5. David’s two wives had been captured – Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
6. 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.
7. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, ‘Bring me the ephod.’ Abiathar brought it to him,
8. and David enquired 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.’
9. David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind.
10. Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.
11. They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat –
12. part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.