1   And when Dauid and his men were come to Siceleg the third day, the Amalecites had made an inuasion on the south side into Siceleg, and had strooken Siceleg, and burnt it with fire.

2   And had led away wemen captiue out of it, from the lesse vnto the great: and had not killed any man, but had led them with them, and went on their iourney.

3   When Dauid therefore and his men were come to the citie, and had found it burnt with fire, and their wiues, and their sonnes, and their daughters to be led away captiue,

4   Dauid and the people that was with him, lifted vp their voices, and mourned til teares fayled them.

5   For the two wiues also of Dauid were led away captiue, Achinoam the Iezraelite, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

6   And Dauid was strooken very sad: for the people would haue stoned him, because the soule of euerie man was bitterly affected vpon their sonnes, and daughters: but Dauid was strengthened in our Lord his God.

7   And he sayd to Abiathar the priest the sonne of Achimelech: Applie ^note vnto me the Ephod. And

Dauid. Abiathar applied the Ephod to Dauid,

8   and Dauid consulted our Lord, saying: Shal I pursue these theeues, and shal I take them or no? And our Lord sayd to him: Pursue them: for thou shalt take them without doubt, & take from them the praye.

9   Dauid therefore went himselfe, and the six hundred men that were with him, and they came vnto the Torrent Besor: & some being wearre stayed.

10   But Dauid himself, and foure hundred men pursued: for two hundred stayed, who being wearie could not passe the Torrent Besor.

11   And they found an Ægyptian in the field, and brought him to Dauid: and they gaue him bread to eate, and water to drink,

12   and also a peece of a masse of drie figges, and two bunches of resinnes. Who when he had eaten, his spirite returned, and he was refreshed: for he had not eaten bread, nor drunken water three daies, and three nightes.

13   Dauid therefore sayd to him. Whose art thou? or whence? and whither goest thou? who sayd: I am a yong man of Ægypt, the seruant of an Amalacite: and my maister hath leift me, because I began to be sicke three daies agone.

14   For we brake forth at the south side of Cerethi, and against Iuda, and at the south of Caleb, and burnt Siceleg with fire.

15   And Dauid sayd to him: Canst thou bring me to this companie? Who sayd: Sweare to me by God, that thou wilt not kil me, nor deliuer me into the handes of my lord, and I wil bring thee to this companie. And Dauid sware to him.

16   Who when he had brought them, behold they sate vpon the face of al the earth, eating and drinking, and as it were keping festiual day, for al the praye, and spoiles which they had taken out of the Land of the Philistijms, and out of the Land of Iuda.

17   And Dauid stroke them from euening vntil the euening of the next day, and there escaped not anie of them, but foure hundred yong men, which had gotten vpon camels, and were fled.

18   Dauid therefore reskewed al thinges, that the Amalecites had taken and he reskewed his two wiues.

19   Neither was there anie wanting from litle to great as wel of their sonnes as of their daughters, and of the spoiles, and what thinges soeuer they had taken, Dauid brought al againe.

20   And he tooke al the flockes & heardes, and draue them before his face: and they sayd: This is the praye of Dauid.

21   And Dauid came to the two hundred men, which being wearie had staied, neither were able to folow Dauid, and he had bidden them to rest in the Torrent Besor:

Dauid. Saul who came forth to meete Dauid, and the people that were with him. And Dauid coming to the people, saluted them peaceably.

22   And euerie naughtie, and wicked felow of the men, that had gone with Dauid answering, sayd: Because they came not with vs, we wil not geue them anie thing of the praye, which we haue recouered: but let their wife and children suffice euerie man, whom when they haue receiued, let them depart.

23   But Dauid sayd: You shal not doe so my brethren, of these thinges, which our Lord hath deliuered to vs, and hath kept vs, and hath geuen the theeues, that were broken out against vs, into our handes:

24   neither shal anie man heare you vpon this talke. For there shal be equal portion of him that went downe into battel, and of him that abode at the baggage, & they shal diuide alike.

25   And this hath beene downe from that day, and euer after ^note it was decreed, and ordained as a law in Israel.

26   Dauid therefore came into Siceleg, and sent giftes of the praye to the ancientes of Iuda his neighboures, saying: Take a benediction of the praye of our Lords enemies.

27   To them, that were in Bethel, and that were in Ramoth toward the South, and them that were in Gether,

28   and them in Aroer, and them in Sephamoth, and them in Esthamo,

29   and them in Rachal, and them in the cities of Ierameel, and them in the cities of Semi,

30   and them in Harama, and them in the lake of Asan, and them in Athach,

31   and them in Hebron, and to the rest that were in those places, in the which Dauid had taried, and his men.

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