Samuel I_Chapter 30

On the third day, David and his men arrived at Ziklah. The Amalekites have plundered the southern land, conquered Ziklah, and burned it with fire,

They captured the women and the people of all sizes in the city, but did not kill a single one. They took them with them and left.

David and his men arrived at the city, only to find that it had been burned down and their wives and children had been taken captive.

David and his companions burst into tears, crying until they had no strength.

David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, who was the wife of Nabal, were also taken captive.

David was very anxious because everyone was distressed about their children and said, ‘We will stone him to death.’. But David trusted in the Lord his God, and his heart was strengthened.

David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring the ephod over.”. Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

David asked the Lord, “I am chasing after the enemy, can I catch up or not?”? The Lord said, Pursue, and you will catch up, and you will be saved.

So David and the six hundred people who followed him came to the Besor River. If there is anything that cannot go, stay there.

But David chased forward with four hundred people, and two hundred of them were tired and unable to cross the Besor River, so they stayed there.

These four hundred men met an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave him bread to eat and water to drink,

Give him another fig cake and two grape cakes. He regained his spirit after eating. Because he didn’t eat bread or drink water for three days and three nights.

David asked him, “Who do you belong to?”. Where are you from. He replied, “I am a young man from Egypt, a servant of the Amalekites.”. Because I fell ill three days ago, my master abandoned me.

We have taken the southern part of Kiriath and the land belonging to Judah, as well as the southern part of the land of Caleb, and burned Ziklah with fire.

David asked him, “Will you lead us to the enemy or not?”. He replied, “Swear by God to me that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will lead you up to the enemy.”.

The man led David down and saw them scattered on the ground, eating, drinking, and dancing, because they had taken a lot of plunder from the land of the Philistines and Judah.

David killed them from dawn until the next night, and not a single one escaped except for four hundred young men riding camels.

David retrieved all the plunder taken by the Amalekites and rescued his two wives.

David retrieved all that the Amalekites had taken captive, big or small, children or possessions, and did not lose a single one.

The herds of cattle and sheep that David had taken, and the people who followed him drove them before the original herds, saying, This is David’s plunder.

David arrived at the two hundred people who were tired and unable to follow, and stayed with the stream Besor. They came out to meet David and the people who followed him. David came to greet them.

The wicked and bandits who followed the people of David said, “Since these people did not go with us, we will not distribute the spoils we have taken to them. We will only give each of their wives and children to them, so that they may take them away.”.

David said, Brothers, do not withhold from them what the Lord has given us. Because he blessed us and handed over the enemy who attacked us into our hands.

Who will obey you in this matter? How much does it cost to go to battle, and how much does it cost to guard equipment. Everyone should share equally.

David made this a law and a law for Israel from that day until today.

David came to Ziklah and took some of the plunder and gave it to his friend the elders of Judah, saying, It was taken from the enemy of the Lord and given to you as a gift.

He sent gifts to those who lived in Bethel, to those who lived in Lamoth in the south, and to those who lived in Jatir.

Those who live in Aroer, Shimoth, and Ishtimoth.

Those who live in Rahal, the cities of Jerahmeel, and the cities of Kini.

Those who live in Hormah, those in Golashan, and those in Athar.

Those who lived in Hebron, as well as those who David and his companions had always been to.