²⁴ She fell at his feet and said, “Upon me alone, my lord, be the guilt; please let your servant speak in your ears and hear the words of your servant.^{(A) 25} My lord, do not take seriously this ill-natured fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he; Nabal^[a] is his name, and folly is with him, but I, your servant, did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent.^(B)

²⁶ “Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, since the Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt and from taking vengeance with your own hand, now let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be like Nabal.^{(C) 27} And now let this present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. ²⁸ Please forgive the trespass of your servant, for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live.^{(D) 29} If anyone should rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living under the care of the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling. ³⁰ When the Lord has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and has appointed you prince over Israel, ³¹ my lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause or for having saved himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant.”

³² David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today!^{(E) 33} Blessed be your good sense, and blessed be you, who kept me today from bloodguilt and from avenging myself by my own hand!

³ do not be terrified; go from his presence; do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, for he does whatever he pleases.