1 W hen 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.

Now 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,

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

and 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.

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

So 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.

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

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

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

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

6 A nd 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.

Now 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.

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

Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

8 T hen 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.”

So 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. ”

9 S o 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.

So 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.

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

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

11 T hey 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.

Then 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.

12 T hey 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.

And 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.

13 D avid 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.

Then 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.

14 W e 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.”

We 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.”

15 T hen 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.”

And 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.”

16 W hen 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.

And 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.

17 A nd 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.

Then 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.

18 D avid took back all that the Amalekites had taken, and saved his two wives.

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

19 N othing was missing, small or large, sons or daughters, food or anything that had been taken. David returned with all of it.

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

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

Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

21 D avid 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.

Now 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.

22 T hen 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.”

Then 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.”

23 D avid 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.

But 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.

24 W ho 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.”

For 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.”

25 H e made it a law for Israel from that day to this.

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

26 W hen 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.

Now 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 ”—

27 I t is for those in Bethel, Ramoth of the Negev, Jattir,

to those who were in Bethel, those who were in Ramoth of the South, those who were in Jattir,

28 A roer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

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

29 a nd Racal. It is for those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, the cities of the Kenites,

those who were in Rachal, those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, those who were in the cities of the Kenites,

30 H ormah, Borashan, Athach,

those who were in Hormah, those who were in Chorashan, those who were in Athach,

31 H ebron, and all the places where David and his men have gone many times.”

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