is, Abigail, for that was his wife's name, saddled her asses, and
loaded them with all sorts of presents; and, without telling her husband
any thing of what she was about, [for he was not sensible on account of
his drunkenness,] she went to David. She was then met by David as she
was descending a hill, who was coming against Nabal with four hundred
men. When the woman saw David, she leaped down from her ass, and fell on
her face, and bowed down to the ground; and entreated him not to bear in
mind the words of Nabal, since he knew that he resembled his name. Now
Nabal, in the Hebrew tongue, signifies folly. So she made her apology,
that she did not see the messengers whom he sent. "Forgive me,
therefore," said she, "and thank God, who hath hindered thee from
shedding human blood; for so long as thou keepest thyself innocent, he
will avenge thee of wicked men, [25] for what miseries await Nabal, they
will fall upon the heads of thine enemies. Be thou gracious to me, and
think me so far worthy as to accept of these presents from me; and, out
of regard to me, remit that wrath and that anger which thou hast
against my husband and his house, for mildness and humanity become thee,
especially as thou art to be our king." Accordingly, David accepted her
presents, and said, "Nay, but, O woman, it was no other than God's mercy
which brought thee to us today, for, otherwise, thou hadst never seen
another day, I having sworn to destroy Nabal's house this very night,
and to leave alive not one of you who belonged to a man that was wicked
and ungrateful to me and my companions; but now hast thou prevented me,
and seasonably mollified my anger, as being thyself under the care of
God's providence: but as for Nabal, although for thy sake he now escape
punishment, he will not always avoid justice; for his evil conduct, on
some other occasion, will be his ruin."

8. When David had said this, he dismissed the woman. But when she came
home and found her husband feasting with a great company, and oppressed
with wine, she said nothing to him then about what had happened; but on
the next day, when he was sober, she told him all the particulars, and
made his whole body to appear like that of a dead man by her words, and
by that grief which arose from them; so Nabal survived ten days, and no
more, and then died. And when David heard of his death, he said that God
had justly avenged him of this man, for that Nabal had died by his own
wickedness, an