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
David’s Wives Are Captured
1Now when David and his men came to #ch. 29:4, 11 Ziklag on the third day, #ch. 27:8; [ch. 15:3, 7] the Amalekites had #ver. 14made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire 2and taken captive the women and all#30:2 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. 3And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. 5David’s #See ch. 25:42, 43two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke #[Ex. 17:4; Num. 14:10]of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul,#30:6 Compare 22:2 each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
7 # ch. 23:6, 9 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8#See ch. 22:10 And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this #[1 Chr. 12:21] band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake #ver. 18and shall surely rescue.” 9So David set out, and #See ch. 23:13the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10But David pursued, he and four hundred men. #ver. 21Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.
11They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink, 12and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, #Judg. 15:19; [ch. 14:27]his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. 14#ver. 1 We had made a raid against the Negeb of #2 Sam. 8:18; 15:18; 20:7, 23; 1 Kgs. 1:38, 44; 1 Chr. 18:17; [Ezek. 25:16; Zeph. 2:5]the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this #[ch. 25:3]band.”
David Defeats the Amalekites
16And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad 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. 17And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. 18#ver. 8David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 19Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. #[See ver. 18 above]David brought back all. 20David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him,#30:20 The meaning of the Hebrew clause is uncertain and said, “This is David’s spoil.”
21Then David came to #ver. 10the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left #ver. 10at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. 22Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.” 23But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 24Who would listen to you in this matter? #[Num. 31:27; Josh. 22:8]For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” 25And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.
26When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord.” 27It was for those in #Gen. 28:19; See Judg. 1:22-26 Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in #Josh. 15:48Jattir, 28in #Deut. 2:36; Josh. 13:16 Aroer, in Siphmoth, in #Josh. 15:50Eshtemoa, 29in Racal, in the cities of #ch. 27:10 the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of #See Judg. 1:16the Kenites, 30in #Judg. 1:17Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, 31in #Josh. 14:13-15; Judg. 1:10; 2 Sam. 2:1-4Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.
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