The First Book of Samuel (WEB)
30: 1It happened, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the
Amalekites had made a raid on the South, and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it
with fire, 30:2and had taken captive the women and all who were therein, both small and great: they
didn't kill any, but carried them off, and went their way. 30:3When David and his men came to the
city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were
taken captive. 30:4Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voice and wept,
until they had no more power to weep. 30:5David's two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 30:6David was greatly distressed; for the
people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his
sons and for his daughters: but David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God. 30:7David said to
Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, Please bring me here the ephod. Abiathar brought there
the ephod to David. 30:8David inquired of Yahweh, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I
overtake them? He answered him, Pursue; for you shall surely overtake them, and shall without
fail recover all. 30:9So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to
the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 30:10But David pursued, he and four
hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they couldn't go over the
brook Besor. 30:11They found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him
bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink. 30:12They gave him a piece of a cake of figs,
and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten
no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. 30:13David said to him, To whom belong
you? and whence are you? He said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my
master left me, because three days ago I fell sick. 30:14We made a raid on the South of the
Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag
with fire. 30:15David said to him, Will you bring me down to this troop? He said, Swear to me by
God, that you will neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring
you down to this troop. 30:16When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad over
all the ground, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken
out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. 30:17David struck them from the
twilight even to the evening of the next day: and there not a man of them escaped, except four
hundred young men, who rode on camels and fled. 30:18David recovered all that the Amalekites had
taken; and David rescued his two wives. 30:19There was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor
great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor anything that they had taken to them: David
brought back all. 30:20David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other
cattle, and said, This is David's spoil. 30:21David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint
that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to abide at the brook Besor; and they
went forth to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him: and when David came near
to the people, he greeted them. 30:22Then answered all the wicked men and base fellows, of those
who went with David, and said, Because they didn't go with us, we will not give them anything of
the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead
them away, and depart. 30:23Then said David, You shall not do so, my brothers, with that which
Yahweh has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into
our hand. 30:24Who will listen to you in this matter? for as his share is who goes down to the battle,
so shall his share be who tarries by the baggage: they shall share alike. 30:25It was so from that day
forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day. 30:26When David came to
Ziklag, he sent of the spoil to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold, a present for
you of the spoil of the enemies of Yahweh: 30:27To those who were in Bethel, and to those who
were in Ramoth of the South, and to those who were in Jattir, 30:28and to those who were in Aroer,
and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa, 30:29and to those who
were in Racal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in
the cities of the Kenites, 30:30and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in
Bor-ashan, and to those who were in Athach, 30:31and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the
places where David himself and his men used to stay.
World English Bible