1 Samuel 30
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1David and his men arrived in Ziklag on the third day. The Amalekites had raided the Negev and attacked and burned down Ziklag. 1David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it,
2They also had kidnapped the women and everyone in it from the youngest to the oldest. They had killed no one but had carried them off as they went on their way. 2and 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.
3When David and his men arrived at the town, they found it burned down. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been kidnapped. 3When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
4David and the troops with him wept loudly until they had no strength left to weep. 4So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.
5David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had also been kidnapped. 5David's two wives had been captured--Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
6David was in a difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him, for they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. 6David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.
7David said to Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought it to him, 7Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, "Bring me the ephod." Abiathar brought it to him,
8and David asked the LORD: "Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?" The LORD replied to him, "Pursue them, for you will certainly overtake them and rescue the people." 8and David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue."
9David and the 600 men with him went as far as the Wadi Besor, where 200 men who were to remain behind would stop.9David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind.
10They stopped because they were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor. David and 400 of the men continued in pursuit. 10Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.
11They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink. 11They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat--
12Then they gave him some pressed figs and two clusters of raisins. After he ate he revived, for he hadn't eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights. 12part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.
13Then 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.13David asked him, "Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?" He said, "I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago.
14We raided the south country of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah, and the south country of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag." 14We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag."
15David 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." 15David 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, and I will take you down to them."
16So 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 they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah. 16He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah.
17David slaughtered them from twilight until the evening of the next day. None of them escaped, except 400 young men who got on camels and fled. 17David fought 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.
18David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken; he also rescued his two wives. 18David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.
19Nothing of theirs was missing from the youngest to the oldest, including the sons and daughters, of all the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David got everything back.19Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back.
20He took all the sheep and cattle, which were driven ahead of the other livestock, and the people shouted, "This is David's plunder!" 20He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, "This is David's plunder."
21When David came to the 200 men who had been too exhausted to go with him and had been left at the Wadi Besor, they came out to meet him and to meet the troops with him. When David approached the men, he greeted them, 21Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted 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.
22but 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." 22But 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."
23But 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. 23David 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.
24Who 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."24Who 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."
25And it has been so from that day forward. David established this policy as a law and an ordinance for Israel and it continues to this very day. 25David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.
26When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, "Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD's enemies."26When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, "Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD's enemies."
27 He sent gifts to those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negev, and in Jattir;27David sent it to those who were in Bethel, Ramoth Negev and Jattir;
28to those in Aroer, in Siphmoth, and in Eshtemoa;28to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa
29to those in Racal, in the towns of the Jerahmeelites, and in the towns of the Kenites;29and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites;
30to those in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, and in Athach; 30to those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athak
31to those in Hebron, and to those in all the places where David and his men had roamed. 31and Hebron; and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed.
Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.New International Version (NIV)

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1 Samuel 29
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