13
David asked him, "Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?" The man said, "I'm from Egypt. I'm the slave of an Amalekite. My master deserted me when I became ill three days ago.
14
We attacked the people in the Negev Desert of the Kerethites. We attacked the territory that belongs to Judah. We attacked the people in the Negev Desert of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag."
15
David asked him, "Can you lead me down to the men who attacked Ziklag?" He answered, "Take an oath in the name of God. Promise me that you won't kill me. Promise that you won't hand me over to my master. Then I'll take you down to them."
16
He led David down to where the men were. They were scattered all over the countryside. They were eating and drinking and dancing wildly. That's because they had taken a large amount of goods from those they had attacked. They had taken it from the land of the Philistines and from the people of Judah.
17
David fought against them from sunset until the evening of the next day. None of them escaped except 400 young men. They rode off on camels and got away.
18
David got everything back that the Amalekites had taken. That included his two wives.
19
Nothing was missing. Not one young person or old person or boy or girl was missing. None of the goods or anything else the Amalekites had taken was missing. David brought everything back.
20
He brought back all of the flocks and herds. His men drove them on ahead of the other livestock. They said, "Here's what David has captured."
21
Then David came to the 200 men who had been too tired to follow him. They had been left behind in the Besor Valley. They came out to welcome David and the people who were with him. As David and his men approached, he greeted them.
22
But some of the men who had gone out with David were evil. They wanted to stir up trouble. They said, "The 200 men didn't go out into battle with us. So we won't share with them the goods we brought back. But each man can take his wife and children and go home."
23
David replied, "No, my friends. You must not hold back their share of what the LORD has given us. He has kept us safe. He has handed over to us the men who attacked Ziklag.