English Standard Version

International Standard Version

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

1When David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and set it on fire.

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.

2They took the women in it captive, from young to old. They did not kill anyone. Instead, they carried them off and went on their way.

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.

3David and his men came to the town, and it had been burned down. Their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.

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

4Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and cried until they had no more strength left to cry.

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

5David's two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal's former wife, had been captured.

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.

6David was in great danger because all the people were bitter because of their sons and daughters, and they were talking about stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

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

7David told Ahimelech's son Abiathar the priest, "Bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

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.”

8David inquired of the LORD: "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" The LORD told David, "Pursue them! You will definitely overtake them and rescue the captives."

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.

9So David and 600 men who were with him set out. They came to the Wadi Besor where those who were left behind stayed.

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

10David and 400 men continued the pursuit, while the 200 men who were too exhausted to cross over the Wadi Besor remained there.

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,

11They found an Egyptian man in the field, and they took him to David. They gave him food to eat and provided water for him.

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.

12They gave him part of a fig cake and two bunches of raisins. After he had eaten, he revived, since he had neither eaten food nor had he drunk water for three days and three nights.

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.

13David told him, "To whom do you belong and where are you from?" The Egyptian replied, "I'm a young Egyptian man, the slave of an Amalekite man. My master abandoned me, because I got sick three days ago.

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.”

14We raided the Negev of the Cherethites, the territory that belongs to Judah, and the Negev of Caleb, and we set Ziklag on fire."

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.”

15David asked him, "Will you take me to this raiding party?" He said, "Swear to me by God that you won't kill me or turn me over to my master, and I'll take you to the raiding party."

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.

16The Egyptian led him to the camp, and there the Amalekites were spread out over the whole area, eating, drinking, and celebrating with the great amount of spoil they had taken from the territory belonging to the Philistines and to Judah.

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.

17David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not one of them escaped except for 400 young men who mounted camels and fled.

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

18David rescued everyone whom the Amalekites had captured, including his two wives.

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

19Nothing of theirs was missing, whether small or large, sons or daughters, spoil, or anything that they had taken for themselves—David brought back everything.

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

20David took all the rest of the sheep and cattle, driving them ahead of their rescued livestock. People said about all this, "This is David's spoil."

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.

21David came to the 200 men who were too exhausted to follow him and who had been left at the Wadi Besor. They came out to meet David and the people who were with him. As David approached the people, he asked them how they were doing.

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.”

22 At this point, all the wicked and worthless men of the group who had gone with David answered, "Because they didn't go with us, we won't give them any of the spoil that we recovered, except that each person may take his wife and his children and go."

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.

23David said, "No, you won't do this, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He guarded us and gave the raiding party that came against us into our hand.

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.”

24Who will listen to you in this matter? Indeed, the share of those who went down into battle and the share of those who stayed with the supplies will be the same. They'll share alike."

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

25From that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel, and it remains to this present day.

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.”

26David came to Ziklag, and he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, and to his friends, telling them, "Look, this is a gift for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD

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

27in Bethel, Ramoth-negev, Jattir,

28in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa,

28Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

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

29Rachal, in the Jerahmeelite towns, in the Kenite towns,

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

30in Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach,

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

31Hebron, and for all those places where David and his men had frequented."

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