New Living Translation

English Standard Version

1Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground.

1Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire

2They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone.

2and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way.

3When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families,

3And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.

4they wept until they could weep no more.

4Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.

5David’s two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, were among those captured.

5David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

6David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

6And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

7Then he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring me the ephod!” So Abiathar brought it.

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

8Then David asked the LORD, “Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?” And the LORD told him, “Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!”

8And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”

9So David and his 600 men set out, and they came to the brook Besor.

9So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.

10But 200 of the men were too exhausted to cross the brook, so David continued the pursuit with 400 men.

10But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.

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

11They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink,

12They also gave him part of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins, for he hadn’t had anything to eat or drink for three days and nights. Before long his strength returned.

12and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.

13“To whom do you belong, and where do you come from?” David asked him. “I am an Egyptian—the slave of an Amalekite,” he replied. “My master abandoned me three days ago because I was sick.

13And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago.

14We were on our way back from raiding the Kerethites in the Negev, the territory of Judah, and the land of Caleb, and we had just burned Ziklag.”

14We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.”

15“Will you lead me to this band of raiders?” David asked. The young man replied, “If you take an oath in God’s name that you will not kill me or give me back to my master, then I will guide you to them.”

15And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band.”

16So he led David to them, and they found the Amalekites spread out across the fields, eating and drinking and dancing with joy because of the vast amount of plunder they had taken from the Philistines and the land of Judah.

16And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.

17David and his men rushed in among them and slaughtered them throughout that night and the entire next day until evening. None of the Amalekites escaped except 400 young men who fled on camels.

17And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled.

18David got back everything the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.

18David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives.

19Nothing was missing: small or great, son or daughter, nor anything else that had been taken. David brought everything back.

19Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all.

20He also recovered all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock. “This plunder belongs to David!” they said.

20David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

21Then David returned to the brook Besor and met up with the 200 men who had been left behind because they were too exhausted to go with him. They went out to meet David and his men, and David greeted them joyfully.

21Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them.

22But some evil troublemakers among David’s men said, “They didn’t go with us, so they can’t have any of the plunder we recovered. Give them their wives and children, and tell them to be gone.”

22Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.”

23But David said, “No, my brothers! Don’t be selfish with what the LORD has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us.

23But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us.

24Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment.”

24Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.”

25From then on David made this a decree and regulation for Israel, and it is still followed today.

25And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.

26When he arrived at Ziklag, David sent part of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends. “Here is a present for you, taken from the LORD’s enemies,” he said.

26When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD.”

27The gifts were sent to the people of the following towns David had visited: Bethel, Ramoth-negev, Jattir,

27It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir,

28Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

28in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa,

29Racal, the towns of the Jerahmeelites, the towns of the Kenites,

29in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites,

30Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach,

30in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach,

31Hebron, and all the other places David and his men had visited.

31in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.