David

And Dauid smote the lande, and left neither man nor woman aliue, and tooke sheepe, and oxen, and asses, and camels, and apparell, and returned and came to Achish.

And Achish said, Where haue ye bene a rouing this day? And Dauid answered, Against the South of Iudah, and against the South of the Ierahmeelites, and against the South of ye Kenites.

And Dauid saued neither man nor woman aliue, to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tel on vs, and say, So did Dauid, and so will be his maner all the while that he dwelleth in the countrey of the Philistims.

And Achish beleeued Dauid, saying, He hath made his people of Israel vtterly to abhorre him: therefore he shalbe my seruant for euer.

Nowe at that time the Philistims assembled their bandes and armie to fight with Israel: therfore Achish said to Dauid, Be sure, thou shalt go out with me to the battel, thou, and thy men.

And Dauid said to Achish, Surely thou shalt knowe, what thy seruant can doe. And Achish sayde to Dauid, Surely I will make thee keeper of mine head for euer.

Euen the Lord hath done to him, as hee spake by mine hande: for the Lord will rent the kingdome out of thine hande, and giue it thy neighbour Dauid.

And the princes of the Philistims went foorth by hundreths and thousandes, but Dauid and his men came behinde with Achish.

Then saide the princes of the Philistims, What doe these Ebrewes here? And Achish said vnto the princes of the Philistims, Is not this Dauid the seruant of Saul the King of Israel, who hath bene with me these dayes, or these yeeres, and I haue found nothing in him, since he dwelt with me vnto this day?

Is not this Dauid, of whome they sang in daunces, saying, Saul slewe his thousande, and Dauid his ten thousande?

Then Achish called Dauid, and said vnto him, As the Lord liueth, thou hast bene vpright and good in my sight, when thou wentest out and in with mee in the hoste, neither haue I founde euill with thee, since thou camest to me vnto this day, but the princes doe not fauour thee.

And Dauid said vnto Achish, But what haue I done? and what hast thou founde in thy seruant as long as I haue bene with thee vnto this day, that I may not goe and fight against the enemies of my lorde the King?

Achish then answered, and said to Dauid, I knowe thou pleasest mee, as an Angell of God: but the princes of the Philistims haue saide, Let him not goe vp with vs to battell.

So Dauid and his men rose vp earely to depart in the morning, and to returne into the lande of the Philistims: and the Philistims went vp to Izreel.

Bvt when Dauid and his men were come to Ziklag the thirde day, the Amalekites had inuaded vpon the South, euen vnto Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burnt it with fire,

So Dauid and his men came to the city, and beholde, it was burnt with fire, and their wiues, and their sonnes, and their daughters were taken prisoners.

Then Dauid and the people that was with him, lift vp their voyces and wept, vntill they could weepe no more.

Dauids two wiues were taken prisoners also, Ahinoam the Izreelite, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

And Dauid was in great sorowe: for the people entended to stone him, because the heartes of all the people were vexed euery man for his sonnes and for his daughters: but Dauid comforted him selfe in the Lord his God.

And Dauid saide to Abiathar the Priest Ahimelechs sonne, I pray thee, bring me the Ephod. And Abiathar brought the Ephod to Dauid.

Then Dauid asked counsell at the Lord, saying, Shall I follow after this companie? shall I ouertake them? And he answered him, Followe: for thou shalt surely ouertake them, and recouer all.

So Dauid and the sixe hundreth men that were with him, went, and came to the riuer Besor, where a part of them abode:

But Dauid and foure hundreth men followed (for two hundreth abode behinde, being too wearie to goe ouer the riuer Besor)

And they found an Egyptian in the fielde, and brought him to Dauid, and gaue him bread and he did eat, and they gaue him water to drinke.

And Dauid saide vnto him, To whome belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he saide, I am a yong man of Egypt, and seruant to an Amalekite: and my master left me three dayes agoe, because I fell sicke.