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Abigail had a husband named Nabal. He was rich. But he was selfish and mean. Abigail was beautiful and wise.
Nabal owned three thousand sheep and one thousand goats. And he took his sheep to a place called Carmel. There he had them sheared.
Now David and his army were in the wilderness by Carmel. They kept Nabal's shepherds safe. David heard Nabal was in Carmel for a feast.
David sent ten of his young men to greet Nabal in David's name. They greeted Nabal in peace. They asked Nabal for food and supplies in return for keeping Nabal's shepherds safe. Nabal laughed at David. Nabal said, "No."
This made David angry. David told his men in I Samuel 25:13, "Every man put on his sword." He took four hundred men to fight Nabal.
Abigail heard David and his men were coming. She took food and drink and loaded them on donkeys. She sent her servants to meet David.
Abigail rode on a donkey to meet David. When Abigail saw David, she got off the donkey quickly. She fell on her face before David. Abigail offered David food and drink.
Then Abigail pleaded with David, "Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him!"
David said to Abigail, "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! And blessed is your advice and blessed are you."
Abigail returned to Nabal. But Nabal died ten days later. David heard the news and sent for Abigail. He asked Abigail to be his wife. For Abigail's wisdom kept David from doing evil in the sight of the Lord.
Parent Tip: As you read this issue with your child, look for words that are unfamiliar to them. Ask your child what they think each unfamiliar word means in the context of the story. Look up the word in the dictionary to confirm their answer. This is a great exercise in comprehension for your child.