1 Samuel 30
30
David Defeats the Amalekites
1#1Sa 15:7; 29:11Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had raided the south as far as Ziklag. They had struck Ziklag and burned it with fire. 2#1Sa 27:11They had taken as captives all the women who were there. They did not kill anyone, but carried them off and went on their way.
3David and his men came to the city, and they found it burned with fire, and their wives, their sons, and their daughters taken captive. 4#Nu 14:1So David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept until they had no strength in them to weep. 5#1Sa 25:42–43; 2Sa 2:2Now David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6#Ex 17:4; Nu 14:10David was greatly distressed, for the people talked of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in spirit, each over his sons and daughters. But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
7#1Sa 22:20–21And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Please bring the ephod to me.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8#1Sa 23:2; 23:4David inquired at the Lord, saying, “Should I pursue after this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”
And He answered him, “Pursue them, for you will surely overtake them and will surely recover all.”
9So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him. And they came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind remained. 10#1Sa 30:21But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross over the brook Besor remained behind.
11They found an Egyptian in the field and took him to David. He gave him bread and he ate, and they made him drink water. 12#Jdg 15:19; 1Sa 14:27And they gave him a part of a cake of figs and two cakes of raisins. When he had eaten, his spirit came back to him, for he had not eaten bread or drunk any water for three days and nights.
13Then David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?”
And he said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite. And my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick. 14#2Sa 8:18; 1Ki 1:38We raided the south of the Kerethites, the south of Judah, and the south of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag with fire.”
15David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this raiding party?”
And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hand of my master, and I will bring you down to this raiding party.”
16When he brought him down, they were spread out over all the land, eating, drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17#1Sa 11:11David struck them from twilight until the evening of the next day, and no man escaped except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. 18So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 19#1Sa 30:8Now there was nothing missing, from the smallest thing to the greatest, neither sons, nor daughters, or plunder, or anything which they had taken. David brought back all of it. 20#1Sa 30:26And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before the other livestock. And they said, “This is David’s spoil.”
21#1Sa 30:10Then David came to the two hundred men, who were too exhausted to follow David, whom they left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people, he greeted them. 22Then all the wicked and worthless ones from the men who went with David answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them anything from the spoil that we have rescued, except to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away and depart.”
23Then David said, “You will not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us, for He has preserved us, and has delivered into our hand the raiding party that came against us. 24#Nu 31:27; Jos 22:8And who will listen to you in this matter? Indeed as the share is of the one going down to battle, so will be the share of the one staying with the equipment. They will share equally.” 25So it was so from that day forward, that he set it as a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.
26#1Sa 25:27When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift to you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord”: 27#Jos 15:48; 19:8to those who were in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negev, and in Jattir; 28#Jos 13:16; 15:50to those who were in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, 29#Jdg 1:16; 1Sa 27:10and in Rakal; to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites; 30#Jdg 1:17; Jos 19:4to those who were in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athak 31#2Sa 2:1and in Hebron; and to those who were in all the other places where David and his men had roamed.
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1 Samuel 30: MEV
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Military Bible Association
1 Kings 30
30
1Now, when David and his men were come to Siceleg on the third day, the Amalecites had made an invasion on the south side upon Siceleg, and had smitten Siceleg, and burnt it with fire.
2And had taken the women captives that were in it, both little and great: and they had not killed any person, but had carried them with them, and went on their way.
3So when David and his men came to the city, and found it burnt with fire, and that their wives and their sons, and their daughters were taken captives,
4David and the people that were with him lifted up their voices, and wept till they had no more tears.
5For the two wives also of David were taken captives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
6And David was greatly afflicted. For the people had a mind to stone him, for the soul of every man was bitterly grieved for his sons, and daughters. But David took courage in the Lord his God.
7And he said to Abiathar the priest the son of Achimelech: Bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
8And David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I pursue after these robbers, and shall I overtake them, or not? And the Lord said to him: Pursue after them. For thou shalt surely overtake them and recover the prey.
9So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him. And they came to the torrent Besor: and some being weary stayed there.
10But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred stayed, who being weary could not go over the torrent Besor.
11And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David: and they gave him bread to eat, and water to drink,
12As also a piece of a cake of figs, and two bunches of raisins. And when he had eaten them his spirit returned, and he was refreshed: for he had not eaten bread, nor drunk water three days, and three nights.
13And David said to him: To whom dost thou belong? Or whence dost thou come? And whither art thou going? He said: I am a young man of Egypt, the servant of an Amalecite: and my master left me, because I began to be sick three days ago.
14For we made an invasion on the south side of Cerethi, and upon Juda, and upon the south of Caleb, and we burnt Siceleg with fire.
15And David said to him: Canst thou bring me to this company? And he said: Swear to me by God, that thou wilt not kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee to this company. And David swore to him.
16And when he had brought him, behold they were lying spread upon all the ground, eating and drinking, and as it were keeping a festival day, for all the prey, and the spoils which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Juda.
17And David slew them from the evening unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, but four hundred young men, who had gotten upon camels, and fled.
18So David recovered all that the Amalecites had taken; and he rescued his two wives.
19And there was nothing missing small or great, neither of their sons or their daughters, nor of the spoils: and whatsoever they had taken David recovered all.
20And he took all the flocks and the herds, and made them go before him. And they said: This is the prey of David.
21And David came to the two hundred men, who being weary had stayed, and were not able to follow David, and he had ordered them to abide at the torrent Besor. And they came out to meet David, and the people that were with him. And David coming to the people saluted them peaceably.
22Then all the wicked and unjust men that had gone with David answering, said: Because they came not with us, we will not give them any thing of the prey which we have recovered. But let every man take his wife and his children, and be contented with them, and go his way.
23But David said: You shall not do so, my brethren, with these things, which the Lord hath given us, who hath kept us, and hath delivered the robbers that invaded us into our hands.
24And no man shall hearken to you in this matter. But equal shall be the portion of him that went down to battle and of him that abode at the baggage; and they shall divide alike.
25And this hath been done from that day forward, and since was made a statute, and an ordinance, and as a law in Israel.
26Then David came to Siceleg, and sent presents of the prey to the ancients of Juda his neighbours, saying: Receive a blessing of the prey of the enemies of the Lord.
27To them that were in Bethel, and that were in Ramoth to the south, and to them that were in Jether,
28And to them that were in Aroer and that were in Sephamoth, and that were in Esthamo,
29And that were in Rachal, and that were in the cities of Jerameel, and that were in the cities of Ceni,
30And that were in Arama, and that were in the lake Asan, and that were in Athach,
31And that were in Hebron, and to the rest that were in those places, in which David had abode with his men.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.