~ Achish Sends David Back to Ziklag ~

So David and his men got up early in the morning
to go back to the land of the Philistines,
and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day.
Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag.
They had attacked Ziklag and burned it,
and had taken captive the women and all who were in it,
both young and old.
They killed none of them,
but carried them off as they went on their way.

When David and his men came to Ziklag,
they found it destroyed by fire
and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
So David and his men wept aloud
until they had no strength left to weep.
David's two wives had been captured --
Ahinoam 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 Abiathar the priest,
the son of Ahimelech,
"Bring me the ephod."
Abiathar 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."

(I Samuel 29:11; 30:1-8)