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.

And it cometh to pass, in the coming in of David and his men to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites have pushed unto the south, and unto Ziklag, and smite Ziklag, and burn 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 they take captive the women who in it; from small unto great they have not put any one to death, and they lead away, and go on 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.

And David cometh in -- and his men -- unto the city, and lo, burnt with fire, and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters have 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.

And David lifteth up -- and the people who with him -- their voice and weep, till that they have no 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 the two wives of David have been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail 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.

and David hath great distress, for the people have said to stone him, for the soul of all the people hath been bitter, each for his sons and for his daughters; and David doth strengthen himself in Jehovah 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.

And David saith unto Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, `Bring nigh, I pray thee, to me the ephod;' and Abiathar bringeth nigh the ephod unto 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.”

and David asketh at Jehovah, saying, `I pursue after this troop -- do I overtake it?' And He saith to him, `Pursue, for thou dost certainly overtake, and dost certainly deliver.'

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.

And David goeth on, he and six hundred men who with him, and they come in unto the brook of Besor, and those left have stood still,

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.

and David pursueth, he and four hundred men, (and two hundred men stand still who have been too faint to pass over the brook of 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.

and they find a man, an Egyptian, in the field, and take him unto David, and give to him bread, and he eateth, and they cause him to 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 give to him a piece of a bunch of dried figs, and two bunches of raisins, and he eateth, and his spirit returneth unto him, for he hath not eaten bread nor drunk water 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.

And David saith to him, `Whose thou? and whence thou?' And he saith, `An Egyptian youth I, servant to a man, an Amalekite, and my lord forsaketh me, for I have been sick three days,

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 pushed the south of the Cherethite, and against that which to Judah, and against the south of Caleb, and Ziklag we burned 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 saith unto him, `Dost thou bring me down unto this troop?' and he saith, `Swear to me by God -- thou dost not put me to death, nor dost thou shut me up into the hand of my lord -- and I bring thee down unto 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 he bringeth him down, and lo, they are spread out over the face of all the earth, eating, and drinking, and feasting, with all the great spoil which they have 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.

And David smiteth them from the twilight even unto the evening of the morrow, and there hath not escaped of them a man, except four hundred young men who have ridden on the camels, and are fled.

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

And David delivereth all that the Amalekites have taken; also his two wives hath David delivered.

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 there hath not lacked to them, from small unto great, and unto sons and daughters, and from the spoil, even unto all that they had taken to themselves, the whole hath David brought back,

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.”

and David taketh the whole of the flock, and of the herd, they have led on before these cattle, and they say, `This 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.

And David cometh in unto the two hundred men who were too faint to go after David, and whom they cause to abide at the brook of Besor, and they go out to meet David, and to meet the people who with him, and David approacheth the people, and asketh of them of welfare.

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.”

And every bad and worthless man, of the men who have gone with David, answereth, yea, they say, `Because that they have not gone with us we do not give to them of the spoil which we have delivered, except each his wife and his children, and they lead away and go.

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.

And David saith, `Ye do not do so, my brethren, with that which Jehovah hath given to us, and He doth preserve us, and doth give the troop which cometh 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.”

and who doth hearken to you in this thing? for as the portion of him who was brought down into battle, so also the portion of him who is abiding by the vessels -- alike they share.'

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

And it cometh to pass from that day and forward, that he appointeth it for a statute and for an ordinance for Israel unto 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.

And David cometh in unto Ziklag, and sendeth of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, (saying, `Lo, for you a blessing, of the spoil of the enemies of Jehovah),'

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

to those in Beth-El, and to those in South Ramoth, and to those in Jattir,

28 A roer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

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

29 a nd Racal. It is for those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, 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 H ormah, Borashan, Athach,

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

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

and to those in Hebron, and to all the places where David had gone up and down, he and his men.