1 GLT And it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had raided against the Negev and against Ziklag. And they had struck Ziklag and had burned it with fire. 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 GLT And they had taken captive the women who were in it, from small and as far as great. They had not put a man to death, but had led them away and went to 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 GLT And David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burned with fire! And their wives and their sons and their daughters had been 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 GLT And David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept until there was no strength in them 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 GLT And the two of the wives of David had been 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 GLT And it was very narrow for David, for the people said to stone him, for the spirit of all the people was bitter, a man for his sons and for his daughters. And 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.
7 GLT And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech,“Please bring near to me the ephod.” And Abiathar brought near to David the ephod. BSB BSB: Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him,
8 GLT And David inquired of Yahweh, saying,“If I pursue after this troop, will I overtake it?” And he said to him,“Pursue, for you will certainly overtake and you will certainly rescue.” 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 GLT And David went, he and the 600 men who were with him, and they came as far as the wadi of the Besor. And the ones 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 GLT And David pursued, he and 400 men. And 200 men stayed, who were too exhausted to pass over the wadi of the Besor. BSB BSB: because two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the brook. But David and four hundred men continued in pursuit.
11 GLT And they found an Egyptian man in the field and took him to David. And they gave to him bread, and he ate. And they caused him to drink water. 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 GLT And they gave to him a slice of a fig cake and two raisin clusters, and he ate and his spirit returned to him. For he had not eaten bread and had not drunk water 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 GLT And David said to him,“To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” And he said,“I am an Egyptian young man, a slave of a man of the Amalekite. And my master left me because three days ago I became 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 GLT We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, and against what belongs to Judah, and against the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag with fire.” BSB BSB: We raided the Negev of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah, and the Negev of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag.”
15 GLT And David said to him,“Will you bring me down to this troop?” And he said,“Swear to me by God that you will not put me to death and not deliver me into the hand of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop.” 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 GLT And he brought him down, and behold, they were spread out over the face of all the land, eating and drinking and celebrating because of all the great spoil that they had taken from 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 GLT And David struck them down from the twilight and until the evening of their next day. And a man did not slip away from them except for 400 men, young men who rode on the 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 GLT And David rescued all that Amalek had taken. And David rescued the two of his wives. BSB BSB: So David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.
19 GLT And it was not missing for them from small and as far as great and as far as sons and daughters and from spoil and as far as all that they 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 GLT And David took all the sheep and the cattle. They drove before the face of that livestock, and said,“This is the spoil of David.” 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!”
21 GLT And David came to the 200 men who had been too exhausted to go behind David, and they had caused them to stay at the wadi of the Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And David came near the people and asked them with respect to well- being. 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 GLT And all the evil and worthless men from the men who had gone with David answered and said,“Because they did not go with us, we will not give to them from the spoil that we have rescued, except a man his wife and his sons, that they may lead 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 GLT And David said,“You shall not do so, my brothers, with what Yahweh has given to us. And he has kept us and given into our hand the troop 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 GLT And who will listen to you with respect to this matter? For as is the portion of the one who went down in the battle, so shall be the portion of the one who stayed with the things. They shall be apportioned together.” 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 GLT And it happened from that day and beyond, that he set it for a statute and for a custom for Israel, until this day. BSB BSB: And so it has been from that day forward. David established this statute and ordinance for Israel to this very day.
26 GLT And David came to Ziklag and sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his companions, saying,“Behold, a blessing for you: some of the spoil of the enemies of Yahweh.” 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 GLT It was for he who was in Bethel and for he who was in Ramoth of the South and for he who was in Jattir BSB BSB: He sent gifts to those in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, and Jattir;
28 GLT and for he who was in Aroer and for he who was in Siphmoth and for he who was in Eshtemoa BSB BSB: to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, and Eshtemoa;
29 GLT and for he who was in Rakal and for he who was in the cities of the Jerahmeelite and for he who was in the cities of the Kenite BSB BSB: to those in Racal and in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites;
30 GLT and for he who was in Hormah and for he who was in Bor Ashan and for he who was in Athak BSB BSB: to those in Hormah, Bor-ashan, and Athach;
31 GLT and for he who was in Hebron and for all the places there where David walked about, he and his men. 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.