1 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented over him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and 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: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was surly and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
6 And thus shall you say to him that lives in prosperity, Peace be both to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be unto all that you have.
7 And now I have heard that you have shearers: now your shepherds which were with us, we hurt not, neither was there anything missing from them, all the while they were in Carmel.