Achish Sends David Back to Ziklag

29 The Philistines gathered^(A) all their forces at Aphek,^(B) and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.^{(C) 2} As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear^(D) with Achish. ³ The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?”

Achish replied, “Is this not David,^(E) who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year,^(F) and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.”

⁴ But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send^(G) the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn^(H) against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men? ⁵ Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances:

⁶ So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day^(J) you came to me until today, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers^(K) don’t approve of you. ⁷ Now turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.”

⁸ “But what have I done?” asked David. “What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

⁹ Achish answered, “I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel^(L) of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders^(M) have said, ‘He must not go up with us into battle.’ ¹⁰ Now get up early, along with your master’s servants who have come with you, and leave^(N) in the morning as soon as it is light.”

¹¹ So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David Destroys the Amalekites

30 David and his men reached Ziklag^(O) on the third day. Now the Amalekites^(P) had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned^(Q) it, ² and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.

³ When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.^{(R) 4} So David and his men wept^(S) aloud until they had no strength left to weep. ⁵ David’s two wives^(T) had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ⁶ David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning^(U) him; each one was bitter^(V) in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength^(W) in the Lord his God.

⁷ Then David said to Abiathar^(X) the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.^(Y)” Abiathar brought it to him, ⁸ and David inquired^(Z) of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed^(AA) in the rescue.^(AB)”

⁹ David and the six hundred men^(AC) with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. ¹⁰ Two hundred of them were too exhausted^(AD) to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.

Division Over Who Jesus Is

²⁵ At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?^{(A) 26} Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities^(B) really concluded that he is the Messiah?^{(C) 27} But we know where this man is from;^(D) when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

²⁸ Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts,^(E) cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from.^(F) I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true.^(G) You do not know him, ²⁹ but I know him^(H) because I am from him and he sent me.”^(I)

³⁰ At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him,^(J) because his hour had not yet come.^{(K) 31} Still, many in the crowd believed in him.^(L) They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs^(M) than this man?”

³² The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

³³ Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time,^(N) and then I am going to the one who sent me.^{(O) 34} You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”^(P)

³⁵ The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered^(Q) among the Greeks,^(R) and teach the Greeks? ³⁶ What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”^(S)