1 Samuel 25:4–13

⁴ While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. ⁵ So David sent ten young men and instructed them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel. Greet him in my name ⁶ and say to him, ‘Long life to you, and peace to you and your house and to all that belongs to you. ⁷ Now I hear that it is time for shearing. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harass them, and nothing of theirs was missing the whole time they were in Carmel. ⁸ Ask your young men, and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor with you, for we have come on the day of a feast. Please give whatever you can afford to your servants and to your son David.’” ⁹ When David’s young men arrived, they relayed all these words to Nabal on behalf of David. Then they waited. ¹⁰ But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters. ¹¹ Why should I take my bread and water and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give them to these men whose origin I do not know?” ¹² So David’s men turned around and went back, and they relayed to him all these words. ¹³ And David said to his men, “Strap on your swords!” So David and all his men put on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.