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.

¹¹ They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat— ¹² part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived,^(AE) for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.

¹³ David asked him, “Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?”

He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite.^(AF) My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. ¹⁴ We raided the Negev of the Kerethites,^(AG) some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb.^(AH) And we burned^(AI) Ziklag.”

¹⁵ David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?”

He answered, “Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master,^(AJ) and I will take you down to them.”

¹⁶ He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling^(AK) because of the great amount of plunder^(AL) they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. ¹⁷ David fought^(AM) them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled.^{(AN) 18} David recovered^(AO) everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. ¹⁹ Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. ²⁰ He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.”

²¹ Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted^(AP) to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. ²² But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”

²³ David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. ²⁴ Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.^(AQ)” ²⁵ David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.

²⁶ When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a gift^(AR) for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”

²⁷ David sent it to those who were in Bethel,^(AS) Ramoth^(AT) Negev and Jattir;^{(AU) 28} to those in Aroer,^(AV) Siphmoth,^(AW) Eshtemoa^{(AX) 29} and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites^(AY) and the Kenites;^{(AZ) 30} to those in Hormah,^(BA) Bor Ashan,^(BB) Athak ³¹ and Hebron;^(BC) and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed.

39 “Son of man, prophesy against Gog^(A) and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of^[a] Meshek^(B) and Tubal.^{(C) 2} I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north^(D) and send you against the mountains of Israel.^{(E) 3} Then I will strike your bow^(F) from your left hand and make your arrows^(G) drop from your right hand. ⁴ On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds^(H) and to the wild animals.^{(I) 5} You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(J) 6} I will send fire^(K) on Magog^(L) and on those who live in safety in the coastlands,^(M) and they will know^(N) that I am the Lord.

⁷ “‘I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned,^(O) and the nations will know^(P) that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel.^{(Q) 8} It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. This is the day^(R) I have spoken of.

⁹ “‘Then those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and use the weapons for fuel and burn them up—the small and large shields, the bows and arrows,^(S) the war clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them for fuel.^{(T) 10} They will not need to gather wood from the fields or cut it from the forests, because they will use the weapons for fuel. And they will plunder^(U) those who plundered them and loot those who looted them, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(V)

¹¹ “‘On that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east of the Sea. It will block the way of travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried^(W) there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon Gog.^[b](X)

¹² “‘For seven months the Israelites will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.^{(Y) 13} All the people of the land will bury them, and the day I display my glory^(Z) will be a memorable day for them, declares the Sovereign Lord. ¹⁴ People will be continually employed in cleansing the land. They will spread out across the land and, along with others, they will bury any bodies that are lying on the ground.

“‘After the seven months they will carry out a more detailed search. ¹⁵ As they go through the land, anyone who sees a human bone will leave a marker beside it until the gravediggers bury it in the Valley of Hamon Gog, ¹⁶ near a town called Hamonah.^[c] And so they will cleanse the land.’

¹⁷ “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Call out to every kind of bird^(AA) and all the wild animals: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood.^{(AB) 18} You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls—all of them fattened animals from Bashan.^{(AC) 19} At the sacrifice^(AD) I am preparing for you, you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk. ²⁰ At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AE)

²¹ “I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay on them.^{(AF) 22} From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. ²³ And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword.^{(AG) 24} I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them.^(AH)

²⁵ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob^[d](AI) and will have compassion^(AJ) on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name.^{(AK) 26} They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety^(AL) in their land with no one to make them afraid.^{(AM) 27} When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations.^{(AN) 28} Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them^(AO) to their own land, not leaving any behind.^{(AP) 29} I will no longer hide my face^(AQ) from them, for I will pour out my Spirit^(AR) on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AS)”

Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man^(A)(B)

5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.^{[a] 2} When Jesus got out of the boat,^(C) a man with an impure spirit^(D) came from the tombs to meet him. ³ This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. ⁴ For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵ Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

⁶ When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷ He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me,^(E) Jesus, Son of the Most High God?^(F) In God’s name don’t torture me!” ⁸ For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

⁹ Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,”^(G) he replied, “for we are many.” ¹⁰ And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

¹¹ A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹² The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” ¹³ He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

¹⁴ Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵ When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion^(H) of demons,^(I) sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ¹⁶ Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. ¹⁷ Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

¹⁸ As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. ¹⁹ Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them^(J) how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” ²⁰ So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis^[b](K) how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman^(L)

²¹ When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake,^(M) a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.^{(N) 22} Then one of the synagogue leaders,^(O) named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. ²³ He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on^(P) her so that she will be healed and live.” ²⁴ So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. ²⁵ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding^(Q) for twelve years. ²⁶ She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. ²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸ because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes,^(R) I will be healed.” ²⁹ Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.^(S)

³⁰ At once Jesus realized that power^(T) had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

³¹ “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

³² But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. ³³ Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. ³⁴ He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.^(U) Go in peace^(V) and be freed from your suffering.”

³⁵ While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader.^(W) “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

³⁶ Overhearing^[c] what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

³⁷ He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.^{(X) 38} When they came to the home of the synagogue leader,^(Y) Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. ³⁹ He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”^{(Z) 40} But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. ⁴¹ He took her by the hand^(AA) and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).^{(AB) 42} Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. ⁴³ He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this,^(AC) and told them to give her something to eat.