1 Samuel 30

1 Three days later David and his men arrived back in Ziklag. Some Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it down.

Now when David and his men were come to Siceleg on the third day, the Amalecites had made an invasion on the south side upon Siceleg, and had smitten Siceleg, and burnt it with fire.

2 They had captured the women and everyone else there, young and old. They hadn't killed anyone, but they took everyone with them as they left.

And had taken the women captives that were in it, both little and great: and they had not killed any person, but had carried them with them, and went on their way.

3 When David and his men arrived back in town, they found it burned to the ground, and their wives and children captured.

So when David and his men came to the city, and found it burnt with fire, and that their wives and their sons, and their daughters were taken captives,

4 David and his men cried loudly until they couldn't cry any more.

David and the people that were with him, lifted up their voices, and wept till they had no more tears.

5 David's two wives had also been taken as prisoners—Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal's widow, from Carmel.

For the two wives also of David were taken captives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

6 David was in a great deal of trouble, because the men were so upset over losing their children that they began to talk of stoning him. But trusting in the Lord his God,

And David was greatly afflicted: for the people had a mind to stone him, for the soul of every man was bitterly grieved for his sons, and daughters: but David took courage in the Lord his God.

7 David went to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, and said, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him.

And he said to Abiathar the priest the son of Achimelech: Bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

8 David asked the Lord, “Should I chase after these raiders? Will I catch up with them?” “Yes, chase after them,” the Lord replied, “for you will definitely catch up with them and rescue the prisoners.”

And David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I pursue after these robbers, and shall I overtake them, or not? And the Lord said to him: Pursue after them: for thou shalt surely overtake them and recover the prey.

9 David and six hundred of his men set off for the Besor Valley.

So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and they came to the torrent Besor: and some being weary stayed there.

10 Two hundred of them remained behind there because they were too tired to cross the valley while David continued on with four hundred men.

But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred stayed, who being weary could not go over the torrent Besor.

11 They came across an Egyptian in the countryside and they took him to David. They gave him some food to eat and water to drink.

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David: and they gave him bread to eat, and water to drink,

12 They also gave him a piece of a fig cake and two raisins cakes. He ate them and recovered, because he hadn't had any food or water for three days and nights.

As also a piece of a cake of figs, and two bunches of raisins. And when he had eaten them his spirit returned, and he was refreshed: for he had not eaten bread, nor drunk water three days, and three nights.

13 “Whose slave are you, and where do you come from?” David asked him. “I'm an Egyptian,” he replied, “the slave of an Amalekite. My master left me behind three days ago when I got sick.

And David said to him: To whom dost thou belong? or whence dost thou come? and whither art thou going? He said: I am a young man of Egypt, the servant of an Amalecite, and my master left me, because I began to be sick three days ago.

14 We raided the Kerethites in the Negev, as well as the part that belongs to Judah, and the Negev of Caleb. We burned Ziklag too.”

For we made an invasion on the south side of Cerethi, and upon Juda, and upon the south of Caleb, and we burnt Siceleg with fire.

15 “Can you lead me to these raiders?” David asked. “If you swear to me by God that you won't kill me or hand me over to my master, then I'll take you to them,” the man replied.

And David said to him: Canst thou bring me to this company? And he said: Swear to me by God, that thou wilt not kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee to this company. And David swore to him.

16 He led David to the Amalekites, where they were spread out all over the place, eating, drinking, and dancing because of the large haul of plunder they had taken from the lands of the Philistines and of Judah.

And when he had brought him, behold they were lying spread upon all the ground, eating and drinking, and as it were keeping a festival day, for all the prey, and the spoils which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Juda.

17 David attacked them from dusk until the following evening. Nobody escaped, except for four hundred men who managed to get away, riding on camels.

And David slew them from the evening unto the evening of the next day, and there escaped not a man of them, but four hundred young men, who had gotten upon camels, and fled.

18 David got back everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.

So David recovered all that the Amalecites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.

19 Everything was accounted for—all the adults and children, as well as all the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David brought everything back.

And there was nothing missing small or great, neither of their sons or their daughters, nor of the spoils, and whatsoever they had taken: David recovered all.

20 He also recovered all the flocks and herds. His men drove them ahead of the other livestock, shouting, “This is David's plunder!”

And he took all the flocks and the herds, and made them go before him: and they said: This is the prey of David.

21 When David got back to the two hundred men who had been too tired to continue with him from the Besor Valley, they came to meet him and the men with him. As David approached the men to greet them,

And David came to the two hundred men, who being weary had stayed, and were not able to follow David, and he had ordered them to abide at the torrent Besor: and they came out to meet David, and the people that were with him. And David coming to the people saluted them peaceably.

22 all the unpleasant, good-for-nothing men of those who had gone with David said, “They weren't with us, so we won't share the plunder that we took, except to give them back their wives and children. They can take them and leave.”

Then all the wicked and unjust men that had gone with David answering, said: Because they came not with us, we will not give them any thing of the prey which we have recovered: but let every man take his wife and his children, and be contented with them, and go his way.

23 But David intervened, saying, “No, my brothers, you shouldn't do this with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the raiders that had attacked us.

But David said: You shall not do so, my brethren, with these things, which the Lord hath given us, who hath kept us, and hath delivered the robbers that invaded us into our hands.

24 Who's going to listen to you when you say such things? Whatever share those who went into battle receive will be the same as those who stayed to guard the supplies.”

And no man shall hearken to you in this matter. But equal shall be the portion of him that went down to battle and of him that abode at the baggage, and they shall divide alike.

25 David made this the rule and regulation for Israel from that day until now.

And this hath been done from that day forward, and since was made a statute, and an ordinance, and as a law in Israel.

26 When David got back to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to each of his friends among the elders of Judah, saying, “Here's a gift for you from the plunder of the Lord's enemies.”

Then David came to Siceleg, and sent presents of the prey to the ancients of Juda his neighbours, saying: Receive a blessing of the prey of the enemies of the Lord.

27 David sent it to those who lived in Bethuel, Ramoth Negev, Jattir,

To them that were in Bethel, and that were in Ramoth to the south, and to them that were in Jether,

28 Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

And to them that were in Aroer and that were in Sephamoth, and that were in Esthamo,

29 Racal, and the towns of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites,

And that were in Rachal, and that were in the cities of Jerameel, and that were in the cities of Ceni,

30 Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach,

And that were in Arama, and that were in the lake Asan, and that were in Athach,

31 Hebron—all the places David and his men had gone to.

And that were in Hebron, and to the rest that were in those places, in which David had abode with his men.