1 Samuel Chapter 30
David’s Wives Are Captured
1 When David and his men got home to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it. 2 They took the women captive and everybody in it, big and small, but didn’t kill anybody. 3 When David and his men got there, it had been burned, and their wives, sons, and daughters had been captured. 4 They cried till they couldn’t cry anymore. 5 David’s two wives had been taken, Ahinoam and Abigail. 6 In addition, David was distressed because the people were talking about stoning him. They were bitter over losing their sons and daughters, but David took courage in Yahveh his God.
7 He told Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, to bring him the ephod. 8 He asked Yahveh, “Should I chase this band? Will I overtake them?”
“Yes, you’ll overtake them and rescue everyone.”
9 He and his 600 men went to the Brook Besor, where the ones left behind remained. 10 But David and 400 men pursued on. 200 stayed behind too exhausted to cross Brook Besor.
1 Sam 30:1-10
11 They found an Egyptian in the countryside and brought him to David. They gave him bread and water, 12 a piece of fig cake and two clusters of raisins. He ate them and revived. He hadn’t eaten or drunk for three days. 13 David asked him, “Who do you belong to? Where are you from?”
“I’m a young man from Egypt, an Amalekite’s slave. My master left me behind when I got sick three days ago. 14 We raided the Negev of the Cherethites that belongs to Judah, and the Negev of Caleb. We burned Ziklag.”
15 David said, “Will you bring me down to this band?”
He said, “Swear to me by God that you won’t kill me or turn me over to my master, and I’ll take you down to them.”
1 Sam 30:11-15
David Defeats the Amalekites
16 When he’d taken him down, they found them spread out all over the ground eating and drinking and dancing because of the large amount of spoil they’d taken from the Philistines and Judah. 17 David slaughtered them from twilight till evening the next day. Not a man escaped, except for 400 young men that fled on camels. 18 He recovered everything the Amalekites had taken and rescued his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing, big or little, sons or daughters. He brought it all back. 20 He’d captured the sheep and cattle the people drove ahead of the other livestock. They said, “This is David’s spoil.”
1 Sam 30:16-20
21 David came to the 200 men at Brook Besor that were too exhausted to go with him. They went out to greet him and the people that were with him. 22 Then some ruffians among David’s men said, “They didn’t go with us. We’re not going to give them any of the spoil we’ve recovered. Every man can take his wife and children.”
23 David said, “Brothers, don’t do that with what Yahveh’s given us. He protected us and delivered to us the band that attacked us. 24 Who’d listen to you on this? The one that guards the luggage gets the same share as the one that goes to battle.”
25 He made that an ordinance in Israel ever since.
1 Sam 30:21-25
26 When David got to Ziklag, he sent some spoil to the elders in Judah, his friends, and said, “A gift from the spoils of Yahveh’s enemies,” 27 and to the people in Bethel, Ramoth of the Negev, Jattir, 28 Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, 29 Racal, the towns of the Jerahmeelites, Kenites, 30 Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach, 31 Hebron—everywhere he and his men circulated.
1 Sam 30:26-31