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)
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1 Samuel 30
Common English Bible
The Amalekite raid on Ziklag
30 Three days later, David and his soldiers reached Ziklag. The Amalekites had raided the arid southern plain and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it down, 2 taking the women and everyone in the city prisoner, whether young or old.[a] They hadn’t killed anyone but carried them off and went on their way. 3 When David and his soldiers got to the town and found it burned down, and their wives, their sons, and their daughters taken prisoner, 4 David and the troops with him broke into tears and cried until they could cry no more. 5 David’s two wives had been captured as well: Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal’s widow from Carmel.
6 David was in deep trouble because the troops were talking about stoning him. Each of the soldiers was deeply distressed about their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God. 7 David said to the priest Abiathar, Ahimelech’s son, “Bring the priestly vest[b] to me.” So Abiathar brought it to David.
8 Then David asked the Lord, “Should I go after this raiding party? Will I catch them?”
“Yes, go after them!” God answered. “You will definitely catch them and will succeed in the rescue!”
9 So David set off with six hundred men. They came to the Besor ravine, where some stayed behind. 10 David and four hundred men continued the pursuit, while two hundred men stayed there, too exhausted to cross the Besor ravine.
11 They found an Egyptian in the countryside and brought him to David. They gave him bread, and he ate, and they gave him water to drink. 12 They also gave him a piece of fig cake and two raisin cakes. He ate and regained his strength because he hadn’t eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and nights.
13 Then David asked him, “Whose slave are you? Where do you come from?”
“I’m an Egyptian servant boy,” he said, “and the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I got sick three days ago. 14 We had raided the arid southern plain belonging to the Cherethites, the territory belonging to Judah, and the southern plain of Caleb. We also burned Ziklag down.”
15 “Can you guide me to this raiding party?” David asked him.
“Make a pledge to me by God that you won’t kill me or hand me over to my master,” the boy said, “and I will guide you to the raiding party.”
16 So the boy led David to them, and he found them scattered all over the countryside, eating, drinking, and celebrating over the large amount of plunder they had taken from Philistine and Judean territory.
17 David attacked them from twilight until evening of the next day. He killed them all.[c] No one escaped except four hundred young men who got on camels and fled. 18 David rescued everything that the Amalekites had taken, including his own two wives. 19 Nothing was missing from the plunder or anything that they had taken, neither old nor young, son nor daughter. David brought everything back. 20 David also captured all the sheep and cattle, which were driven in front of the other livestock. The troops said, “This is David’s plunder!”
21 David reached the two hundred men who were too exhausted to follow him and had stayed behind at the Besor ravine. They came out to greet him and the troops who were with him. When David approached them, he asked how they were doing. 22 But then all the evil and despicable individuals who had accompanied David said, “We won’t share any of the plunder we rescued with them because they didn’t go with us. Each of them can take his wife and children and go—but that’s it.”
23 “Brothers!” David said. “Don’t act that way with the things the Lord has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the raiding party that had attacked us. 24 How could anyone agree with you on this plan? The share of those who went into battle and the share of those who stayed with the supplies will be divided equally.” 25 So from that day forward, David made that a regulation and a law in Israel, which remains in place even now.
26 When David returned to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah and to his friends. “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies,” he said. 27 It went to those in Bethel, Ramoth of the arid southern plain, Jattir, 28 Aroer,[d] Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, 29 Racal, the towns of the Jerahmeelites, the towns of the Kenites, 30 Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach, 31 Hebron, and all the places where David and his soldiers had spent time.
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- 1 Samuel 30:2 LXX; MT lacks and everyone in the city.
- 1 Samuel 30:7 Heb ephod
- 1 Samuel 30:17 LXX; MT lacks He killed them all.
- 1 Samuel 30:28 LXX Ararah
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