1 Samuel 30
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 30
Ziklag Destroyed. 1 Three days later David and his men arrived in Ziklag. The Amalekites had invaded the Negeb and Ziklag; Ziklag was attacked and burned down. 2 The women who were there, young and old, were taken captive. They did not kill any of them, but they carried them off and went on their way.
3 When David and his men arrived in Ziklag, they found it burned to the ground and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 David and his men with him wept out loud until they had no more strength to weep. 5 David’s two wives, Ahinoam, the Jezreelite, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel were also taken captive.
6 David was greatly distressed because the people were talking about stoning him. Every single one of them was embittered because of his sons and his daughters, but David found strength in the Lord, his God.
7 David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring the ephod out here.” Abiathar brought the ephod out to David.[a] 8 David inquired of the Lord saying, “Shall I pursue after this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you are sure to overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”
David Pursues the Amalekites. 9 David and the six hundred men who were with him left and arrived at the Wadi Besor where some stayed behind, 10 for two hundred men stayed behind who were too exhausted to continue on over the Wadi Besor. David continued the pursuit with four hundred men.
11 They found an Egyptian in a field and they brought him to David. They gave him bread to eat and water to drink 12 as well as a piece of fig cake and two raisin cakes. When he had eaten, he revived, for he had not had anything to eat or any water to drink for three days and three nights. 13 David asked him, “To whom do you belong? Where are you from?” The young man answered, “Egypt. I am a slave to an Amalekite. My master abandoned me because I became sick three days ago. 14 We raided the south of the Cherethites, and the territory of Judah, and the south of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag.” 15 David said to him, “Can you lead me to this raiding party?” He answered, “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 He took him down, and they were scattered all over the countryside, eating, drinking, and dancing to celebrate the great plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah. 17 David fought them from dusk of that day until the next evening. None of them escaped except for four hundred young men who mounted their camels and fled away.
18 David recovered everything that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing, not young nor old, not sons nor daughters, not plunder nor anything that they had taken. David recovered it all. 20 David drove all of the flocks and herds before the livestock saying, “This is David’s plunder.”
21 Division of the Spoils. David came to the two hundred men who were so weary that they could not follow and whom David had left behind at the Wadi Besor. They came out to meet David and the people who were with him. As David and the people drew near, he greeted them. 22 All of those who had gone with David but who were wicked men of Belial said, “None of them went with us, so we should not give them any of the spoil. Each of them can take his wife and children and depart.” 23 David replied, “No, my brothers. You must not do that with what the Lord has given us. The Lord protected us and delivered over into our hands the raiding party that came out against us. 24 Who will listen to what you are saying? The share of the man who went down into battle will be the same as the share of the man who stayed with the supplies. They will be equal shares.” 25 He made this a statute and an ordinance in Israel from that day up until the present.
26 When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the spoils to the elders of Judah[b] who were his friends saying, “Behold, this is a gift from the spoils of the enemies of the Lord.” 27 He sent it to those who were in Bethel, to those who were in Ramoth-negeb, to those who were in Jattir, 28 to those who were in Aroer, to those who were in Siphmoth, to those who were in Eshtemoa, 29 to those who were in Rachal, to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, to those who were in the cities of the Kenites, 30 to those who were in Hormah, to those who were in Borashan, to those who were in Athach, 31 to those who were in Hebron, and to those who were in all those places where David had roamed.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 30:7 David needed direction from God, but he did not have access to the tabernacle that was in Saul’s territory. The ephod he requested might have contained the Urim and Thummim.
- 1 Samuel 30:26 The elders of Judah: David is already exhibiting leadership qualities by making this positive gesture to the leaders of Judah, thereby, enhancing his position as the next king.
1 Samuel 30
King James Version
30 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.
4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
8 And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.
10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;
12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
13 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.
14 We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.
16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.
20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.
21 And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.
22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.
23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the Lord hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.
24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.
25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the Lord;
27 To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,
28 And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,
29 And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,
30 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chorashan, and to them which were in Athach,
31 And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.
1 Samuel 30
English Standard Version
David's Wives Are Captured
30 Now when David and his men came to (A)Ziklag on the third day, (B)the Amalekites had (C)made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire 2 and taken captive the women and all[a] who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. 3 And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, 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 (D)two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke (E)of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul,[b] each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
7 (F)And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 (G)And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this (H)band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake (I)and shall surely rescue.” 9 So David set out, and (J)the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men. (K)Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.
11 They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink, 12 and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, (L)his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. 14 (M)We had made a raid against the Negeb of (N)the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15 And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this (O)band.”
David Defeats the Amalekites
16 And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. 18 (P)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. (Q)David brought back all. 20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him,[c] and said, “This is David's spoil.”
21 Then David came to (R)the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left (S)at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked 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 lead away his wife and children, and depart.” 23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 24 Who would listen to you in this matter? (T)For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” 25 And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this 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 (U)Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in (V)Jattir, 28 in (W)Aroer, in Siphmoth, in (X)Eshtemoa, 29 in Racal, in the cities of (Y)the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of (Z)the Kenites, 30 in (AA)Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, 31 in (AB)Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 30:2 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks and all
- 1 Samuel 30:6 Compare 22:2
- 1 Samuel 30:20 The meaning of the Hebrew clause is uncertain
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
