1. Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had raided the south as far as Ziklag. They had struck Ziklag and burned it with fire.
2. They had taken as captives all the women who were there. They did not kill anyone, but carried them off and went on their way.
3. David and his men came to the city, and they found it burned with fire, and their wives, their sons, and their daughters taken captive.
4. So David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept until they had no strength in them to weep.
5. Now David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6. David was greatly distressed, for the people talked of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in spirit, each over his sons and daughters. But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
7. And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Please bring the ephod to me.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
8. David inquired at the Lord, saying, “Should I pursue after this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”And He answered him, “Pursue them, for you will surely overtake them and will surely recover all.”