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! Peace be to your house! 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. Nothing was missing from them all the time they were in Carmel.