1 T hen 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;

When David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had come to fight in the Negev and Ziklag. They had destroyed Ziklag, and burned it with fire.

2 a nd 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.

They took the women and all who were in it, without killing anyone. They carried them out and went on their way.

3 W hen 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.

David and his men came to the city and saw that it was burned. Their wives and sons and daughters had been taken away.

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

Then David and the people with him cried out in a loud voice until they had no more strength to cry.

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

David’s two wives had been taken away, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

6 M oreover 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.

And David was very troubled because the people talked about killing him with stones. For all the people were very angry in their sorrow for their sons and daughters. But David got his strength from the Lord his God.

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

David said to Abiathar the religious leader, son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the linen vest.” So Abiathar brought the linen vest to David.

8 D avid 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.”

Then David asked the Lord, “Should I go after this army? Should I meet them in battle?” The Lord said to him, “Go after them, for you will catch them for sure. And you will be sure to save all the people.”

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

So David and the 600 men who were with him went out and came to the river of Besor. There those stayed who were left behind.

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

But David kept going after them, with 400 men. For 200 were too tired to cross the river of Besor and stayed behind.

11 N ow 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.

They found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave him bread and he ate, and he was given water to drink.

12 T hey 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.

They gave him a piece of a fig loaf and two vines of dried grapes. When he had eaten, his spirit returned to him. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.

13 D avid 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.

David said to him, “To whom do you belong? Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite. My owner left me behind when I became sick three days ago.

14 W e 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.”

We had gone to fight in the Negev of the Cherethites, and in the land of Judah, and in the Negev of Caleb. We burned Ziklag with fire.”

15 T hen 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.”

Then David said to him, “Will you take me down to his army?” And he said, “Promise me by God that you will not kill me or give me to my owner, and I will bring you down to this army.”

16 W hen 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.

When he had taken David down, he saw the soldiers spread over all the land. They were eating and drinking and dancing because of all the good things they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah.

17 D avid 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.

And David killed them from the evening until the evening of the next day. None of them got away, except 400 young men who ran away on camels.

18 S o David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives.

David took back all that the Amalekites had taken, and saved his two wives.

19 B ut 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.

Nothing was missing, small or large, sons or daughters, food or anything that had been taken. David returned with all of it.

20 S o 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

And he took all the sheep and cattle. The people drove those animals in front of him, and said, “This is what belongs to David.”

21 W hen 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.

David came to the 200 men who had been too tired to follow him and had been left at the river of Besor. They went out to meet David and the people who were with him. David came near the people and said hello to them.

22 T hen 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.”

Then all the sinful men of no worth who had gone with David said, “They did not go with us. So we will not give them anything of what we have taken, except for each man’s wife and children. Each man may take them and go.”

23 T hen 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.

David said, “You must not do so with what the Lord has given us, my brothers. He has kept us safe and has given us the army that came against us.

24 A nd 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.”

Who would listen to you about this? The share of those who stay by our things will be the same as the share of those who go to the battle. They will share alike.”

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

He made it a law for Israel from that day to this.

26 N ow 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:

When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the things he had taken in battle to the leaders of Judah, his friends. He said, “See, here is a gift for you from what was taken from those who hate the Lord.

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

It is for those in Bethel, Ramoth of the Negev, Jattir,

28 a nd to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa,

Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

29 a nd 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,

and Racal. It is for those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, the cities of the Kenites,

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

Hormah, Borashan, Athach,

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

Hebron, and all the places where David and his men have gone many times.”