⁵ The fool shall be no more called noble, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

²⁰ Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

³ Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

⁴ And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

⁵ And David sent 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', Peace be unto thee, and peace be to thy house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.

⁷ And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: thy shepherds have now been with us, and we did them no hurt, neither was there aught missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.

⁸ Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee: wherefore let the young men find favor in thine eyes; for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thy hand, unto thy servants, and to thy son David.

²⁵ Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this worthless fellow, even Nabal; for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thy handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

⁴ In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honoreth them that fear Jehovah; He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not;

⁶ Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, Neither desire thou his dainties:

⁷ For as he thinketh within himself, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.

⁸ The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, And lose thy sweet words.

¹⁸ Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.