The Road Back from Ziklag - Jemima Varughese - 05 October 2026

Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziglag.

They had attacked Ziglag and burned it too and had taken the captive, the women and everyone else in it, both young and old.

They were killed.

They killed none of them but carried them off as they went on their way.

When David and his men reached Ziglag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.

So David and his men wept out loud until they had no strength left to weep.

David's two wives had been captured, Anomim of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him.

Each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters.

But David found strength in the Lord his God.

Then David said to Abathar the priest, the son of Hamalek, bring me the ephod.

Abathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the Lord, shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them? Pursue them, he answered.

You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.

David and the 600 men with them came to Besor Valley, where some stayed behind.

200 of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other 400 continued to pursue.

Verse 17, David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day.

And none of them got away except 400 young men who rode off on camels and fled.

David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.

Nothing was missing, young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken.

David brought everything back.

He took all the flocks and herds and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock saying this is David's plunder.

Then David came to the 200 men who had been too exhausted to follow him and were left behind at the Bessar Valley.

They came out to meet David and the men with him.

David and his men approached he asked them how they were but all the evil men and troublemakers among David's followers said because they did not go with us we should not share with them the plunder as we recovered however each man may take his wife and children and go David replied no my brothers you must not do that with what the Lord has given us he has protected us and delivered us into our hands the raiding party that came against us, 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.