.