1 A nd it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

Then it happened when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire;

2 a nd had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

and they took captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great, without killing anyone, and carried them off and went their way.

3 S o David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive.

4 T hen David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep.

5 A nd David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

Now David’s two wives had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 A nd David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

7 A nd David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

8 A nd David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

David inquired of the Lord, saying, “ Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?” And He said to him, “Pursue, for you will surely overtake them, and you will surely rescue all.”

9 S o David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.

So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those left behind remained.

10 B ut David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor remained behind.

11 A nd they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;

Now they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and they provided him water to drink.

12 a nd they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

They gave him a piece of fig cake and two clusters of raisins, and he ate; then his spirit revived. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.

13 A nd David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.

David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” And he said, “I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind when I fell sick three days ago.

14 W e made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.

We made a raid on the Negev of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.”

15 A nd David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.

Then David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this band.”

16 A nd when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.

17 A nd David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.

David slaughtered them from the twilight until the evening of the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.

18 A nd David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives.

19 A nd there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

But nothing of theirs was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that they had taken for themselves; David brought it all back.

20 A nd David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil.

So David had captured all the sheep and the cattle which the people drove ahead of the other livestock, and they said, “ This is David’s spoil.” The Spoils Are Divided

21 A nd David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.

When David came to the two hundred men who were too exhausted to follow David, who had also been left at the brook Besor, and they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him, then David approached the people and greeted them.

22 T hen answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.

Then all the wicked and worthless men among those who went with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away and depart.”

23 T hen said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the Lord hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.

Then David said, “You must not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us, who has kept us and delivered into our hand the band that came against us.

24 F or who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.

And who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike.”

25 A nd it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

So it has been from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

26 A nd when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the Lord;

Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Behold, a gift for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord:

27 t o them which were in Beth-el, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,

to those who were in Bethel, and to those who were in Ramoth of the Negev, and to those who were in Jattir,

28 a nd to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,

and to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa,

29 a nd to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,

and to those who were in Racal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites,

30 a nd to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chor-ashan, and to them which were in Athach,

and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in Bor-ashan, and to those who were in Athach,

31 a nd to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.

and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to go.”