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 made a raid{H6584} upon the South,{H5045} and upon Ziklag,{H6860} and had smitten{H5221} Ziklag,{H6860} and burned{H8313} it with fire,{H784}

and had taken captive{H7617} the women{H802} [and all] that were therein, both small{H6996} and great:{H1419} they slew{H4191} not any,{H376} but carried them off,{H5090} and went{H3212} their way.{H1870}

And when David{H1732} and his men{H582} came{H935} to the city,{H5892} behold, it was burned{H8313} with fire;{H784} and their wives,{H802} and their sons,{H1121} and their daughters,{H1323} were taken captive.{H7617}

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}

And David's{H1732} two{H8147} wives{H802} were taken captive,{H7617} Ahinoam{H293} the Jezreelitess,{H3159} and Abigail{H26} the wife{H802} of Nabal{H5037} the Carmelite.{H3761}

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} strengthened{H2388} himself in Jehovah{H3068} his God.{H430}

And David{H1732} said{H559} to Abiathar{H54} the priest,{H3548} the son{H1121} of Ahimelech,{H288} I pray thee, bring me hither{H5066} the ephod.{H646} And Abiathar{H54} brought{H5066} thither the ephod{H646} to David.{H1732}

And David{H1732} inquired{H7592} of Jehovah,{H3068} saying,{H559} If 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 shalt without fail{H5337} recover{H5337} [all].

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}

But David{H1732} pursued,{H7291} he and four{H702} hundred{H3967} men;{H376} for two hundred{H3967} stayed behind,{H5975} who were so faint{H6296} that they could not go over{H5674} the brook{H5158} Besor.{H1308}

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 gave him water{H4325} to drink.{H8248}

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}

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} ago I fell sick.{H2470}

We made a raid{H6584} upon the South{H5045} of the Cherethites,{H3774} and upon that which belongeth to Judah,{H3063} and upon the South{H5045} of Caleb;{H3612} and we burned{H8313} Ziklag{H6860} with fire.{H784}

And David{H1732} said{H559} to him, Wilt thou bring me down{H3381} to this troop?{H1416} And he said,{H559} Swear{H7650} unto me by God,{H430} that thou wilt neither kill{H4191} me, nor{H518} deliver{H5462} me up into the hands{H3027} of my master,{H113} and I will bring thee down{H3381} to this troop.{H1416}

And when he had brought him down,{H3381} behold, they were spread abroad{H5203} over all{H6440} the ground,{H776} eating{H398} and drinking,{H8354} and dancing,{H2287} because of all 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}

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} who rode{H7392} upon camels{H1581} and fled.{H5127}

And David{H1732} recovered{H5337} all that the Amalekites{H6002} had taken;{H3947} and David{H1732} rescued{H5337} his two{H8147} wives.{H802}

And there was nothing lacking{H5737} to them, neither{H4480} small{H6996} nor great,{H1419} neither sons{H1121} nor daughters,{H1323} neither spoil,{H7998} nor anything that they had taken{H3947} to them: David{H1732} brought{H3947} back all.

And David{H1732} took{H3947} all the flocks{H6629} and the herds,{H1241} [which] they drove{H5090} before{H6440} those{H1931} [other] cattle,{H4735} and said,{H559} This is David's{H1732} spoil.{H7998}

And David{H1732} came{H935} to the two hundred{H3967} men,{H582} who were so faint{H6296} that they could not follow{H3212} David,{H1732} whom also they had made 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 near{H5066} to the people,{H5971} he saluted{H7592} them.

Then answered{H6030} all the wicked{H7451} men{H376} and base{H1100} fellows, 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 aught of the spoil{H7998} that we have recovered,{H5337} save to every man{H376} his wife{H802} and his children,{H1121} that he may lead them away,{H5090} and depart.{H3212}

Then said{H559} David,{H1732} Ye shall not do so,{H6213} my brethren,{H251} with that which Jehovah{H3068} hath given{H5414} unto us, who hath preserved{H8104} us, and delivered{H5414} the troop{H1416} that came{H935} against us into our hand.{H3027}

And who will hearken{H8085} unto you in this matter?{H1697} for as his share{H2506} is that goeth down{H3381} to the battle,{H4421} so shall his share{H2506} be that tarrieth{H3427} by the baggage:{H3627} they shall share{H2505} alike.{H3162}

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}

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 Jehovah:{H3068}

To them{H834} that were in Beth-el,{H1008} and to them that were in Ramoth{H7418} of the South,{H5045} and to them that were in Jattir,{H3492}

and to them that were in Aroer,{H6177} and to them that were in Siphmoth,{H8224} and to them that were in Eshtemoa,{H851}

and to them that were in Racal,{H7403} and to them that were in the cities{H5892} of the Jerahmeelites,{H3397} and to them that were in the cities{H5892} of the Kenites,{H7017}

and to them that were in Hormah,{H2767} and to them that were in Bor-ashan,{H3565} and to them that were in Athach,{H6269}

and to them that were in Hebron,{H2275} and to all the places{H4725} where David{H1732} himself and his men{H582} were wont to haunt.{H1980}