1 Samuel 30:9-25

1 Samuel 30:9-25

[9] So David  he and the six  hundred  men  that were with him, and came  to the brook  Besor,  where those that were left behind  stayed.  [10] 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.  [11] 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;  [12] 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.  [13] And David  said  I am a young man  of Egypt,  servant  to an Amalekite;  and my master  left  me, because three  days  agone I fell sick.  [14] 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.  [15] 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.  [16] 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.  [17] 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.  [18] And David  recovered  all that the Amalekites  had carried away:  and David  rescued  his two  wives.  [19] 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. [20] And David  took  all the flocks  and the herds,  which they drave  before  those  other cattle,  and said,  This is David's  spoil.  [21] And David  came  to the two hundred  which were so faint  David,  whom they had made also to abide  at the brook  Besor:  and they went forth  David,  the people  that were with him: and when David  came near  to the people,  he saluted  them. [22] Then answered  all the wicked  men  and men of Belial,  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,  [23] 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.  [24] 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.  [25] And it was so from that day  forward,  that he made  it a statute  and an ordinance  for Israel  unto this day.