Daily Bread

¹⁶ He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling^(A) because of the great amount of plunder^(B) they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. ¹⁷ David fought^(C) them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled.^{(D) 18} David recovered^(E) everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. ¹⁹ Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. ²⁰ He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.”

²¹ Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted^(F) to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. ²² But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”

²³ David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. ²⁴ Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.^(G)” ²⁵ David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.

²⁶ When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a gift^(H) for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”

²⁷ David sent it to those who were in Bethel,^(I) Ramoth^(J) Negev and Jattir;^{(K) 28} to those in Aroer,^(L) Siphmoth,^(M) Eshtemoa^{(N) 29} and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites^(O) and the Kenites;^{(P) 30} to those in Hormah,^(Q) Bor Ashan,^(R) Athak ³¹ and Hebron;^(S) and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed.