1
And it came to pass, when David[H1732] and his men[H582] were come[H935] to Ziklag[H6860] on the third[H7992]day[H3117], that the Amalekites[H6003] had invaded[H6584] the south[H5045], and Ziklag[H6860], and smitten[H5221]Ziklag[H6860], and burned[H8313] it with fire[H784];
2
And had taken the women[H802]captives[H7617], that were therein: they slew[H4191] not any[H376], either great[H1419] or small[H6996], but carried them away[H5090], and went[H3212] on their way[H1870].
3
So David[H1732] and his men[H582]came[H935] to the city[H5892], and, behold, it was burned[H8313] with fire[H784]; and their wives[H802], and their sons[H1121], and their daughters[H1323], were taken captives[H7617].
4
Then David[H1732] and the people[H5971] that were with him lifted up[H5375] their voice[H6963] and wept[H1058], until they had no more power[H3581] to weep[H1058].
5
And David's two[H8147]wives[H802] were taken captives[H7617], Ahinoam[H293] the Jezreelitess[H3159], and Abigail[H26] the wife[H802] of Nabal[H5037] the Carmelite[H3761].
6
And David[H1732] was greatly[H3966]distressed[H3334]; for the people[H5971]spake[H559] of stoning[H5619] him, because the soul[H5315] of all the people[H5971] was grieved[H4843], every man[H376] for his sons[H1121] and for his daughters[H1323]: but David[H1732]encouraged[H2388] himself in the LORD[H3068] his God[H430].
7
And David[H1732]said[H559] to Abiathar[H54] the priest[H3548], Ahimelech's son[H1121], I pray thee, bring me hither[H5066] the ephod[H646]. And Abiathar[H54]brought[H5066] thither the ephod[H646] to David[H1732].
8
And David[H1732]enquired[H7592] at the LORD[H3068], saying[H559], Shall I pursue[H7291]after[H310] this troop?[H1416] shall I overtake[H5381] them? And he answered[H559] him, Pursue[H7291]: for thou shalt surely[H5381]overtake[H5381] them, and without fail[H5337]recover[H5337] all.
9
So David[H1732]went[H3212], he and the six[H8337]hundred[H3967]men[H376] that were with him, and came[H935] to the brook[H5158]Besor[H1308], where those that were left behind[H3498]stayed[H5975].
10
But David[H1732]pursued[H7291], he and four[H702]hundred[H3967]men[H376]: for two hundred[H3967] abode behind[H5975], which were so faint[H6296] that they could not go over[H5674] the brook[H5158]Besor[H1308].
11
And they found[H4672] an Egyptian[H376] in the field[H7704], and brought[H3947] him to David[H1732], and gave[H5414] him bread[H3899], and he did eat[H398]; and they made him drink[H8248]water[H4325];
12
And they gave[H5414] him a piece[H6400] of a cake[H1690] of figs, and two[H8147] clusters of raisins[H6778]: and when he had eaten[H398], his spirit[H7307] came again[H7725] to him: for he had eaten[H398] no bread[H3899], nor drunk[H8354] any water[H4325], three[H7969]days[H3117] and three[H7969]nights[H3915].
13
And David[H1732]said[H559] unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said[H559], I am a young man[H5288] of Egypt[H4713], servant[H5650] to an Amalekite[H376]; and my master[H113]left[H5800] me, because three[H7969]days[H3117] agone I fell sick[H2470].
14
We made an invasion[H6584] upon the south[H5045] of the Cherethites[H3774], and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah[H3063], and upon the south[H5045] of Caleb[H3612]; and we burned[H8313]Ziklag[H6860] with fire[H784].
15
And David[H1732]said[H559] to him, Canst thou bring me down[H3381] to this company?[H1416] And he said[H559], Swear[H7650] unto me by God[H430], that thou wilt neither kill[H4191] me, nor[H518]deliver[H5462] me into the hands[H3027] of my master[H113], and I will bring thee down[H3381] to this company[H1416].
16
And when he had brought him down[H3381], behold, they were spread abroad[H5203] upon all[H6440] the earth[H776], eating[H398] and drinking[H8354], and dancing[H2287], because of all[H6440] the great[H1419]spoil[H7998] that they had taken[H3947] out of the land[H776] of the Philistines[H6430], and out of the land[H776] of Judah[H3063].
17
And David[H1732]smote[H5221] them from the twilight[H5399] even unto the evening[H6153] of the next day[H4283]: and there escaped[H4422] not a man[H376] of them, save four[H702]hundred[H3967]young[H5288]men[H376], which rode[H7392] upon camels[H1581], and fled[H5127].
18
And David[H1732]recovered[H5337] all that the Amalekites[H6002] had carried away[H3947]: and David[H1732]rescued[H5337] his two[H8147]wives[H802].
19
And there was nothing lacking[H5737] to them, neither[H4480]small[H6996] nor great[H1419], neither[H4480]sons[H1121] nor daughters[H1323], neither[H4480]spoil[H7998], nor any thing that they had taken[H3947] to them: David[H1732]recovered[H7725] all.
20
And David[H1732]took[H3947] all the flocks[H6629] and the herds[H1241], which they drave[H5090]before[H6440]those[H1931] other cattle[H4735], and said[H559], This is David[H1732]'s spoil[H7998].
21
And David[H1732]came[H935] to the two hundred[H3967]men[H582], which were so faint[H6296] that they could not follow[H3212]David[H1732], whom they had made also to abide[H3427] at the brook[H5158]Besor[H1308]: and they went forth[H3318] to meet[H7125]David[H1732], and to meet[H7125] the people[H5971] that were with him: and when David[H1732]came[H935]near[H5066] to the people[H5971], he saluted[H7592] them.
22
Then answered[H6030] all the wicked[H7451]men[H376] and men[H376] of Belial[H1100], of those[H582] that went[H1980] with David[H1732], and said[H559], Because they went[H1980] not with us, we will not give[H5414] them ought of the spoil[H7998] that we have recovered[H5337], save to every man[H376] his wife[H802] and his children[H1121], that they may lead them away[H5090], and depart[H3212].
23
Then said[H559]David[H1732], Ye shall not do so[H6213], my brethren[H251], with that which the LORD[H3068] hath given[H5414] us, who hath preserved[H8104] us, and delivered[H5414] the company[H1416] that came[H935] against us into our hand[H3027].
24
For who will hearken[H8085] unto you in this matter?[H1697] but as his part[H2506] is that goeth down[H3381] to the battle[H4421], so shall his part[H2505] be that tarrieth[H3427] by the stuff[H3627]: they shall part[H2505]alike[H3162].
25
And it was so from that day[H3117]forward[H4605], that he made[H7760] it a statute[H2706] and an ordinance[H4941] for Israel[H3478] unto this day[H3117].
26
And when David[H1732]came[H935] to Ziklag[H6860], he sent[H7971] of the spoil[H7998] unto the elders[H2205] of Judah[H3063], even to his friends[H7453], saying[H559], Behold a present[H1293] for you of the spoil[H7998] of the enemies[H341] of the LORD[H3068];
27
To them[H834] which were in Bethel[H1008], and to them[H834] which were in south[H5045]Ramoth[H7418], and to them[H834] which were in Jattir[H3492],
28
And to them which were in Aroer[H6177], and to them which were in Siphmoth[H8224], and to them which were in Eshtemoa[H851],
29
And to them which were in Rachal[H7403], and to them which were in the cities[H5892] of the Jerahmeelites[H3397], and to them which were in the cities[H5892] of the Kenites[H7017],
30
And to them which were in Hormah[H2767], and to them which were in Chorashan[H3565], and to them which were in Athach[H6269],
31
And to them which were in Hebron[H2275], and to all the places[H4725] where David[H1732] himself and his men[H582] were wont to haunt[H1980].