Dual Panel1On the third <07992> day <03117> David <01732> and his men <0376> came <0935> to Ziklag <06860>. Now the Amalekites <06003> had raided <06584> the Negev <05045> and Ziklag <06860>. They attacked <05221> Ziklag <06860> and burned <08313> it.
2They took captive <07617> the women <0802> who <0834> were in it, from the youngest <06996> to <05704> the oldest <01419>, but they did not <03808> kill <04191> anyone <0376>. They simply carried <05090> them off <05090> and went <01980> on their way <01870>.
3When David <01732> and his men <0376> came <0935> to <0413> the city <05892>, they found <02009> it burned <08313>. Their wives <0802>, sons <01121>, and daughters <01323> had been taken captive <07617>.
4Then <05375> David <01732> and the men <05971> who <0834> were with <0854> him wept loudly <01058> <06963> until <05704> they could weep <01058> no <0369> more <03581>.
5David’s <01732> two <08147> wives <0802> had been taken captive <07617>– Ahinoam <0293> the Jezreelite <03159> and Abigail <026> the Carmelite <03761>, Nabal’s <05037> widow <0802>.
6David <01732> was very <03966> upset <03334>, for <03588> the men <05971> were thinking <0559> of stoning <05619> him; each <03605> man <0376> grieved <04784> bitterly <05315> over <05921> his sons <01121> and daughters <01323>. But David <01732> drew strength <02388> from the Lord <03068> his God <0430>.
7Then David <01732> said <0559> to <0413> the priest <03548> Abiathar <054> son <01121> of Ahimelech <0288>, “Bring <05066> me the ephod <0646>.” So Abiathar <054> brought <05066> the ephod <0646> to <0413> David <01732>.
8David <01732> inquired <07592> of the Lord <03068>, saying <0559>, “Should I pursue <07291> this <02088> raiding band <01416>? Will I overtake <05381> them?” He said <0559> to him, “Pursue <07291>, for <03588> you will certainly overtake <05381> <05381> them and carry out <05337> a rescue!”
9So David <01732> went <01980>, accompanied by his <01931> six <08337> hundred <03967> men <0376>. When <0834> he came <0935> to <05704> the Wadi <05158> Besor <01308>, those who were in the rear <03498> stayed <05975> there.
10David <01732> and four <0702> hundred <03967> men <0376> continued the pursuit <07291>, but two hundred <03967> men <0376> who <0834> were too exhausted <06296> to cross <05674> the Wadi <05158> Besor <01308> stayed <05975> there.
11Then they found <04672> an Egyptian <04713> <0376> in the field <07704> and brought <03947> him to <0413> David <01732>. They gave <05414> him bread <03899> to eat <0398> and water <04325> to drink <08248>.
12They gave <05414> him a slice <06400> of pressed figs <01690> and two <08147> bunches of raisins <06778> to eat <0398>. This greatly refreshed <07725> him, for <03588> he had not <03808> eaten <0398> food <03899> or <03808> drunk <08354> water <04325> for three <07969> days <03117> and three <07969> nights <03915>.
13David <01732> said <0559> to him, “To whom <04310> do you <0859> belong, and where <0335> are you <0859> from?” The young man <05288> said <0559>, “I <0595> am an Egyptian <04713>, the servant <05650> of an Amalekite <06003> man <0376>. My master <0113> abandoned <05800> me when <03588> I was ill <02470> for three <07969> days <03117>.
14We <0587> conducted a raid <06584> on the Negev <05045> of the Kerethites <03774>, on <05921> the area of Judah <03063>, and on <05921> the Negev <05045> of Caleb <03612>. We burned <08313> Ziklag <06860>.”
15David <01732> said <0559> to <0413> him, “Can you take <03381> us down <03381> to <0413> this <02088> raiding party <01416>?” He said <0559>, “Swear <07650> to me by God <0430> that you will not <0518> kill <04191> me or <0518> hand <03027> me over to my master <0113>, and I will take <03381> you down <03381> to <0413> this <02088> raiding party <01416>.”
16So he took <03381> David down <03381>, and they found <02009> them spread out <05203> over <05921> the land <0776>. They were eating <0398> and drinking <08354> and enjoying <02287> themselves because of all <03605> the loot <01419> <07998> they had taken <03947> from the land <0776> of the Philistines <06430> and from the land <0776> of Judah <03063>.
17But David <01732> struck <05221> them down from twilight <05399> until <05704> the following <04283> evening <06153>. None <0376> <03808> of them <01992> escaped <04422>, with the exception <0518> of four <0702> hundred <03967> young <05288> men <0376> who <0834> got away <05127> on <05921> camels <01581>.
18David <01732> retrieved <05337> everything <03605> the Amalekites <06002> had taken <03947>; he <01732> also rescued <05337> his two <08147> wives <0802>.
19There was nothing <03808> missing <05737>, whether <04480> small <06996> or <05704> great <01419>. He retrieved sons <01121> and <05704> daughters <01323>, the plunder <07998>, and <05704> everything <03605> else they had taken <03947>. David <01732> brought <07725> everything <03605> back <07725>.
20David <01732> took <03947> all <03605> the flocks <06629> and herds <01241> and drove <05090> them in front of <06440> the rest of the animals <04735>. People <01931> were saying <0559>, “This <02088> is David’s <01732> plunder <07998>!”
21Then David <01732> approached <0935> the two hundred <03967> men <0376> who <0834> had been too exhausted <06296> to go <01980> with <0310> him <01732>, those whom they had left <03427> at the Wadi <05158> Besor <01308>. They went out <03318> to meet <07122> David <01732> and the people <05971> who <0834> were with <0854> him. When David <01732> approached <05066> the people <05971>, he asked <07592> how they were doing <07965>.
22But all <03605> the evil <07451> and worthless <01100> men <0376> among those who <0834> had gone <01980> with <05973> David <01732> said <0559>, “Since <0834> <03282> they didn’t <03808> go <01980> with <05973> us, we won’t <03808> give <05414> them any of the loot <07998> we retrieved <05337>! They may take only <0518> <03588> their wives <0802> and children <01121>. Let them lead <05090> them away <05090> and be gone <01980>!”
23But David <01732> said <0559>, “No <03808>! You shouldn’t do <06213> this, my brothers <0251>. Look at what <0834> the Lord <03068> has given <05414> us! He has protected <08104> us and has delivered <05414> into <05921> our hands <03027> the raiding party <01416> that came <0935> against us.
24Who <04310> will listen <08085> to you in this <02088> matter <01697>? The portion <02506> of the one who went down <03381> into the battle <04421> will be the same as the portion <02506> of the one who remained <03427> with <05921> the equipment <03627>! Let their portions <02505> be the same <03162>!”
25From that time <03117> onward <04605> it <01931> was a binding <07760> ordinance <02706> for Israel <03478>, right <04941> up to <05704> the present <02088> time <03117>.
26When David <01732> came <0935> to <0413> Ziklag <06860>, he sent <07971> some of the plunder <07998> to the elders <02205> of Judah <03063> who were his friends <07453>, saying <0559>, “Here’s <02009> a gift <01293> for you from the looting <07998> of the Lord’s <03068> enemies <0341>!”
27The gift was for those in the following locations: for those in Bethel <01008>, Ramoth Negev <07418>, and Jattir <03492>;
28for those in Aroer <06177>, Siphmoth <08224>, Eshtemoa <0851>,
29and Racal <07403>; for those in the cities <05892> of the Jerahmeelites <03397> and Kenites <07017>;
30for those in Hormah <02767>, Bor Ashan <03565>, Athach <06269>,
31and Hebron <02275>; and for those in whatever <03605> other places <04725> David <01732> and his <01931> men <0376> had traveled <01980>.