| Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1David and his men arrived in Ziklag on the third day. The Amalekites had raided the Negev and attacked and burned Ziklag. | 1On the third day David and his men came to Ziklag. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They attacked Ziklag and burned it. |
| 2They also had kidnapped the women and everyone in it from youngest to oldest. They had killed no one but had carried them off as they went on their way. | 2They took captive the women who were in it, from the youngest to the oldest, but they did not kill anyone. They simply carried them off and went on their way. |
| 3When David and his men arrived at the town, they found it burned. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been kidnapped. | 3When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken captive. |
| 4David and the troops with him wept loudly until they had no strength left to weep. | 4Then David and the men who were with him wept loudly until they could weep no more. |
| 5David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had also been kidnapped. | 5David's two wives had been taken captive--Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal's widow. |
| 6David was in an extremely difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him, for they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. | 6David was very upset, for the men were thinking of stoning him; each man grieved bitterly over his sons and daughters. But David drew strength from the LORD his God. |
| 7David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought it to him, | 7Then David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. |
| 8and David asked the LORD: "Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?" The LORD replied to him, "Pursue them, for you will certainly overtake them and rescue the people." | 8David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Should I pursue this raiding band? Will I overtake them?" He said to him, "Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them and carry out a rescue!" |
| 9So David and the six hundred men with him went. They came to the Wadi Besor, where some stayed behind. | 9So David went, accompanied by his six hundred men. When he came to the Wadi Besor, those who were in the rear stayed there. |
| 10David and four hundred of the men continued the pursuit, while two hundred stopped because they were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor. | 10David and four hundred men continued the pursuit, but two hundred men who were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor stayed there. |
| 11David's men found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink. | 11Then they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave him bread to eat and water to drink. |
| 12Then they gave him some pressed figs and two clusters of raisins. After he ate he revived, for he hadn't eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights. | 12They gave him a slice of pressed figs and two bunches of raisins to eat. This greatly refreshed him, for he had not eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights. |
| 13Then David said to him, "Who do you belong to? Where are you from?" "I'm an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite man," he said. "My master abandoned me when I got sick three days ago. | 13David said to him, "To whom do you belong, and where are you from?" The young man said, "I am an Egyptian, the servant of an Amalekite man. My master abandoned me when I was ill for three days. |
| 14We raided the south country of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah, and the south country of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag." | 14We conducted a raid on the Negev of the Kerethites, on the area of Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb. We burned Ziklag." |
| 15David then asked him, "Will you lead me to these raiders?" He said, "Swear to me by God that you won't kill me or turn me over to my master, and I will lead you to them." | 15David said to him, "Can you take us down to this raiding party?" He said, "Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to this raiding party." |
| 16So he led him, and there were the Amalekites, spread out over the entire area, eating, drinking, and celebrating because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah. | 16So he took David down, and they found them spread out over the land. They were eating and drinking and enjoying themselves because of all the loot they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. |
| 17David slaughtered them from twilight until the evening of the next day. None of them escaped, except four hundred young men who got on camels and fled. | 17But David struck them down from twilight until the following evening. None of them escaped, with the exception of four hundred young men who got away on camels. |
| 18David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken; he also rescued his two wives. | 18David retrieved everything the Amalekites had taken; he also rescued his two wives. |
| 19Nothing of theirs was missing from the youngest to the oldest, including the sons and daughters, and all the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David got everything back. | 19There was nothing missing, whether small or great. He retrieved sons and daughters, the plunder, and everything else they had taken. David brought everything back. |
| 20He took all the flocks and herds, which were driven ahead of the other livestock, and the people shouted, "This is David's plunder!" | 20David took all the flocks and herds and drove them in front of the rest of the animals. People were saying, "This is David's plunder!" |
| 21When David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to go with him and had been left at the Wadi Besor, they came out to meet him and to meet the troops with him. When David approached the men, he greeted them, | 21Then David approached the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to go with him, those whom they had left at the Wadi Besor. They went out to meet David and the people who were with him. When David approached the people, he asked how they were doing. |
| 22but all the corrupt and worthless men among those who had gone with David argued, "Because they didn't go with us, we will not give any of the plunder we recovered to them except for each man's wife and children. They may take them and go." | 22But all the evil and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, "Since they didn't go with us, we won't give them any of the loot we retrieved! They may take only their wives and children. Let them lead them away and be gone!" |
| 23But David said, "My brothers, you must not do this with what the LORD has given us. He protected us and handed over to us the raiders who came against us. | 23But David said, "No! You shouldn't do this, my brothers. Look at what the LORD has given us! He has protected us and has delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. |
| 24Who can agree to your proposal? The share of the one who goes into battle is to be the same as the share of the one who remains with the supplies. They will share equally." | 24Who will listen to you in this matter? The portion of the one who went down into the battle will be the same as the portion of the one who remained with the equipment! Let their portions be the same!" |
| 25And it has been so from that day forward. David established this policy as a law and an ordinance for Israel and it still continues today. | 25From that time onward it was a binding ordinance for Israel, right up to the present time. |
| 26When David came to 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 came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah who were his friends, saying, "Here's a gift for you from the looting of the LORD's enemies!" |
| 27He sent gifts to those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negev, and in Jattir; | 27The gift was for those in the following locations: for those in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, and Jattir; |
| 28to those in Aroer, in Siphmoth, and in Eshtemoa; | 28for those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, |
| 29to those in Racal, in the towns of the Jerahmeelites, and in the towns of the Kenites; | 29and Racal; for those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites; |
| 30to those in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, and in Athach; | 30for those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach, |
| 31to those in Hebron, and to those in all the places where David and his men had roamed. | 31and Hebron; and for those in whatever other places David and his men had traveled. |
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