| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 1On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down. | 1David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, |
| 2They had taken captive the women and all who were there, both young and old. They had not killed anyone, but had carried them off as they went on their way. | 2and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. |
| 3When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned down and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. | 3When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. |
| 4So David and the troops with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no strength left to weep. | 4So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. |
| 5David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken captive. | 5David's two wives had been captured--Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. |
| 6And David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of every man grieved for his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. | 6David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. |
| 7Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him, | 7Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, "Bring me the ephod." Abiathar brought it to him, |
| 8and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.” | 8and David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue." |
| 9So David and his six hundred men went to the Brook of Besor, where some stayed behind | 9David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. |
| 10because two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the brook. But David and four hundred men continued in pursuit. | 10Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit. |
| 11Now his men found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave the man water to drink and food to eat— | 11They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat-- |
| 12a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. So he ate and was revived, for he had not had any food or water for three days and three nights. | 12part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights. |
| 13Then David asked him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” “I am an Egyptian,” he replied, “the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me three days ago when I fell ill. | 13David asked him, "Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?" He said, "I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. |
| 14We raided the Negev of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah, and the Negev of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag.” | 14We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag." |
| 15“Will you lead me to these raiders?” David asked. And the man replied, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hand of my master, and I will lead you to them.” | 15David asked him, "Can you lead me down to this raiding party?" He answered, "Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them." |
| 16So he led David down, and there were the Amalekites spread out over all the land, eating, drinking, and celebrating the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah. | 16He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. |
| 17And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man escaped, except four hundred young men who fled, riding off on camels. | 17David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. |
| 18So David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. | 18David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. |
| 19Nothing was missing, young or old, son or daughter, or any of the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David brought everything back. | 19Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. |
| 20And he recovered all the flocks and herds, which his men drove ahead of the other livestock, calling out, “This is David’s plunder!” | 20He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, "This is David's plunder." |
| 21When David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him from the Brook of Besor, they came out to meet him and the troops with him. As David approached the men, he greeted them, | 21Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. |
| 22but all the wicked and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered, except for each man’s wife and children. They may take them and go.” | 22But all the evil men and troublemakers among David's followers said, "Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go." |
| 23But David said, “My brothers, you must not do this with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiders who came against us. | 23David replied, "No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. |
| 24Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.” | 24Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike." |
| 25And so it has been from that day forward. David established this statute as an ordinance for Israel to this very day. | 25David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this. |
| 26When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.” | 26When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, "Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD's enemies." |
| 27He sent gifts to those in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, and Jattir; | 27David sent it to those who were in Bethel, Ramoth Negev and Jattir; |
| 28to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, and Eshtemoa; | 28to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa |
| 29to those in Racal and in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites; | 29and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites; |
| 30to those in Hormah, Bor-ashan, and Athach; | 30to those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athak |
| 31and to those in Hebron and in all the places where David and his men had roamed. | 31and Hebron; and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed. |
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