Then David asked the Lord, “Should I chase the people who took our families? Will I catch them?” The Lord answered, “Chase them. You will catch them, and you will succeed in saving your families.”
David asked the Lord, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord said to David, “Go! I will certainly hand them over to you.”
When David prayed to the Lord, he answered, “Don’t attack the Philistines from the front. Instead, go around and attack them in front of the balsam trees.
“The enemy bragged, ‘I’ll chase them and catch them. I’ll take all their riches; I’ll take all I want. I’ll pull out my sword, and my hand will destroy them.’
He must stand before Eleazar the priest, and Eleazar will get advice from the Lord by using the Urim. At his command all the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will all come in.”
The Israelites went up to the city of Bethel and asked God, “Which tribe shall be first to attack the Benjaminites?” The Lord answered, “Judah shall go first.”
A priest named Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before the Ark of the Agreement.) They asked, “Shall we go to fight our relatives, the Benjaminites, again, or shall we stop fighting?” The Lord answered, “Go, because tomorrow I will hand them over to you.”
Nothing was missing. David brought back everyone, young and old, sons and daughters. He recovered the valuable things and everything the Amalekites had taken.