David Destroys the Amalekites

30 David and his men reached Ziklag^(A) on the third day. Now the Amalekites^(B) had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned^(C) it,

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.

⁷ Then Saul attacked the Amalekites^(A) all the way from Havilah to Shur,^(B) near the eastern border of Egypt.

⁴ But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send^(A) 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^(B) against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men?

⁸ Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites,^(A) the Girzites and the Amalekites.^(B) (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur^(C) and Egypt.) ⁹ Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive,^(D) but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

¹⁰ When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “Against the Negev of Jerahmeel^(E)” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.^(F)”

⁶ The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand^(A) all of them, slain, over to Israel. You are to hamstring^(B) their horses and burn their chariots.”^(C)

² On the third day a man^(A) arrived from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head.^(B) When he came to David, he fell^(C) to the ground to pay him honor.^(D)

⁶² Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi,^(A) for he was living in the Negev.^(B)