1 Samuel 30
30
David’s Victory over the Amalekites
1Now it happened when David and his men came [home] to Ziklag on the third day, [they found] that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev (the South country) and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire; 2and they had taken captive the women [and all] who were there, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off [to be used as slaves] and went on their way. 3When David and his men came to the town, it was burned, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. 4Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until #30:4 Lit there was no strength in them.they were too exhausted to weep [any longer]. 5Now David’s two wives had been captured, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 6Further, David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all of them were embittered, each man for his sons and daughters. But David felt strengthened and encouraged in the Lord his God.
7David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought him the ephod. 8David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this band [of raiders]? Will I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them, and you will certainly rescue [the captives].” 9So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor; there those [who could not continue] remained behind. 10But David pursued [the Amalekites], he and four hundred men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor stayed behind.
11They found an Egyptian [who had collapsed] in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and they gave him water to drink, 12and they gave him a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins; and when he had eaten, his #30:12 Lit spirit.energy returned, for he had not eaten bread or had any water to drink for three days and three nights. 13David said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man from Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master abandoned me [as useless] when I fell sick three days ago. 14We made a raid on the Negev of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15Then David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band [of raiders]?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or turn me over to the hand of my master, and I will bring you down to this band.”
16When he brought David down, the Amalekites had disbanded and spread over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17Then David [and his men] struck them down [in battle] from twilight until the evening of the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode camels and fled. 18So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives. 19Nothing of theirs was missing whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David recovered it all. 20So David captured all the flocks and herds [which the enemy had], and [the people] drove those animals before him and said, “This is David’s spoil.”
The Spoils Are Divided
21David came to the two hundred men who were so exhausted that they could not follow him and had been left at the brook Besor [with the provisions]. They went out to meet David and the people with him, and when he approached the people, he greeted them. 22Then all the wicked and worthless men among those who went with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will give them none of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may take his wife and children away and leave.” 23David said, “You must not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has kept us safe and has handed over to us the band [of Amalekites] that came against us. 24And who will listen to you in regard to this matter? For as is the share of him who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the provisions and supplies; they shall share alike.” 25So from that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.
26When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to the elders of Judah, his friends, saying, “Here is a blessing (gift) for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord: 27For those in Bethel, Ramoth of the Negev, Jattir, 28Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, 29Racal, the cities of the Jerahmeelites, the cities of the Kenites, 30Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach, 31Hebron, and for [those elders in] all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to go.”
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1 Samuel 30
30
1 Samuel 30
1¶ And it came to pass when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day that the Amalekites had invaded the Negev and Ziklag and had smitten Ziklag and burned it with fire.
2And they had taken the women captives that were therein, from the youngest to the oldest; they did not kill any but carried them away and went on their way.
3So 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.
4Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept until they had no more power to weep.
5And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail, who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
6And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him because the soul of all the people was bitter, each one 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 the ephod here to me. And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
8And 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.
9So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where some stayed behind.
10But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
11And they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David and gave him bread to eat and water to drink,
12and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two bunches 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.
13And David said unto him, To whom dost thou belong and where art thou from? And the young Egyptian said, I am the slave to an Amalekite, and my master left me three days ago because I was sick.
14We made an invasion upon towards the Negev from the Chereth and upon Judah and towards the Negev from Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.
15And David said to him, Wilt 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.
16And so he brought him down, and behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and holding a feast because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines and out of the land of Judah.
17And David smote them from the morning twilight even unto the evening of the next day, and none of them escaped except four hundred young men who rode upon camels and fled.
18And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David delivered his two wives.
19And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great neither sons nor daughters, of the robbery and of all the things that had been taken from them; David recovered it all.
20And David took all the sheep and the cows, and bringing them with all the other livestock, they said, This is David’s spoil.
21¶ And David came to the two hundred men who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to remain 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 with peace.
22Then all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, answered and said, Because they did not go with us, we will not give them of the spoil that we have recovered, except to each man his wife and his children, that they may leadthem away, and depart.
23Then David said, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the Lord has given us, who has kept us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.
24For who will hearken unto you in this matter? For as his part is that goes down to the battle, so shall his part be that remains by the stuff; they shall part alike.
25And it was so from that day forward that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
26And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, his friends, saying, Behold a blessing for you of the spoil of the enemies of the Lord:
27to those who were in Bethel and to those who were in Ramoth towards the Negev and to those who were in Jattir
28and to those who were in Aroer and to those who were in Siphmoth and to those who were in Eshtemoa
29and to those who were in Rachal and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites
30and to those who were in Hormah and to those who were in Chorashan and to those who were in Athach
31and to those who were in Hebron and in all the places where David had been with his men.
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