1 On the third day, when David and his men arrived at Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had invaded the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it to the ground.

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;

2 The Amalekites had taken the women and everyone in the city captive, from the youngest to the oldest. They had not killed anyone but had taken them away as prisoners and gone on their way.

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.

3 When David and his men came to the city, they saw that it had been burned, and their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken captive.

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.

4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until they could weep no more because they had no strength left.

Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 Both of David’s wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken captive.

And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 David was greatly distressed because the people talked about stoning him. They were all bitter in spirit because of their sons and daughters, but David found strength in the Lord his God.

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.

7 David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

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.

8 David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Should I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" The Lord answered, "Pursue them, for you will certainly overtake them and rescue the captives."

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.

9 David and the six hundred men with him set out, and they came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind.

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.

10 David continued the pursuit with four hundred men, while two hundred stayed behind because they were too exhausted to cross the Besor Valley.

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.

11 They found an Egyptian man in the field and brought him to David. They gave him bread to eat and water to drink.

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;

12 They also gave him a piece of pressed fig cake and two clusters of raisins. After he ate, he revived, because he had not eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights.

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.

13 David asked him, "Who do you belong to, and where are you from?" He answered, "I am an Egyptian, the servant of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me three days ago because I fell ill."

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.

14 "We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, the territory of Judah, and the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag."

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.

15 David asked him, "Can you lead me to this raiding party?" He answered, "Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor hand me over to my master, and I will lead you to them."

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.

16 He led David down to them, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking, and celebrating because of the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah.

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.

17 David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. None of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled.

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.

18 David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.

And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

19 Nothing was missing, whether young or old, son or daughter, or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back.

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.

20 David took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, "This is David’s spoil."

And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.

21 Then David returned to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and had stayed behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the troops with him, and David greeted them warmly.

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.

22 Then all the wicked and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, "Since they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and leave."

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.

23 But David said, "You must not act this way, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered the raiding party that came against us into our hands.

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.

24 Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who goes into battle shall be the same as the share of the one who stays with the supplies; they will share equally."

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.

25 From that day forward, David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel, and it remains so to this day.

And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

26 When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, "Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the Lord's enemies."

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;

27 He sent it to those in Bethel, Ramoth-Negev, and Jattir;

To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,

28 to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, and Eshtemoa;

And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,

29 to those in Racal, in the towns of the Jerahmeelites, and in the towns of the Kenites;

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,

30 to those in Hormah, Bor-Ashan, and Athach;

And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chorashan, and to them which were in Athach,

31 and to those in Hebron and in all the other places where David and his men had roamed.

And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.