And it came to pass, when David and his men
were come
to Ziklag
on the third
day
, that the Amalekites
had invaded
the south
, and Ziklag
, and smitten
Ziklag
, and burned
it with fire
;
And had taken the women captives
, that were therein: they slew
not any
, either great
or small
, but carried them away
, and went
on their way
.
So David and his men
came
to the city
, and, behold, it was burned
with fire
; and their wives
, and their sons
, and their daughters
, were taken captives
.
Then David and the people
that were with him lifted up
their voice
and wept
, until they had no more power
to weep
.
And David's two
wives
were taken captives
, Ahinoam
the Jezreelitess
, and Abigail
the wife
of Nabal
the Carmelite
.
And David was greatly
distressed
; for the people
spake
of stoning
him, because the soul
of all the people
was grieved
, every man
for his sons
and for his daughters
: but David
encouraged
himself in the LORD
his God
.
And David said
to Abiathar
the priest
, Ahimelech's
son
, I pray thee, bring me hither
the ephod
. And Abiathar
brought
thither the ephod
to David
.
And David enquired
at the LORD
, saying
, Shall I pursue
after
this troop
? shall I overtake
them? And he answered
him, Pursue
: for thou shalt surely
overtake
them , and without fail
recover
all .
So David went
, he and the six
hundred
men
that were with him, and came
to the brook
Besor
, where those that were left behind
stayed
.
But David pursued
, he and four
hundred
men
: for two hundred
abode behind
, which were so faint
that they could not go over
the brook
Besor
.
And they found an Egyptian
in the field
, and brought
him to David
, and gave
him bread
, and he did eat
; and they made him drink
water
;
And they gave him a piece
of a cake
of figs, and two
clusters of raisins
: and when he had eaten
, his spirit
came again
to him: for he had eaten
no bread
, nor drunk
any water
, three
days
and three
nights
.
And David said
unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said
, I am a young man
of Egypt
, servant
to an Amalekite
; and my master
left
me, because three
days
agone I fell sick
.
We made an invasion upon the south
of the Cherethites
, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah
, and upon the south
of Caleb
; and we burned
Ziklag
with fire
.
And David said
to him, Canst thou bring me down
to this company
? And he said
, Swear
unto me by God
, that thou wilt neither kill
me, nor
deliver
me into the hands
of my master
, and I will bring thee down
to this company
.
And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad
upon all
the earth
, 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
.
And David smote
them from the twilight
even unto the evening
of the next day
: and there escaped
not a man
of them, save four
hundred
young
men
, which rode
upon camels
, and fled
.
And David recovered
all that the Amalekites
had carried away
: and David
rescued
his two
wives
.
And there was nothing lacking to them, neither
small
nor great
, neither sons
nor daughters
, neither spoil
, nor any thing that they had taken
to them: David
recovered
all.
And David took
all the flocks
and the herds
, which they drave
before
those
other cattle
, and said
, This is David's
spoil
.
And David came
to the two hundred
men
, which were so faint
that they could not follow
David
, whom they had made also to abide
at the brook
Besor
: and they went forth
to meet
David
, and to meet
the people
that were with him: and when David
came near
to the people
, he saluted
them.
Then answered all the wicked
men
and men of Belial
, of those
that went
with David
, and said
, Because they went
not with us, we will not give
them ought of the spoil
that we have recovered
, save to every man
his wife
and his children
, that they may lead them away
, and depart
.
Then said David
, Ye shall not do so
, my brethren
, with that which the LORD
hath given
us, who hath preserved
us, and delivered
the company
that came
against us into our hand
.
For who will hearken unto you in this matter
? but as his part
is that goeth down
to the battle
, so shall his part
be that tarrieth
by the stuff
: they shall part
alike
.
And it was so from that day forward
, that he made
it a statute
and an ordinance
for Israel
unto this day
.
And when David came
to Ziklag
, he sent
of the spoil
unto the elders
of Judah
, even to his friends
, saying
, Behold a present
for you of the spoil
of the enemies
of the LORD
;
To them which were in Bethel
, and to them which were in south
Ramoth
, and to them which were in Jattir
,
And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth
, and to them which were in Eshtemoa
,
And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities
of the Jerahmeelites
, and to them which were in the cities
of the Kenites
,
And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chorashan
, and to them which were in Athach
,
And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places
where David
himself and his men
were wont to haunt
.