English Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

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

1David and his men arrived in Ziklag on the third day. The Amalekites had raided the Negev and attacked and burned Ziklag.

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 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.

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.

3When David and his men arrived at the town, they found it burned. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been kidnapped.

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

4David and the troops with him wept loudly until they had no strength left to weep.

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 the Jezreelite and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had also been kidnapped.

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 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.

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

7David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought it to him,

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.”

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."

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 the six hundred men with him went. They came to the Wadi Besor, where some stayed behind.

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

10David and four hundred of the men continued the pursuit, while two hundred stopped because they were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor.

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,

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 south country of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah, and the south country of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag."

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 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."

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.

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.

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 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.

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

18David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken; he also rescued 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 from the youngest to the oldest, including the sons and daughters, and all the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David got everything back.

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

20He took all the flocks and herds, which were driven ahead of the other livestock, and the people shouted, "This is David's plunder!"

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.

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,

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.”

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."

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.

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.

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 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."

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

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.

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.”

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."

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

27He sent gifts to those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negev, and in Jattir;

28in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa,

28to those in Aroer, in Siphmoth, and in Eshtemoa;

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

29to those in Racal, in the towns of the Jerahmeelites, and in the towns of the Kenites;

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

30to those in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, and in Athach;

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

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

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.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.