09:030:001 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to
Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the
south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with
fire;
09:030:002 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew
not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and
went on their way.
09:030:003 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was
burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their
daughters, were taken captives.
09:030:004 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their
voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
09:030:005 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
09:030:006 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of
stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved,
every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David
encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
09:030:007 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray
thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither
the ephod to David.
09:030:008 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after
this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him,
Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail
recover all.
09:030:009 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him,
and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind
stayed.
09:030:010 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred
abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over
the brook Besor.
09:030:011 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to
David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him
drink water;
09:030:012 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters
of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to
him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three
days and three nights.
09:030:013 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence
art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to
an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone
I fell sick.
09:030:014 We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and
upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of
Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
09:030:015 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this
company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt
neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master,
and I will bring thee down to this company.
09:030:016 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread
abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing,
because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the
land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
09:030:017 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening
of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save
four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.
09:030:018 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away:
and David rescued his two wives.
09:030:019 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor
great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any
thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.
09:030:020 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave
before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.
09:030:021 And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint
that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to
abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David,
and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came
near to the people, he saluted them.
09:030:022 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those
that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us,
we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have
recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that
they may lead them away, and depart.
09:030:023 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that
which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and
delivered the company that came against us into our hand.
09:030:024 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part
is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that
tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.
09:030:025 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute
and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
09:030:026 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the
elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present
for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD;
09:030:027 To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south
Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,
09:030:028 And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in
Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,
09:030:029 And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in
the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the
cities of the Kenites,
09:030:030 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in
Chorashan, and to them which were in Athach,
09:030:031 And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where
David himself and his men were wont to haunt.