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.

When David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid on the South, and on Ziklag, and had struck 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 all who were in it, both small and great. They didn’t kill any, but carried them off, 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.

When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters were 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 voice 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.

David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

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.

David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the souls of all the people were grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David strengthened himself in Yahweh 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.

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

David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “If I pursue after this troop, will I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue; for you will surely overtake them, and will 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 who were left behind stayed.

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 faint that they couldn’t go over 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.

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 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.

They gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins. When he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, and drank no 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.

David asked him, “To whom do you belong? Where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I got 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 a raid on the South of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the South 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.”

David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this troop?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me and not deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring 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.

When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread around over all the ground, eating, drinking, and dancing, because of all the great plunder that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of 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.

David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped from there, 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.

David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; 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.

There was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither plunder, nor anything that they had taken to them. David brought back 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.”

David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s plunder.”

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.

David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to stay at the brook Besor; and they went out to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David came near to 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 men and base fellows, of those who went with David, answered and said, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give them anything of the plunder that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he 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.

Then David said, “Do not do so, my brothers, with that which Yahweh has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.

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.”

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 with the baggage. They shall share alike.”

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

It was so from that day forward, that 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.

When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, “Behold, a present for you from the plunder of Yahweh’s enemies.”

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

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

28 A roer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

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

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

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

30 H ormah, Borashan, Athach,

to those who were in Hormah, to those who were in Borashan, to those who were in Athach,

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

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