1 N ow it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire,

And it came to pass, when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid upon the south, and upon Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag and burned it with fire;

2 a nd had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.

and had taken the women captives that were in it; both great and small: they had put none to death, but had carried them off, and went on their way.

3 S o David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.

And David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burnt with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters were taken captives.

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

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

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

And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jizreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 N ow David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him; for the soul of all the people was embittered, every man because of his sons and because of his daughters; but David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God.

7 T hen David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, Bring near to me, I pray thee, the ephod. And Abiathar brought the ephod near to David.

8 S o David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all. ”

And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he said to him, Pursue; for thou shalt assuredly overtake and shalt certainly recover.

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

So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and they came to the torrent Besor; and those that were left stayed behind.

10 B ut David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor.

And David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to go over the torrent Besor.

11 T hen they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water.

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink,

12 A nd they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights.

and gave him a piece of fig-cake and two raisin-cakes, and he ate, and his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, for three days and three nights.

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

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

14 W e made an invasion of the southern area of the Cherethites, in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.”

We made a raid against the south of the Cherethites, and against what to Judah, and against the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.

15 A nd David said to him, “Can you take me down to this troop?” So he said, “Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this troop.”

And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear to me by God, that thou wilt neither put me to death nor deliver me up into the hand of my master, and I will bring thee down to this troop.

16 A nd when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.

And he brought him down, and behold, they were spread over the whole land, 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.

17 T hen David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.

And David smote them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day; and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, who rode upon camels, and fled.

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

And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken: and David recovered his two wives.

19 A nd nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all.

And there was nothing missed by them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil nor anything that they had taken: David brought all back.

20 T hen David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

And David took all the flocks and the herds, they drove before the other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.

21 N ow David came to the two hundred men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near the people, he greeted them.

And David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and whom they had left behind at the torrent Besor; and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him; and David drew near to the people and saluted them.

22 T hen all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man’s wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart.”

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

23 B ut David said, “My brethren, you shall not do so with what the Lord has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us.

Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which Jehovah has given us, who has preserved us, and given the troop that came against us into our hand.

24 F or who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.”

And who will hearken to you in this matter? For as his share is that goes down to the battle, so shall his share be that abides by the baggage: they shall share alike.

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

And it was from that day forward; and he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

26 N ow when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord ”—

And David came to Ziklag, and he sent of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of Jehovah:

27 t o those who were in Bethel, those who were in Ramoth of the South, those who were in Jattir,

to those in Bethel, and to those in south Ramoth, and to those in Jattir,

28 t hose who were in Aroer, those who were in Siphmoth, those who were in Eshtemoa,

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

29 t hose who were in Rachal, those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, those who were in the cities of the Kenites,

and to those in Rachal, and to those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those in the cities of the Kenites,

30 t hose who were in Hormah, those who were in Chorashan, those who were in Athach,

and to those in Hormah, and to those in Chor-ashan, and to those in Athach,

31 t hose who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to rove.

and to those in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men went about.