Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day – the Amalekites had marched out against the South and against Ziklag; they had struck Ziklag and burnt it with fire,

and they had taken captive the women who were in it, both small and great; without killing anyone, they led them off and went their way –

when David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burnt with fire and their wives and sons and daughters were taken captive.

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

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

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

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

And David inquired of the speech of the LORD, “I willpursue after this army. Shall I overtake them?” And he said to him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”

So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor. And part of them were left behind.

But David went on with the pursuit, he and four hundred men. Two hundred men, who refrained from crossing the brook Besor, stayed behind.

And they found an Egyptian man in the field and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate, they gave him water to drink,

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

And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am an Egyptian young man, servant to an Amalekite man. And my lord left me behind, because I fell sick – today three days ago.

We had marched out against the South of Chereth and against those of Judah and against the South of Caleb. And we burnt Ziklag with fire.”

And when David said to him, “Will you take me down to this army?” he said, “Swear to me by the speech of the LORD that you will not kill me or surrender me into the hand of my lord. Then I will take you down to this army.”

And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread about over the surface of all the land, eating and drinking and feasting with the great booty they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of the House of Judah.

And David struck them from the dark until the time of the evening of the day after. And not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted cow camels and retreated.

David rescued all whom the Amalekites had taken captive and David rescued his two wives.

Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters or plunder; really anything that they had taken for themselves. David brought back all.

David also took captive all the sheep and cows. And they drove before those herds and said, “This is David’s booty!”

Then David came to the two hundred men who refrained from going after David and whom he had posted at the brook Besor. And they came out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David met the people, he asked them for their welfare.

Then all the bad and wicked among the men who had gone with David reacted and said, “Because they did not go with me, we will not give them any of the booty which we have rescued; except that every man may lead away his wife and sons, and depart.”

But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, [after] what the LORD has given us. He has preserved us and surrendered into our hand the army that came against us.

Who would listen to this proposal of yours? 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.”

And from that day forward he made it legal jurisprudence for Israel to this day.

When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the plunder to his friends, the elders of the House of Judah, saying, “Behold, for you a present from the plunder of the enemies of the LORD’s people.”

It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth negeb,in Jattir,

in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa,

in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelite, in the cities of the Shalmaite,

in Hormah, in Kor ashan, in Athach,

in Hebron, to all the places where David had roamed, he and his men.