14. But one of Nabal's young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he railed at them.
15. But David's men were very good to us, and we were not harmed, nor did we miss anything as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields.
16. They were a wall to us night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep.
17. So know this and consider what you will do, for evil is determined against our master and all his house. For he is such a wicked man that one cannot speak to him.
18. Then Abigail made haste and took 200 loaves, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five measures of parched grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys.
19. And she said to her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
20. As she rode on her donkey, she came down hidden by the mountain, and behold, David and his men came down opposite her, and she met them.
21. Now David had said, Surely in vain have I protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him; and he has repaid me evil for good.
22. May God do so, and more also, to David if I leave of all who belong to him one male alive by morning.
23. When Abigail saw David, she hastened and lighted off the donkey, and fell before David on her face and did obeisance.
24. Kneeling at his feet she said, Upon me alone let this guilt be, my lord. And let your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your presence, and hear the words of your handmaid.
25. Let not my lord, I pray you, regard this foolish and wicked fellow Nabal, for as his name is, so is he–Nabal [foolish, wicked] is his name, and folly is with him. But I, your handmaid, did not see my lord's young men whom you sent.
26. So now, my lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, seeing that the Lord has prevented you from bloodguiltiness and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal.
27. And now this gift, which your handmaid has brought my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.
28. Forgive, I pray you, the trespass of your handmaid, for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the Lord's battles, and evil has not been found in you all your days.
29. Though man is risen up to pursue you and to seek your life, yet the life of my lord shall be bound in the living bundle with the Lord your God. And the lives of your enemies–them shall He sling out as out of the center of a sling.
30. And when the Lord has done to my lord according to all the good that He has promised concerning you and has made you ruler over Israel,
31. This shall be no staggering grief to you or cause for pangs of conscience to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause or that my lord has avenged himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then [earnestly] remember your handmaid.