The Amalekites Raid Ziklag 1 UEB It came about, when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid upon the Negev and on Ziklag. They attacked Ziklag, burned it, BSB BSB: On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down.
2 UEB and captured the women and everyone who was in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off as they went on their way. BSB BSB: They 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.
3 UEB When David and his men came to the city, it was burned, and their wives, their sons, and their daughters were taken captive. BSB BSB: When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned down and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
4 UEB Then David and the people that were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more power to weep. BSB BSB: So David and the troops with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no strength left to weep.
5 UEB David's two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelite woman, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. BSB BSB: David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken captive.
6 UEB David was greatly distressed, for the people were talking about stoning him, for all the people were bitter in spirit, each man for his sons and daughters; but David strengthened himself in Yahweh, his God. BSB BSB: And 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.
David Destroys the Amalekites 7 UEB David said to Abiathar son of Ahimelech, the priest, "I beg you, bring the ephod here for me." Abiathar brought the ephod to David. BSB BSB: Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him,
8 UEB David prayed to Yahweh for direction, saying, "If I pursue after this troop, will I overtake them?" Yahweh answered him, "Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them, and you will surely recover everything." BSB BSB: and 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.”
9 UEB So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him; they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. BSB BSB: So David and his six hundred men went to the Brook of Besor, where some stayed behind
10 UEB But David kept pursuing, he and four hundred men; for two hundred had stayed behind, who were so weak that they could not go over the brook Besor. BSB BSB: because two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the brook. But David and four hundred men continued in pursuit.
11 UEB They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David; they gave him bread, and he ate; they gave him water to drink; BSB BSB: Now his men found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave the man water to drink and food to eat—
12 UEB and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. When he had eaten, he gained strength again, for he had eaten no bread nor drunk any water for three days and three nights. BSB BSB: a 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.
13 UEB David said to him, "To whom do you belong? Where do you come from?" He said, "I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; my master left me because three days ago I fell sick. BSB BSB: Then 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.
14 UEB We made a raid on the Negev of the Kerethites, and what belongs to Judah, and the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag." BSB BSB: We raided the Negev of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah, and the Negev of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag.”
15 UEB David said to him, "Will you bring me down to this raiding party?" The Egyptian said, "Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or betray me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this raiding party." BSB BSB: “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.”
16 UEB When the Egyptian had brought David down, the raiders were spread out over all the ground, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the booty they had taken out of the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. BSB BSB: So 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.
17 UEB David attacked them from the twilight to the evening of the next day. Not a man escaped except for four hundred young men, who rode on camels and fled. BSB BSB: And 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.
18 UEB David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; and David rescued his two wives. BSB BSB: So David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.
19 UEB Nothing was missing, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither booty, nor anything that the raiders had taken for themselves. David brought back everything. BSB BSB: Nothing was missing, young or old, son or daughter, or any of the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David brought everything back.
20 UEB David took all the flocks and the herds, which the men drove ahead of the other cattle. They said, "This is David's booty." BSB BSB: And he took all the flocks and herds, which his men drove ahead of the other livestock, calling out, “This is David’s plunder!”
The Spoils Are Divided 21 UEB David came to the two hundred men who had been too weak to follow him, the ones the others had made to stay at the brook Besor. These men went ahead to meet David and the people who were with him. When David came to these people, he greeted them. BSB BSB: When David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Brook of Besor, they came out to meet him and the troops with him. As David approached the men, he greeted them,
22 UEB Then all the wicked men and worthless fellows among those who had gone with David said, "Because these men did not go with us, we will not give them any of the booty that we have recovered. Except that each man may take his wife and children, lead them away, and go." BSB BSB: but 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.”
23 UEB Then David said, "You must not act like this, my brothers, with what Yahweh has given to us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the raiders who came against us. BSB BSB: But 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.
24 UEB Who will listen to you in this matter? For as the share is for anyone who goes into battle, so also will the share be for anyone who waits by the baggage; they will share and share alike." BSB BSB: Who 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.”
25 UEB It has been so from that day to this day, for David made it a statute and a decree for Israel. BSB BSB: And so it has been from that day forward. David established this statute and ordinance for Israel to this very day.
26 UEB When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the booty to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, "See, here is a present for you from the booty from Yahweh's enemies." BSB BSB: When 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.”
27 UEB He also sent some to the elders who were in Bethel, and to those who were in Ramoth of the South, and to those who were in Jattir, BSB BSB: He sent gifts to those in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, and Jattir;
28 UEB and to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa. BSB BSB: to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, and Eshtemoa;
29 UEB He also sent some to the elders who were in Rakal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites, BSB BSB: to those in Racal and in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites;
30 UEB and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in Bor Ashan, and to those who were in Athak, BSB BSB: to those in Hormah, Bor-ashan, and Athach;
31 UEB and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men habitually went. BSB BSB: and to those in Hebron and in all the places where David and his men had roamed.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.