Then it happened when David
and his men
came
to aZiklag
on the third
day
, that bthe Amalekites
had made
a raid
on the 1Negev
and on cZiklag
, and had 2overthrown
Ziklag
and burned
it with fire
;
and they took captive
the women
and all who
were in it, both
small
and great
, 1 awithout
killing
anyone
, and carried
them off
and went
their way
.
When 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
.
Then David and the people
who
were with him alifted
their voices
and wept
until
there
was no
strength
in them to weep
.
Now aDavid's two
wives
had been taken
captive
, Ahinoam
the Jezreelitess
and Abigail
the 1widow
of Nabal
the Carmelite
.
Moreover David was greatly
distressed
because
athe people
spoke
of stoning
him, for all
the people
were 1embittered
, each
one
because
of his sons
and his daughters
. But bDavid
strengthened
himself in the LORD
his God
.
Then aDavid said
to bAbiathar
the priest
, the son
of Ahimelech
, "Please
bring
me the ephod
." So Abiathar
brought
the ephod
to David
.
aDavid inquired
of the LORD
, saying
, " bShall I pursue
this
band
? Shall I overtake
them?" And He said
to him, "Pursue
, for you will surely
overtake
them, cand you will surely
rescue
all."
So David went
, ahe and the six
hundred
men
who
were with him, and came
to the brook
Besor
, where those left
behind
remained
.
But David pursued
, he and four
hundred
men
, for atwo hundred
who
were too
exhausted
to cross
the brook
Besor
remained
behind.
Now 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 gave him a piece
of fig
cake
and two
clusters
of raisins
, and he ate
; athen his spirit
1revived
. For he had not eaten
bread
or drunk
water
for three
days
and three
nights
.
David 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.
"We made a raid
on athe 1Negev
of the Cherethites
, and on that which
belongs to Judah
, and on bthe 1Negev
of Caleb
, and cwe burned
Ziklag
with fire
."
Then 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
."
When he had brought him down
, behold
, they were 1spread
over
all
the land
, aeating
and drinking
and 2dancing
because of ball
the great
spoil
that they had taken
from the land
of the Philistines
and from the land
of Judah
.
David 1slaughtered
them afrom the twilight
2until
the evening
of 3the next
day
; and not a man
of them escaped
, except
four
hundred
young
men
who
rode
on bcamels
and fled
.
So David arecovered
all
that the Amalekites
had taken
, and 1rescued
his two
wives
.
But nothing of theirs
was missing
, whether
small
or
great
, sons
or daughters
, spoil
or
anything
that they had taken
for themselves
; aDavid
brought
it all
back
.
So David had 1captured
all
the sheep
and the cattle
which the people drove
ahead
of 2the other livestock
, and they said
, " aThis
is David's
spoil
."
When aDavid 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.
Then all the wicked
and worthless
men
among
those who
went
with David
said
, "Because
they did not go
with 1us, 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 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.
"And who will listen
to you in this
matter
? For aas his share
is who goes
down
to the battle
, so shall his share
be who stays
by the baggage
; they shall share
alike
."
So it has been from that day
forward
, that he made
it a statute
and an ordinance
for Israel
to this
day
.
Now when David came
to Ziklag
, he sent
some of the spoil
to the elders
of Judah
, to his friends
, saying
, "Behold
, aa 1gift
for you from the spoil
of bthe enemies
of the LORD
:
to those who were in aBethel
, and to those who
were in bRamoth
of the 1Negev
, and to those who
were in cJattir
,
and to those who were in aAroer
, and to those who
were in Siphmoth
, and to those who
were in bEshtemoa
,
and to those who were in Racal
, and to those who
were in the cities
of athe Jerahmeelites
, and to those who
were in the cities
of bthe Kenites
,
and to those who were in aHormah
, and to those who
were in bBor-ashan
, and to those who
were in Athach
,
and to those who were in aHebron
, and to all
the places
where
David
himself
and his men
were accustomed to bgo
."