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, 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.^{(D) 4} So David and his men wept^(E) aloud until they had no strength left to weep. ⁵ David’s two wives^(F) 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^(G) him; each one was bitter^(H) in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength^(I) in the Lord his God.

⁷ Then David said to Abiathar^(J) the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.^(K)” Abiathar brought it to him, ⁸ and David inquired^(L) of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed^(M) in the rescue.^(N)”

⁹ David and the six hundred men^(O) with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. ¹⁰ Two hundred of them were too exhausted^(P) 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,^(Q) 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.^(R) My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. ¹⁴ We raided the Negev of the Kerethites,^(S) some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb.^(T) And we burned^(U) 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,^(V) 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^(W) because of the great amount of plunder^(X) they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. ¹⁷ David fought^(Y) 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.^{(Z) 18} David recovered^(AA) 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^(AB) 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.^(AC)” 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^(AD) for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”

²⁷ David sent it to those who were in Bethel,^(AE) Ramoth^(AF) Negev and Jattir;^{(AG) 28} to those in Aroer,^(AH) Siphmoth,^(AI) Eshtemoa^{(AJ) 29} and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites^(AK) and the Kenites;^{(AL) 30} to those in Hormah,^(AM) Bor Ashan,^(AN) Athak ³¹ and Hebron;^(AO) and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed.

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God^(A) our Savior^(B) and of Christ Jesus our hope,^(C)

² To Timothy^(D) my true son^(E) in the faith:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.^(F)

Timothy Charged to Oppose False Teachers

³ As I urged you when I went into Macedonia,^(G) stay there in Ephesus^(H) so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines^(I) any longer ⁴ or to devote themselves to myths^(J) and endless genealogies.^(K) Such things promote controversial speculations^(L) rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. ⁵ The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart^(M) and a good conscience^(N) and a sincere faith.^{(O) 6} Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. ⁷ They want to be teachers^(P) of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.^(Q)

⁸ We know that the law is good^(R) if one uses it properly. ⁹ We also know that the law is made not for the righteous^(S) but for lawbreakers and rebels,^(T) the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰ for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine^{(U) 11} that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.^(V)

The Lord’s Grace to Paul

¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength,^(W) that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.^{(X) 13} Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor^(Y) and a violent man, I was shown mercy^(Z) because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.^{(AA) 14} The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly,^(AB) along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.^(AC)

¹⁵ Here is a trustworthy saying^(AD) that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners^(AE)—of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶ But for that very reason I was shown mercy^(AF) so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience^(AG) as an example for those who would believe^(AH) in him and receive eternal life.^{(AI) 17} Now to the King^(AJ) eternal, immortal,^(AK) invisible,^(AL) the only God,^(AM) be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.^(AN)

The Charge to Timothy Renewed

¹⁸ Timothy, my son,^(AO) I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you,^(AP) so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well,^{(AQ) 19} holding on to faith and a good conscience,^(AR) which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.^{(AS) 20} Among them are Hymenaeus^(AT) and Alexander,^(AU) whom I have handed over to Satan^(AV) to be taught not to blaspheme.