⁵ The fool shall be no more called noble, nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

²⁰ Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, And light for darkness; Who 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 face: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and 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 and thus shall you tell him who lives [in prosperity], Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and 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 did them no hurt, neither was there anything missing to them, all the while they were in Carmel.

⁸ Ask your young men, and they will tell you: therefore let the young men find favor in your eyes; for we come in a good day. Please give whatever comes to your hand, to your servants, and to your son David.

²⁵ Please don't let my lord 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 your handmaid didn't see the young men of my lord, whom you did send.

⁴ In whose eyes a vile man is despised, But who honors those who fear Yahweh; He who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and doesn't change;

⁶ Don't eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, And don't crave his delicacies:

⁷ For as he thinks about the cost, so he is. "Eat and drink!" he says to you, But his heart is not with you.

⁸ The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up, And lose your good words.

¹⁸ Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn't serve him.