1 Samuel 30
Complete Jewish Bible
30 Three days later, when David and his men arrived in Ziklag, they found that the ‘Amaleki had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had sacked Ziklag and burned it down; 2 and they had taken captive the women and everyone there, great and small. They hadn’t killed anyone but had carried them off as they went on their way. 3 So when David and his men arrived at the city, there it was, burned down, with their wives, sons and daughters taken captive. 4 Then David and the people with him cried aloud until they had no more power to cry. 5 David’s two wives had been taken captive — Achino‘am from Yizre‘el and Avigayil the widow of Naval from Karmel.
6 David was in serious trouble: the people were talking about stoning him to death, because all the people were in such deep grief, each man over his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in Adonai his God. 7 David said to Avyatar the cohen, the son of Achimelekh, “Please bring the ritual vest here to me.” Avyatar brought the vest to David. 8 Then David consulted Adonai. He asked, “Should I go in pursuit of these raiders? Will I catch up with them?” And [Adonai] answered him, “Go in pursuit, because you will overtake them and recover everyone and everything.” 9 So David went, he and the six hundred men with him. They came to Vadi B’sor, where those who were to stay behind waited. 10 Then David continued in pursuit with four hundred men, while two hundred too exhausted to cross Vadi B’sor stayed behind.
11 They found an Egyptian in the countryside and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink; 12 they also gave him a lump of dried figs and two bunches of raisins. After eating, he revived; because he hadn’t eaten anything or drunk any water for three days and nights. 13 David asked him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” He answered, “I’m an Egyptian boy, the slave of an ‘Amaleki. My master abandoned me three days ago, because I got sick. 14 We raided the Negev of the K’reti, the Negev of Y’hudah and the Negev of Kalev; and we burned down Ziklag.” 15 David asked him, “Will you lead me down to this raiding party?” He said, “If you will swear by God to me that you won’t kill me or hand me back to my master, I will lead you down to the raiders.” 16 He led them down, and there they were, spread out all over the ground, eating, drinking and celebrating how much spoil they had taken from the territory of the P’lishtim and the territory of Y’hudah. 17 David attacked them from dawn until the evening of the next day. Not one of them escaped, except for 400 young men who jumped on camels and got away. 18 David recovered all that the ‘Amaleki had taken; he also rescued his two wives. 19 They found nothing missing, big or little — not sons, not daughters, not plundered goods or anything else they had taken — David brought it all back. 20 David took all the flocks and herds and drove them ahead of their own livestock, announcing, “This is David’s spoil.”
21 David came to where the two hundred men were who had been too exhausted to follow him, whom they had let stay at Vadi B’sor. They came out to meet David and the people with him. When David approached them he greeted them. 22 But some of the men who had gone with David were evil men, scoundrels; and they said, “They didn’t go with us, so we’re not giving them any of the property we’ve recovered. Each man can take his wife and children and leave.” 23 Then David said, “No, my brothers, don’t do this with the goods Adonai has given us. He protected us, and he handed the raiding party over to us. 24 Anyhow, no one agrees with you about this. No, the share of someone who stays with the equipment will be the same as the share of someone who goes out and fights — they will share equally.” 25 It has been that way from that day on; he established it as a ruling for Isra’el to this day.
26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the leaders of Y’hudah who were his friends with a note, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of Adonai.” 27 He sent such gifts
to those in Beit-El,
to those in Ramot,
to those in Yatir,
28 to those in ‘Aro‘er,
to those in Sifmot,
to those in Esht’moa,
29 to those in Rakhal,
to those in Yerachme’eli,
to those in the cities of the Keni,
30 to those in Hormah,
to those in Kor-‘Ashan,
to those in ‘Atakh,
31 to those in Hevron,
and to all the places where David and his men had frequently visited.
1 Samuel 30
Christian Standard Bible
David’s Defeat of the Amalekites
30 David and his men(A) arrived in Ziklag(B) on the third day. The Amalekites(C) had raided the Negev and attacked and burned Ziklag. 2 They also had kidnapped the women and everyone[a] in it from youngest to oldest. They had killed no one but had carried them off(D) as they went on their way.
3 When David and his men arrived at the town, they found it burned. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been kidnapped. 4 David and the troops with him wept loudly until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives,(E) Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had also been kidnapped. 6 David was in an extremely difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him,(F) for they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.(G)
7 David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.”(H) So Abiathar brought it to him, 8 and David asked the Lord,(I) “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” (J)
The Lord replied to him, “Pursue them, for you will certainly overtake them and rescue the people.”(K)
9 So David and the six hundred men with him(L) went. They came to the Wadi Besor, where some stayed behind.(M) 10 David and four hundred of the men continued the pursuit, while two hundred stopped because they were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor.
11 David’s men found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink. 12 Then they gave him some pressed figs and two clusters of raisins. After he ate he revived,(N) for he hadn’t eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights.
13 Then David said to him, “Who do you belong to? Where are you from?”
“I’m an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite man,” he said. “My master abandoned me when I got sick three days ago. 14 We raided the south country of the Cherethites,(O) the territory of Judah, and the south country of Caleb,(P) and we burned Ziklag.”(Q)
15 David then asked him, “Will you lead me to these raiders?”
He said, “Swear to me by God that you won’t kill me or turn me over to my master, and I will lead you to them.”
16 So he led him, and there were the Amalekites, spread out over the entire area, eating, drinking, and celebrating because of the great amount of plunder(R) they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah. 17 David slaughtered them from twilight until the evening of the next day.(S) None of them escaped, except four hundred young men who got on camels and fled.(T)
18 David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken; he also rescued his two wives. 19 Nothing of theirs was missing from the youngest to the oldest, including the sons and daughters, and all the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David got everything back.(U) 20 He took all the flocks and herds, which were driven ahead of the other livestock, and the people shouted, “This is David’s plunder!” (V)
21 When David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to go with him and had been left at the Wadi Besor,(W) they came out to meet him and to meet the troops with him. When David approached the men, he greeted them, 22 but all the corrupt and worthless men among those who had gone with David argued, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give any of the plunder we recovered to them except for each man’s wife and children. They may take them and go.”
23 But David said, “My brothers, you must not do this with what the Lord has given us. He protected us and handed over to us the raiders who came against us. 24 Who can agree to your proposal? The share of the one who goes into battle is to be the same as the share of the one who remains with the supplies. They will share equally.”(X) 25 And it has been so from that day forward. David established this policy[b] as a law and an ordinance for Israel and it still continues today.
26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you(Y) from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”(Z) 27 He sent gifts[c] to those in Bethel,(AA) in Ramoth of the Negev,(AB) and in Jattir;(AC) 28 to those in Aroer,(AD) in Siphmoth,(AE) and in Eshtemoa;(AF) 29 to those in Racal, in the towns of the Jerahmeelites,(AG) and in the towns of the Kenites;(AH) 30 to those in Hormah,(AI) in Bor-ashan,(AJ) and in Athach; 31 to those in Hebron,(AK) and to those in all the places where David and his men had roamed.(AL)
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.