*And aSamuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and blamented him, and buried him cin his house at dRamah. And David arose, and went down to ethe wilderness of Paran. 2 And there was a man in fgMaon, whose ||possessions were in gCarmel; 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 churlish and evil in his doings; and he was hof the house of Caleb. 4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did ishear 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 ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, jPeace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. 7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we †hurt them not, neither was there ought kmissing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel. 8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men lfind favour in thine eyes: for we come in ma good day: give, I pray thee, nwhatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David. 9 And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and †ceased.