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
The Amalekite raid on Ziklag
1Three days later, David and his soldiers reached Ziklag. The Amalekites had raided the arid southern plain and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it down, 2taking the women and everyone in the city prisoner, whether young or old.#30.2 LXX; MT lacks and everyone in the city. They hadn’t killed anyone but carried them off and went on their way. 3When David and his soldiers got to the town and found it burned down, and their wives, their sons, and their daughters taken prisoner, 4David and the troops with him broke into tears and cried until they could cry no more. 5David’s two wives had been captured as well: Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal’s widow from Carmel.
6David was in deep trouble because the troops were talking about stoning him. Each of the soldiers was deeply distressed about their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. 7David said to the priest Abiathar, Ahimelech’s son, “Bring the priestly vest#30.7 Heb ephod to me.” So Abiathar brought it to David.
8Then David asked the LORD, “Should I go after this raiding party? Will I catch them?”
“Yes, go after them!” God answered. “You will definitely catch them and will succeed in the rescue!”
9So David set off with six hundred men. They came to the Besor ravine, where some stayed behind. 10David and four hundred men continued the pursuit, while two hundred men stayed there, too exhausted to cross the Besor ravine.
11They found an Egyptian in the countryside and brought him to David. They gave him bread, and he ate, and they gave him water to drink. 12They also gave him a piece of fig cake and two raisin cakes. He ate and regained his strength because he hadn’t eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and nights.
13Then David asked him, “Whose slave are you? Where do you come from?”
“I’m an Egyptian servant boy,” he said, “and the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I got sick three days ago. 14We had raided the arid southern plain belonging to the Cherethites, the territory belonging to Judah, and the southern plain of Caleb. We also burned Ziklag down.”
15“Can you guide me to this raiding party?” David asked him.
“Make a pledge to me by God that you won’t kill me or hand me over to my master,” the boy said, “and I will guide you to the raiding party.”
16So the boy led David to them, and he found them scattered all over the countryside, eating, drinking, and celebrating over the large amount of plunder they had taken from Philistine and Judean territory.
17David attacked them from twilight until evening of the next day. He killed them all.#30.17 LXX; MT lacks He killed them all. No one escaped except four hundred young men who got on camels and fled. 18David rescued everything that the Amalekites had taken, including his own two wives. 19Nothing was missing from the plunder or anything that they had taken, neither old nor young, son nor daughter. David brought everything back. 20David also captured all the sheep and cattle, which were driven in front of the other livestock. The troops said, “This is David’s plunder!”
21David reached the two hundred men who were too exhausted to follow him and had stayed behind at the Besor ravine. They came out to greet him and the troops who were with him. When David approached them, he asked how they were doing. 22But then all the evil and despicable individuals who had accompanied David said, “We won’t share any of the plunder we rescued with them because they didn’t go with us. Each of them can take his wife and children and go—but that’s it.”
23“Brothers!” David said. “Don’t act that way with the things the LORD has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the raiding party that had attacked us. 24How could anyone agree with you on this plan? The share of those who went into battle and the share of those who stayed with the supplies will be divided equally.” 25So from that day forward, David made that a regulation and a law in Israel, which remains in place even now.
26When David returned to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah and to his friends. “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies,” he said. 27It went to those in Bethel, Ramoth of the arid southern plain, Jattir, 28Aroer,#30.28 LXX Ararah Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, 29Racal, the towns of the Jerahmeelites, the towns of the Kenites, 30Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach, 31Hebron, and all the places where David and his soldiers had spent time.
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