1 Samuel 30
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
David Avenges the Destruction of Ziklag
30 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negeb and on Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag, burned it down,(A) 2 and taken captive the women and all[a] who were in it, both small and great; they killed none of them but carried them off and went their way. 3 When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned down and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. 5 David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.(B) 6 David was in great danger, for the people spoke of stoning him because all the people were bitter in spirit for their sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.(C)
7 David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.(D) 8 David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”(E) 9 So David set out, he and the six hundred men who were with him. They came to the Wadi Besor, where those stayed who were left behind.(F) 10 But David went on with the pursuit, he and four hundred men; two hundred stayed behind, too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor.(G)
11 In the open country they found an Egyptian and brought him to David. They gave him bread, and he ate; they gave him water to drink; 12 they also gave him a piece of fig cake and two clusters of raisins. When he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.(H) 13 Then David said to him, “To whom do you belong? Where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite. My master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. 14 We had made a raid on the Negeb of the Cherethites and on that which belongs to Judah and on the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag down.”(I) 15 David said to him, “Will you take me down to this raiding party?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them.”
16 When he had taken him down, they were spread out all over the ground, eating and drinking and dancing, because of the great amount of spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.(J) 17 David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not one of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled.(K) 18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David brought back everything.(L) 20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, which were driven ahead of the other cattle; people said, “This is David’s spoil.”(M)
21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David and who had been left at the Wadi Besor. They went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. When David drew near to the people, he saluted them.(N) 22 Then all the corrupt 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 take his wife and children and leave.” 23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us; he has preserved us and handed over to us the raiding party that attacked us. 24 Who would listen to you in this matter? For the share of the one who goes down into the battle shall be the same as the share of the one who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike.”(O) 25 From that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel; it continues to the present day.
26 When 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.” 27 It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir,(P) 28 in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa,(Q) 29 in Racal, in the towns of the Jerahmeelites, in the towns of the Kenites,(R) 30 in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach,(S) 31 in Hebron, all the places where David and his men had roamed.(T)
Footnotes
- 30.2 Gk: Heb lacks and all
1 Samuel 30
International Standard Version
Trouble on David’s Return to Ziklag
30 When David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had raided the Negev[a] and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and set it on fire. 2 They took the women in it captive, from young to old.[b] They did not kill anyone. Instead, they carried them off and went on their way. 3 David and his men came to the town, and it had been burned down. Their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and cried until they had no more strength left to cry. 5 David’s two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal’s former[c] wife, had been captured. 6 David was in great danger[d] because all the people were bitter because of their sons and daughters, and they were talking about stoning him. But David found strength[e] in the Lord his God.
David Pursues the Amalekites
7 David told Ahimelech’s son Abiathar the priest, “Bring me the ephod.”[f] So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 David inquired of the Lord: “Shall I pursue this raiding party?[g] Will I overtake them?”
The Lord[h] told David,[i] “Pursue them! You will definitely overtake them and rescue the captives.”[j] 9 So David and 600 men who were with him set out. They came to the Wadi[k] Besor where those who were left behind stayed. 10 David and 400 men continued the pursuit,[l] while the 200 men who were too exhausted to cross over the Wadi[m] Besor remained there.[n]
An Egyptian Leads David to the Amalekites
11 They found an Egyptian man in the field, and they took him to David. They gave him food to eat and provided water for him. 12 They gave him part of a fig cake and two bunches of raisins. After he had eaten, he revived,[o] since he had neither eaten food nor had he drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 David told him, “To whom do you belong and where are you from?”
The Egyptian[p] replied, “I’m a young Egyptian man, the slave of an Amalekite man. My master abandoned me, because I got sick three days ago. 14 We raided the Negev[q] of the Cherethites, the territory that belongs to Judah,[r] and the Negev[s] of Caleb, and we set Ziklag on fire.”
15 David asked him, “Will you take me to this raiding party?”[t]
He said, “Swear to me by God that you won’t kill me or turn me over to my master, and I’ll take you to the raiding party.”[u]
David Defeats the Amalekites
16 The Egyptian[v] led him to the camp,[w] and there the Amalekites[x] were spread out over the whole area, eating, drinking, and celebrating with the great amount of spoil they had taken from the territory belonging to the Philistines and to Judah. 17 David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not one of them escaped except for 400 young men who mounted camels and fled. 18 David rescued everyone whom the Amalekites[y] had captured, including[z] his two wives. 19 Nothing of theirs was missing, whether small or large, sons or daughters, spoil, or anything that they had taken for themselves—David brought back everything. 20 David took all the rest of[aa] the sheep and cattle, driving them ahead of their rescued livestock.[ab] People said about all this,[ac] “This is David’s spoil.”
David Divides the Spoil
21 David came to the 200 men who were too exhausted to follow him[ad] and who had been left at the Wadi[ae] Besor. They came out to meet David and the people who were with him. As David approached the people, he asked them how they were doing.[af] 22 At this point, all the wicked and worthless men of the group who had gone with David answered, “Because they didn’t go with us, we won’t give them any of the spoil that we recovered, except that each person may take his wife and his children and go.”
23 David said, “No, you won’t do this, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He guarded us and gave the raiding party[ag] that came against us into our hand. 24 Who will listen to you in this matter? Indeed, the share of those who went down into battle and the share of those who stayed with the supplies will be the same. They’ll share alike.” 25 From that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel, and it remains[ah] to this present[ai] day.
David Shares the Spoil with the People of Judah
26 David came to Ziklag, and he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, and to his friends, telling them, “Look, this is a gift for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord 27 in Bethel, Ramoth-negev, Jattir, 28 Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, 29 Rachal, in the Jerahmeelite towns, in the Kenite towns, 30 in Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach, 31 Hebron, and for all those places where David and his men had frequented.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 30:1 I.e. the southern region of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
- 1 Samuel 30:2 Lit. from small to great
- 1 Samuel 30:5 The Heb. lacks former
- 1 Samuel 30:6 Or greatly distressed
- 1 Samuel 30:6 Or strengthened himself
- 1 Samuel 30:7 The ephod was a type of vest worn by the priest and was used to determine God’s will.
- 1 Samuel 30:8 Or band
- 1 Samuel 30:8 Lit. He
- 1 Samuel 30:8 Lit. him
- 1 Samuel 30:8 Lit. and you will definitely rescue
- 1 Samuel 30:9 I.e. a seasonal stream or river that channels water during rain seasons but is dry at other times
- 1 Samuel 30:10 Lit. pursued
- 1 Samuel 30:10 I.e. a seasonal stream or river that channels water during rain seasons but is dry at other times
- 1 Samuel 30:10 The Heb. lacks there
- 1 Samuel 30:12 Lit. his spirit revived
- 1 Samuel 30:13 Lit. He
- 1 Samuel 30:14 Or the southern region
- 1 Samuel 30:14 Lit. what belongs to Judah
- 1 Samuel 30:14 Or the southern region
- 1 Samuel 30:15 Or band
- 1 Samuel 30:15 Or band
- 1 Samuel 30:16 Lit. He
- 1 Samuel 30:16 Lit. him down
- 1 Samuel 30:16 Lit. they
- 1 Samuel 30:18 Lit. whom Amalek; i.e., those who lived in the town of Amalek
- 1 Samuel 30:18 Lit. captured, and David rescued
- 1 Samuel 30:20 The Heb. lacks the rest of
- 1 Samuel 30:20 Lit. ahead of those livestock
- 1 Samuel 30:20 Lit. about them
- 1 Samuel 30:21 Lit. David
- 1 Samuel 30:21 I.e. a seasonal stream or river that channels water during rain seasons but is dry at other times
- 1 Samuel 30:21 Or he greeted them
- 1 Samuel 30:23 Or band
- 1 Samuel 30:25 The Heb. lacks and it remains
- 1 Samuel 30:25 The Heb. lacks present
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