8. Then David asked the Lord, “Should I go after the people who raided our town? Can I catch up with them?”“Go after them,” the Lord answered. “You will catch up with them, and you will rescue your families.”
9-10. David led his six hundred men to Besor Gorge, but two hundred of them were too tired to go across. So they stayed behind, while David and the other four hundred men crossed the gorge.
11. Some of David's men found an Egyptian out in a field and took him to David. They gave the Egyptian some bread, and he ate it. Then they gave him a drink of water,
12. some dried figs, and two handfuls of raisins. This was the first time in three days he had tasted food or water. Now he felt much better.
13. “Who is your master?” David asked. “And where do you come from?”“I'm from Egypt,” the young man answered. “I'm the servant of an Amalekite, but he left me here three days ago because I was sick.
14. We had attacked some towns in the desert where the Cherethites live, in the area that belongs to Judah, and in the desert where the Caleb clan lives. And we burnt down Ziklag.”
15. “Will you take me to those Amalekites?” David asked.“Yes, I will, if you promise with God as a witness that you won't kill me or hand me over to my master.”
16. He led David to the Amalekites. They were eating and drinking everywhere, celebrating because of what they had taken from Philistia and Judah.
17. David attacked just before sunrise the next day and fought until sunset. Four hundred Amalekites rode away on camels, but they were the only ones who escaped.
18. David rescued his two wives and everyone else the Amalekites had taken from Ziklag.