1000 word excerpt

Abigail had no idea what to do with Nabal. Most of the time he was a loving, gentle husband, but when he started drinking, he descended rapidly into a state of anger and confusion that was extremely upsetting to the whole household. The shepherds and the other servants learned to fear him. The dogs felt the sting of his fury when he could find no one to insult or hurt.

He blamed all his drinking on the fact that Abigail had not given him a son.. The months went by and no son was in sight. One day, Nabal left the country house in Maon and did not return.

One day Abigail, with fear and trembling, took Aunt Abija's advice and went down with her to Carmel.

"You can't leave your husband alone too long," she said. "He'll go off and get himself a concubine, if he hasn't already."

At first, Nabal seemed glad to see her. He helped her down off her little donkey, and took her into the country house. Then he disappeared and she did not see him for two days. It was time for the sheep shearing and he was extremely busy. The shearers went from farm to farm and were very respected. They could cut all the wool off a sheep in one long strip and never hurt the sheep.

David protected all the shepherds of the farms south of Hebron from the attacks of the Philistines. One day, a wounded shepherd in bloody clothes and torn sandals galloped into David's camp. Abinadab and Shamma hurried to cleanse and bind up his wounds, as he sobbed out his story to David.

"I am one of Nabal's shepherds." he said. "This morning, the Philistines attacked us. They killed my brother and stole about half of our flock, Please come and help us. I am afraid they will return!"

Abinadab and Shamma and the wounded shepherd led the way and David and one hundred of his men galloped after them. They found the Philistines roasting the meat of the sheep and drinking the wine they had stolen, David's band fell on them like fury and did not leave a single one alive. David and his men helped to return the live sheep to the camp of Nabal's shepherds. At the shepherd's insistence, they took the roasted meat to their camp where it was well received.

David always had a struggle to keep his people fed. He had 600 men wih him now and his constant wars against the Philistines and other enemies took a lot of energy. When he heard that Nabal had sheep shearers at Carmel, he decided to ask him for food for his people. At sheep shearing time the farmers always prepared huge quantities of food.

The young men that David sent recited the respectful greeting of David to Nabal and his request for food.

"We have defended your shepherds all year long." they added.

Nabal's insolent attitude chilled their spirits,

"Who is David? And who is this son of Jesse? There are a lot of renegade servants about that have run away from their masters. How do you expect me to take the food I have prepared for my sheep shearers and my workers and send it to someone I don't even know?"

Without a word, they returned to David and told him how Nabal had answered them. His eyes turned to blue ice. He called 400 of his men together.

"Arm yourselves with your swords!" he exclaimed. "We have an account to settle. If we leave a man alive at Nabal's farm by tomorrow, may God do so to me and more!"

They rode to Carmel in stony silence. Suddenly, a figure appeared before them, signalling for them to stop.

Abigail threw herself on the ground before David. He dismounted and and lifted her up.

Consider what you're going to do, David!" she exclaimed. "If you defend your honor by shedding innocent blood, that will be on your conscience forever. Don't pay attention to Nabal. He is just like his name, a fool, a perverse man. Forgive me, please, I was not there when the young men came to Nabal. Please accept the food I have brought you. There are whole roasted sheep and toasted grain, and bread and raisins, and wine.

"I know that you will reign, for God has promised it because you fight God's battles and there is no evil found in you, God will guard your life with His faithful ones, and He will scatter your enemies like the stones from a sling,

Here, she looked up at him, shyly, "When you come in your kingdom, please remember me."

He blessed her over and over and said, "Blessed be God who sent you to stop me and blessed be your reasoning. You have saved me from taking vengeance with my own hand. Thank you for the food, dear Abigail! Now, go up to your house in peace, because I have heard and respected your voice." She mounted her litte donkey and returned to the ranch house, followed by the servants with the donkeys that had carried the food.

She peeked into the large dining room where Nabal sat like a king at a banquet with the shearers and his overseers. He was completely drunk. She quietly went off to bed.

In the morning,she searched Nabal out and, for once in her life, confronted him with the reality of his life.

"Had I not hurried last night to pacify David with food and counsel, you and every man here would have died. He had hundreds of men with him, each with his sword, and they were very angry about your answer to David's request.
I know that his men have defended your shepherds all year. Their request was a just one."

She turned on her heel to avoid hearing his thundering accusations, but they never came, She turned back and saw that he had fallen over, victim of a sudden attack that left him rigid like a stone.

The servants put him to bed and cared for him, but he neither spoke nor ate for ten days until he died. Abigail was by his side, but he could not hear her tender voice nor see the tears she shed over the tragic end of what could have been a beautiful life.