Abigail Wey Make Peace

Four hundred men wey dey vex dey march down one mountain road, sword dey their side. For di same road, one woman dey come up, only few servants and some donkeys wey carry load follow her. Small time, dem go meet.

Di prophet Samuel don die, and all Israel mourn am. David still dey run from King Saul, dey live for di wilderness with im men. Near there, one very rich man dey live, im name na Nabal, e get three thousand sheep and one thousand goats. Na time to shave sheep wool, season of feast and plenty. Nabal dey hard and wicked for everything wey e dey do. But im wife, Abigail, get sense and she fine, she get wisdom for heart and for mouth.

David send ten young men go meet Nabal with friendly greeting. Peace be unto you, and peace be unto your house! Your shepherds don dey with us for di field, and we no ever harm dem, and nothing wey be their own loss. Ask dem, dem go tell you. So abeg, for dis feast time, share anything wey you fit share with us. Nabal look dem with contempt. Who be David? Plenty servants dey dis days wey dey run comot from their masters. Why I go take my bread and my water, and di meat wey I prepare for di people wey dey shave my sheep, come give am to men wey nobody know where dem from? Di young men go back go report every word. David answer short. Everybody, tie una sword. Four hundred men follow am go. David swear say before morning, nothing go remain for Nabal house.

One of Nabal servants run go meet Abigail. David send messengers come greet our master, and e shout insult for dem. But dat men good to us. Day and night dem be like wall round us when we dey look after di sheep. Now think wetin you fit do, because disaster dey come. And nobody fit talk to am. Abigail no waste time at all. She load donkeys with two hundred loaves of bread, two skin bags of wine, five sheep wey dem don prepare for cooking, grain, one hundred bunches of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs. She send her servants go front. She no tell her husband. And she ride follow dem.

As she dey come down one hidden road for di mountain, she see David dey come towards her with im men. Abigail come down from her donkey quick quick, bow reach ground for im feet. Make di blame fall on me, my lord. Abeg, listen to me. No pay attention to Nabal. Im name mean fool, and foolishness dey follow am. I no see di men wey you send. But Di Lord don hold you back from shedding blood and from taking revenge with your own hand. Take dis gift for your men. Di Lord go surely give you house wey go last, because na di battles of Di Lord you dey fight. And when e make you ruler over Israel, dis thing no go dey your conscience, say you shed blood for nothing, or say you take revenge for yourself.

David stop. Then e talk, Blessed be Di Lord, di God of Israel, wey send you to meet me today. Blessed be your good sense, and blessed be you, because you hold me back from shedding blood and from taking revenge with my own hand. E collect her gifts. Go house in peace. I don hear you. When Abigail reach house, Nabal dey hold feast like king own, and e don drink reach say e drunk well well. So she wait till morning. When di drink don comot for im head, she tell am everything. Im heart fail am, and e lie down like stone. About ten days after, Di Lord strike am, and e die. When David hear, e praise God because God hold am back from doing wrong. Then e send for Abigail and ask her make she be im wife. She get up, and go with am.

Two things go stand out for di first people wey hear dis story. First, di name. For Hebrew, nabal really mean fool, and Abigail herself talk am. Second, di timing. For old Israel, to shave sheep wool no be only hard work. E be festival, with feast and generosity. For another part of di Bible, Judah go up to di people wey dey shave im sheep, and David son Absalom do one big feast for im brothers for shearing time. So when Nabal refuse, for di most generous time of di year, na insult wey e plan to do.

Abigail wey make peace. You go find her story for First Samuel, chapter twenty-five. One foolish man nearly start killing. One wise woman, with courage, humility and di correct words, stop am. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When vex dey rise around you, you go add fuel, or you go be di person wey make peace?