1 Samuel 30

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Now by the time David and his men reached Ziklag three days later, the Amalekites had raided theNegeb and Ziklag; they had sacked Ziklag and burnt it down.	1 Now when David and his men were come to Siceleg on the third day, the Amalecites had made an invasion on the south side upon Siceleg, and had smitten Siceleg, and burnt it with fire.
2 They had taken the women prisoner, and everyone who was there, both smal and great. They had notkil ed anyone, but had carried them off and gone away.	2 And had taken the women captives that were in it, both little and great: and they had not killed any person, but had carried them with them, and went on their way.
3 When David and his men arrived, they found the town burnt down and their wives and sons anddaughters taken captive.	3 So when David and his men came to the city, and found it burnt with fire, and that their wives and their sons, and their daughters were taken captives,
4 Then David and the people with him wept aloud til they were too weak to weep any more.	4 David and the people that were with him, lifted up their voices, and wept till they had no more tears.
5 David's two wives had been captured: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail widow of Nabal of Carmel.	5 For the two wives also of David were taken captives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
6 David was in great trouble, since the people were talking of stoning him; the people al felt very bitter,each man for his own sons and daughters. But David took courage from Yahweh his God.	6 And David was greatly afflicted: for the people had a mind to stone him, for the soul of every man was bitterly grieved for his sons, and daughters: but David took courage in the Lord his God.
7 To the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, David said, 'Bring me the ephod.' Abiathar brought the ephodto David.	7 And he said to Abiathar the priest the son of Achimelech: Bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
8 David then consulted Yahweh, 'Shal I go in pursuit of these raiders? Wil I overtake them?' Theanswer was, 'Go in pursuit; you will certainly overtake them and rescue the captives.'	8 And David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I pursue after these robbers, and shall I overtake them, or not? And the Lord said to him: Pursue after them: for thou shalt surely overtake them and recover the prey.
9 David accordingly set off with the six hundred men who were with him and reached the torrent ofBesor.	9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and they came to the torrent Besor: and some being weary stayed there.
10 David then continued the pursuit with four hundred men, two hundred staying behind who were tooexhausted to cross the torrent of Besor.	10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred stayed, who being weary could not go over the torrent Besor.
11 Out in the country they found an Egyptian and brought him to David. They gave him some bread toeat and some water to drink;	11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David: and they gave him bread to eat, and water to drink,
12 they also gave him a piece of fig cake and two bunches of raisins; he ate these and his spirits revived-- he had had nothing to eat or drink for three days and three nights.	12 As also a piece of a cake of figs, and two bunches of raisins. And when he had eaten them his spirit returned, and he was refreshed: for he had not eaten bread, nor drunk water three days, and three nights.
13 David then said to him, 'Whose man are you and where do you come from?' He replied, 'I am ayoung Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite; my master abandoned me because I fel sick three days ago.	13 And David said to him: To whom dost thou belong? or whence dost thou come? and whither art thou going? He said: I am a young man of Egypt, the servant of an Amalecite, and my master left me, because I began to be sick three days ago.
14 We raided the Negeb of the Cherethites, and the Negeb of Judah, and the Negeb of Caleb too, andwe burnt Ziklag down.'	14 For we made an invasion on the south side of Cerethi, and upon Juda, and upon the south of Caleb, and we burnt Siceleg with fire.
15 David said, 'Wil you guide me to these raiders?' He replied, 'Swear to me by God not to kill me orhand me over to my master, and I wil guide you to these raiders.'	15 And David said to him: Canst thou bring me to this company? And he said: Swear to me by God, that thou wilt not kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee to this company. And David swore to him.
16 He guided him to them, and there they were, scattered over the whole countryside, eating, drinkingand celebrating, on account of the enormous booty which they had brought back from the territory of thePhilistines and the territory of Judah.	16 And when he had brought him, behold they were lying spread upon all the ground, eating and drinking, and as it were keeping a festival day, for all the prey, and the spoils which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Juda.
17 David slaughtered them from dawn until the evening of the following day. No one escaped, exceptfour hundred young men who mounted camels and fled.	17 And David slew them from the evening unto the evening of the next day, and there escaped not a man of them, but four hundred young men, who had gotten upon camels, and fled.
18 He rescued everything that the Amalekites had taken -- David also rescued his two wives.	18 So David recovered all that the Amalecites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.
19 Nothing of theirs was lost, whether smal or great, from the booty or sons and daughters -- everythingthat had been taken from them; David recovered everything.	19 And there was nothing missing small or great, neither of their sons or their daughters, nor of the spoils, and whatsoever they had taken: David recovered all.
20 They captured the flocks and herds as wel and drove them in front of him. 'This is David's booty,'they shouted.	20 And he took all the flocks and the herds, and made them go before him: and they said: This is the prey of David.
21 When David reached the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and whom hehad left at the torrent of Besor, they came out to meet David and the party accompanying him; Davidapproached with his party and greeted them.	21 And David came to the two hundred men, who being weary had stayed, and were not able to follow David, and he had ordered them to abide at the torrent Besor: and they came out to meet David, and the people that were with him. And David coming to the people saluted them peaceably.
22 But al the rogues and scoundrels among the men who had gone with David began saying, 'Sincethey did not go with us, we shal not give them any of the booty which we have rescued, except that each ofthem can have his wife and children. Let them take them away and be off.'	22 Then all the wicked and unjust men that had gone with David answering, said: Because they came not with us, we will not give them any thing of the prey which we have recovered: but let every man take his wife and his children, and be contented with them, and go his way.
23 But David said, 'Do not behave like this, brothers, with what Yahweh has given us; he has protectedus and has handed over to us the raiders who attacked us.	23 But David said: You shall not do so, my brethren, with these things, which the Lord hath given us, who hath kept us, and hath delivered the robbers that invaded us into our hands.
24 Who would agree with you on this? No: As the share of the man who goes into battle, so is the shareof the man who stays with the baggage. They wil share alike.'	24 And no man shall hearken to you in this matter. But equal shall be the portion of him that went down to battle and of him that abode at the baggage, and they shall divide alike.
25 And from that day on, he made that a rule and custom for Israel, which obtains to the present day.	25 And this hath been done from that day forward, and since was made a statute, and an ordinance, and as a law in Israel.
26 When David reached Ziklag, he sent parts of the booty to the elders of Judah, town by town, with thismessage, 'Here is a present for you, taken from the booty of Yahweh's enemies':	26 Then David came to Siceleg, and sent presents of the prey to the ancients of Juda his neighbours, saying: Receive a blessing of the prey of the enemies of the Lord.
27 to those in Bethel, to those in Ramoth of the Negeb,	27 To them that were in Bethel, and that were in Ramoth to the south, and to them that were in Jether,
28 to those in Jattir, to those in Aroer, to those in Siphmoth, to those in Eshtemoa,	28 And to them that were in Aroer and that were in Sephamoth, and that were in Esthamo,
29 to those in Carmel, to those in the towns of Jerahmeel, to those in the towns of the Kenites,	29 And that were in Rachal, and that were in the cities of Jerameel, and that were in the cities of Ceni,
30 to those in Hormah, to those in Borashan, to those in Athach,	30 And that were in Arama, and that were in the lake Asan, and that were in Athach,
31 to those in Hebron and to al the places which David and his men had frequented.	31 And that were in Hebron, and to the rest that were in those places, in which David had abode with his men.