1In those days a man from Bethlehem, the city of David, went to Jerusalem to pay the vow which he had vowed unto the LORD. His name was Zabad the Parhi, and he was of the family of the Perezites.
2Zabad’s father was very sick, even unto the point of death, so Zabad vowed: “When the LORD heals my father of his sickness, I will weigh out two talents of silver and give them to the House of the LORD, into the hand of King David.”
3And it came to pass, when he was at the house of the shepherds along the way, he lost the pouch with the money in it and he was upset.
4He came to the city of Jerusalem, into the inner city, and he wrote on all the gates these words:
5“Anyone who finds a lost pouch with two talents of silver and brings it to me I will give him a talent of silver as a reward.”
6After a while, a man from the tribe of Dan came and had in his hand the pouch with the silver talents that he found along the way and he gave it to the owner of the pouch.
7And the Danite said to Zabad: “Give me the talent of silver as you promised.”
8And the Zabad said: “No, there were actually three talents in my pouch and you have already stolen one talent; I mistakenly wrote down the wrong number.”
9So both of them came and stood before the king.
10And the king said to the Zabad: “Swear unto me by the LORD, that you truly had three talents of silver in your pouch.” And Zabad swore to him by the LORD.
11And the king continued, saying to the Danite: “Swear unto me by the LORD, that you only found two talents of silver the pouch.” And he swore to him by the LORD.
12And David said to Zabad: “Give the pouch with the talents back to the Danite, because this is his money that the LORD has given to him by chance.
13Now, go and write on the city gates: ‘Whoever finds the pouch with three talents should bring it to me,’ because this is not your pouch.”
14And David took the pouch with the talents of silver from the hand of the Zabad and gave it to the Danite.
15And the Danite bowed his head and prostrated himself to the earth and said: “Long live my lord, King David, forever.”
16And all Israel heard of this judgment and they marveled over David and were overjoyed; because they saw that he was full of the wisdom of God.