1 Samuel
Chapter 30
1 When David and his men arrived at Ziklag on the third day, they found that the Amalekites had attacked the south and Ziklag, defeating Ziklag and setting it on fire.
2 They captured the women there without killing anyone, big or small, and took them away before continuing on their journey.
3 David and his men arrived at the city and saw it was burned down; their wives, sons, and daughters had been kidnapped.
4 David and his followers raised their voices, cried until they could cry no more.
5 David’s two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal’s widow from Carmel, were kidnapped.
6 David was very upset because the people talked about throwing stones at him, since they were all sad about their sons and daughters. But David found strength in God.
7 David said to Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, “Please bring me the ephod.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
8 David asked God, “Should I chase this group? Will I catch them?” God replied, “Chase them. You will definitely catch them and get everything back.”
9 David and his six hundred men went and reached the Besor brook, where those left behind stayed.
10 David and four hundred men chased after them, while two hundred men stayed back because they were too weak to cross Besor Creek.
11 They found an Egyptian in the field, took him to David, and gave him bread to eat; they also gave him water to drink.
12 They gave him some fig cake and two bunches of raisins. After he ate, he felt better because he hadn’t eaten any bread or drunk any water for three days and nights.
13 David asked him, “Who are you and where do you come from?” He answered, “I am a young Egyptian, the servant of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me because I got sick three days ago.”
14 We attacked the southern Cherethites, the lands of Judah, and Caleb’s southern area; and we set fire to Ziklag.
15 David asked him, “Can you lead me to this group?” He replied, “Promise me by God that you won’t kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will lead you to them.”
16 When he brought him down, they were scattered everywhere on the ground, eating, drinking, and dancing, happy about all the valuable things they had taken from the Philistine and Judah territories.
17 David attacked them from dusk until the evening of the next day; none of them survived except four hundred young men who rode on camels and ran away.
18 David got back everything the Amalekites had taken, and he saved his two wives.
19 They were missing nothing at all, whether big or small, sons or daughters, plunder, or anything they had taken: David got everything back.
20 David took all the sheep and cows, which they led in front of the other animals, and said, “This is what David has captured.”
21 David approached the two hundred men who were too weak to follow him and had stayed at Besor Creek. They came out to greet David and his companions. When David got close, he greeted them.
22 The bad men with David replied, “Since they didn’t come with us, we won’t share the loot we got back, except give each one his wife and kids so they can take them and leave.”
23 David said, “My brothers, we must not do this with what God has given us. He has kept us safe and handed over the enemy that attacked us.”
24 Who will listen to you about this? Just as the one who fights gets a share, so does the one who stays with the supplies: they will share equally.
25 From that day on, God set it as a rule and law for Israel, and it’s still followed today.
26 When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the captured goods to the leaders of Judah, to his friends, with the message, “Here is a gift for you from the goods taken from God’s enemies.”
27 To those in Bethel, those in south Ramoth, and those in Jattir,
28 To those in Aroer, and to those in Siphmoth, and to those in Eshtemoa,
29 To those in Rachal, those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and those in the cities of the Kenites,
30 To those in Hormah, to those in Chorashan, and to those in Athach,
31 To those in Hebron and all the places where David and his men used to visit.