1 Samuel 30

1 On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down.

2 They had taken captive the women and all who were there, both young and old. They had not killed anyone, but had carried them off as they went on their way.

3 When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned down and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.

4 So David and the troops with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no strength left to weep.

5 David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken captive.

6 And David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of every man grieved for his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him,

8 and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.”

9 So David and his six hundred men went to the Brook of Besor, where some stayed behind

10 because two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the brook. But David and four hundred men continued in pursuit.

11 Now his men found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave the man water to drink and food to eat—

12 a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. So he ate and was revived, for he had not had any food or water for three days and three nights.

13 Then David asked him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” “I am an Egyptian,” he replied, “the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me three days ago when I fell ill.

14 We raided the Negev of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah, and the Negev of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag.”

15 “Will you lead me to these raiders?” David asked. And the man replied, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hand of my master, and I will lead you to them.”

16 So he led David down, and there were the Amalekites spread out over all the land, eating, drinking, and celebrating the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah.

17 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man escaped, except four hundred young men who fled, riding off on camels.

18 So David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.

19 Nothing was missing, young or old, son or daughter, or any of the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David brought everything back.

20 And he took all the flocks and herds, which his men drove ahead of the other livestock, calling out, “This is David’s plunder!”

21 When David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Brook of Besor, they came out to meet him and the troops with him. As David approached the men, he greeted them,

22 but all the wicked and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered, except for each man’s wife and children. They may take them and go.”

23 But David said, “My brothers, you must not do this with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiders who came against us.

24 Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.”

25 And so it has been from that day forward. David established this statute and ordinance for Israel to this very day.

26 When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.”

27 He sent gifts to those in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, and Jattir;

28 to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, and Eshtemoa;

29 to those in Racal and in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites;

30 to those in Hormah, Bor-ashan, and Athach;

31 and to those in Hebron and in all the places where David and his men had roamed.

1 ¶ And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

2 And had taken the women captives, that [were] therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried [them] away, and went on their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, [it was] burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

4 Then David and the people that [were] with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

7 ¶ And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake [them], and without fail recover [all].

9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that [were] with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.

10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;

12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk [any] water, three days and three nights.

13 And David said unto him, To whom [belongest] thou? and whence [art] thou? And he said, I [am] a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.

14 We made an invasion [upon] the south of the Cherethites, and upon [the coast] which [belongeth] to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.

15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.

16 And when he had brought him down, behold, [they were] spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.

18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any [thing] that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, [which] they drave before those [other] cattle, and said, This [is] David's spoil.

21 ¶ And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that [were] with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.

22 Then answered all the wicked men and [men] of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them [ought] of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead [them] away, and depart.

23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.

24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part [is] that goeth down to the battle, so [shall] his part [be] that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.

25 And it was [so] from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, [even] to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD;

27 To [them] which [were] in Bethel, and to [them] which [were] in south Ramoth, and to [them] which [were] in Jattir,

28 And to [them] which [were] in Aroer, and to [them] which [were] in Siphmoth, and to [them] which [were] in Eshtemoa,

29 And to [them] which [were] in Rachal, and to [them] which [were] in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to [them] which [were] in the cities of the Kenites,

30 And to [them] which [were] in Hormah, and to [them] which [were] in Chorashan, and to [them] which [were] in Athach,

31 And to [them] which [were] in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.

1 And it came to pass on the third day, when David was come to Ziklag with his men, that the Amalekites came in at noon, and at Ziklag, and smote Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

2 And they had led away the women out of it, both small and great: but they had not killed any, but had driven them away, and gone their way.

3 And when David and his men were come to the city, he saw that it was burned with fire, and that their wives and their sons and their daughters were taken captives,

4 And David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice, and wept, until they could weep no more.

5 For David's two wives were also captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabai the Carmelite.

6 And David was sore troubled: for the people would have stoned him: for all the people's souls were troubled, every man for his sons and for his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

7 And he said unto Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, Bring me the ephod. And when Abiathar had brought the ephod unto David,

8 And David asked the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after the men of war, and shall I seize them? And he said, Pursue them, and thou shalt seize them, and shalt do salvation.

9 And David went, and the six hundred men that were with him: and when they came to the brook Besor, some stood still:

10 And David and the four hundred men pursued; but the two hundred men that stayed were too weary to go over the brook Besor.

11 And they found an Egyptian man in the field, and brought him unto David, and gave him bread, that he might eat, and watered him with water;

12 And they gave him a piece of figs, and :two pieces of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten nothing, neither drunk water, in three days and three nights.

13 And David said unto him, Whose art thou? and whence art thou? And he said: I am an Egyptian lad, the servant of an Amalekite: and my lord hath forsaken me, because I was sick three days ago.

14 We fell upon Krethi at noon, and upon Judah at noon, and upon Caleb at noon, and burned Ziklag with fire.

15 And David said unto him, Wilt thou bring me down unto these men of war? And he said, Swear to me by God that thou wilt not kill me, nor deliver me into the hand of my lord, and I will bring thee down unto these men of war.

16 And he brought them down. And, behold, they were scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth, eating and drinking, and feasting upon all the great spoil which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines and Judah.

17 And David smote them from the morning until the evening toward the second day: and there escaped not one of them, save four hundred young men, which fell upon camels, and fled.

18 So David delivered all that the Amalekites had taken, and his two wives;

19 And lacked none, neither small nor great, neither sons, nor daughters, nor spoil, nor any thing that they had taken: David brought it all again.

20 And David took the sheep and the oxen, and drove the people before him: and they said, This is David's spoil.

21 And when David came to the two hundred men that were too weary to follow David, and had tarried by the brook Besor, they went out to meet David, and the people that were with him. And David stood by the people, and greeted them kindly.

22 Then answered they that were wicked and loose among them that went with David, and said: Because they went not with us, let nothing be given them of the spoil which we have delivered: but let every man lead his wife and his children, and go.

23 And David said, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, and hath preserved us, and delivered into our hand these men of war that came against us.

24 Who shall obey you in this? As the portion of them that go down to battle, so shall the portion of them that abide in the device be, and shall be divided alike.

25 This hath been the custom and the law in Israel from that time forward unto this day.

26 And when David was come to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, Behold, ye have the blessing of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD;

27 Namely, to them that are at Bethel, and to them that are at Ramoth in the south day, and to them that are at Jathir,

28 To them of Aroer, to them of Siphamoth, to them of Esthemoa,

29 To them that are in Rachel, to them that are in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, to them that are in the cities of the Kenites,

30 To those of Horma, to those of Bor-asan, to those of Athah,

31 To them in Hebron, and to all the places where David walked with his men.