Saul and his men went to look for him. ¹  But David was informed and went down to the rock and stayed in the desert of Maon. When Saul heard about it, he pursued David in the desert of Maon.

David said to Saul, “Why do you pay attention when men say, ‘David is seeking to do you harm’?

Who has the king of Israel come out after? Who is it that you are pursuing? A dead dog? A single flea?

When David heard in the desert that Nabal was shearing his sheep,

he ¹  sent ten servants, ²  saying to them, ³  “Go up to Carmel to see Nabal and give him greetings in my name. ⁴ 

Now I hear that they are shearing sheep for you. When your shepherds were with us, we neither insulted them nor harmed them the whole time they were in Carmel.

So David’s servants went on their way. When they had returned, they came and told David ¹  all these things.

But one of the servants told Nabal’s wife Abigail, “David sent messengers from the desert to greet ¹  our lord, but he screamed at them.

Now be aware of this, and see what you can do. For disaster has been planned for our lord and his entire household. ¹  He is such a wicked person ²  that no one tells him anything!”

My lord should not pay attention to this wicked man Nabal. He simply lives up to his name! His name means ‘fool,’ and he is indeed foolish! ¹  But I, your servant, did not see the servants my lord sent. ² 

Then David took from her hand what she had brought to him. He said to her, “Go back ¹  to your home in peace. Be assured that I have listened to you ²  and responded favorably.” ³ 

David sent scouts and verified that Saul had indeed arrived. ¹ 

This failure on your part isn’t good! ¹  As surely as the Lord lives, you people who have not protected your lord, the Lord’s chosen one, are as good as dead! ²  Now look where the king’s spear and the jug of water that was by his head are!”

When Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he did not mount a new search for him.

So Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him – not by dreams nor by Urim ¹  nor by the prophets.

When the woman came to Saul and saw how terrified he was, she said to him, “Your servant has done what you asked. ¹  I took my life into my own hands and did what you told me. ² 

But he refused, saying, “I won’t eat!” Both his servants and the woman urged ¹  him to eat, so he gave in. ²  He got up from the ground and sat down on the bed.

They cut off Saul’s ¹  head and stripped him of his armor. They sent messengers to announce the news in the temple of their idols and among their people throughout the surrounding land of the Philistines.