| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 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. | 1David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, |
| 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. | 2and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. |
| 3When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken captive. | 3When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. |
| 4Then David and the men who were with him wept loudly until they could weep no more. | 4So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. |
| 5David's two wives had been taken captive--Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal's widow. | 5David's two wives had been captured--Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. |
| 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. | 6David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. |
| 7Then David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. | 7Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, "Bring me the ephod." Abiathar brought it to him, |
| 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!" | 8and David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue." |
| 9So David went, accompanied by his six hundred men. When he came to the Wadi Besor, those who were in the rear stayed there. | 9David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. |
| 10David and four hundred men continued the pursuit, but two hundred men who were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor stayed there. | 10Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit. |
| 11Then they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave him bread to eat and water to drink. | 11They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat-- |
| 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. | 12part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights. |
| 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. | 13David asked him, "Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?" He said, "I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. |
| 14We conducted a raid on the Negev of the Kerethites, on the area of Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb. We burned Ziklag." | 14We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag." |
| 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." | 15David asked him, "Can you lead me down to this raiding party?" He answered, "Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them." |
| 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. | 16He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. |
| 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. | 17David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. |
| 18David retrieved everything the Amalekites had taken; he also rescued his two wives. | 18David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. |
| 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. | 19Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. |
| 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!" | 20He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, "This is David's plunder." |
| 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. | 21Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. |
| 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!" | 22But all the evil men and troublemakers among David's followers said, "Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go." |
| 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. | 23David replied, "No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. |
| 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!" | 24Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike." |
| 25From that time onward it was a binding ordinance for Israel, right up to the present time. | 25David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this. |
| 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!" | 26When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, "Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD's enemies." |
| 27The gift was for those in the following locations: for those in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, and Jattir; | 27David sent it to those who were in Bethel, Ramoth Negev and Jattir; |
| 28for those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, | 28to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa |
| 29and Racal; for those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites; | 29and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites; |
| 30for those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach, | 30to those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athak |
| 31and Hebron; and for those in whatever other places David and his men had traveled. | 31and Hebron; and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed. |
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