| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, | 1On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down. |
| 2and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. | 2They had taken captive the women and all who were there, both young and old. They had not killed anyone, but had carried them off as they went on their way. |
| 3So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. | 3When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned down and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. |
| 4Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. | 4So David and the troops with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no strength left to weep. |
| 5And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. | 5David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken captive. |
| 6Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. | 6And David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of every man grieved for his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. |
| 7Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. | 7Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him, |
| 8So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” | 8and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.” |
| 9So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. | 9So David and his six hundred men went to the Brook of Besor, where some stayed behind |
| 10But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor. | 10because two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the brook. But David and four hundred men continued in pursuit. |
| 11Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water. | 11Now his men found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave the man water to drink and food to eat— |
| 12And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. | 12a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. So he ate and was revived, for he had not had any food or water for three days and three nights. |
| 13Then David said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” And he said, “I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind, because three days ago I fell sick. | 13Then David asked him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” “I am an Egyptian,” he replied, “the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me three days ago when I fell ill. |
| 14We made an invasion of the southern area of the Cherethites, in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.” | 14We raided the Negev of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah, and the Negev of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag.” |
| 15And David said to him, “Can you take me down to this troop?” So he said, “Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this troop.” | 15“Will you lead me to these raiders?” David asked. And the man replied, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hand of my master, and I will lead you to them.” |
| 16And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. | 16So he led David down, and there were the Amalekites spread out over all the land, eating, drinking, and celebrating the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah. |
| 17Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. | 17And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man escaped, except four hundred young men who fled, riding off on camels. |
| 18So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. | 18So David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. |
| 19And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all. | 19Nothing was missing, young or old, son or daughter, or any of the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David brought everything back. |
| 20Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.” | 20And he recovered all the flocks and herds, which his men drove ahead of the other livestock, calling out, “This is David’s plunder!” |
| 21Now David came to the two hundred men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near the people, he greeted them. | 21When David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him from the Brook of Besor, they came out to meet him and the troops with him. As David approached the men, he greeted them, |
| 22Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man’s wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart.” | 22but all the wicked and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered, except for each man’s wife and children. They may take them and go.” |
| 23But David said, “My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. | 23But David said, “My brothers, you must not do this with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiders who came against us. |
| 24For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.” | 24Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.” |
| 25So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day. | 25And so it has been from that day forward. David established this statute as an ordinance for Israel to this very day. |
| 26Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD”— | 26When David arrived in 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.” |
| 27to those who were in Bethel, those who were in Ramoth of the South, those who were in Jattir, | 27He sent gifts to those in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, and Jattir; |
| 28those who were in Aroer, those who were in Siphmoth, those who were in Eshtemoa, | 28to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, and Eshtemoa; |
| 29those who were in Rachal, those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, those who were in the cities of the Kenites, | 29to those in Racal and in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites; |
| 30those who were in Hormah, those who were in Chorashan, those who were in Athach, | 30to those in Hormah, Bor-ashan, and Athach; |
| 31those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to rove. | 31and to those in Hebron and in all the places where David and his men had roamed. |
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