8 Ask your servants and they will tell you this is true. Please be kind to my young men. We come to you now, at this happy time. Please give these young men anything you can. Please do this for me, your friend David.”
9 David’s men went to Nabal. They gave his message to Nabal,
10 but Nabal said, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? There are many slaves who have run away from their masters these days.
11 I have bread and water, and I have the meat I killed for my servants who cut the wool from my sheep. But I won’t give them to men I don’t even know.”
12 David’s men went back and told him everything that Nabal had said.
13 David’s response was, “Put on your swords.” So David and his men put on their swords. About 400 men went with David while 200 of them stayed with the supplies.
14 One of Nabal’s servants spoke to Nabal’s wife Abigail. The servant said, “David sent messengers from the desert to meet our master, but Nabal was rude to them.