1 Samuel 30

1 When David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid on the South and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag and burned it with fire,

And it came to pass, when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that, the Amalekites, had made a raid into the South, and into Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

2 and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They did not kill any, but carried them off and went their way.

and had taken captive the women and all who were therein, from small even unto great, they had not put one to death, —but had driven them forth, and gone their way.

3 When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters were taken captive.

So, when David and his men came to the city, lo! it was burnt with fire, —and, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, had been taken captive.

4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voice and wept until they had no more power to weep.

Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice, and wept, —until they had no more strength to weep.

5 David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

And, the two wives of David, had been taken captive, —Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the souls of all the people were grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

And David was in sore distress, for the people had spoken of stoning him, because the souls of all the people were embittered, every man for his own sons and for his own daughters, —but David emboldened himself in Yahweh his God.

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

Then said David to Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, Do bring near me, I pray thee, the ephod. So Abiathar brought near the ephod, unto David.

8 David inquired of the LORD, saying, “If I pursue after this troop, will I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you will surely overtake them, and will without fail recover all.”

And David enquired of Yahweh, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? shall I overtake it? And he said unto him: Pursue, for thou shalt, overtake, and thou shalt, rescue.

9 So 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.

So David went, he, and the six hundred men, who were with him, and they came in as far as the ravine of Besor, —where, they who had to be left behind, stayed.

10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

But David pursued, he. and four hundred men, —but the two hundred men stayed, because they were too wearied to cross over the ravine of Besor.

11 They 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.

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and took him unto David, —and gave him food, and he did eat, and they gave him water to drink;

12 They gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. When he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, and drank no water for three days and three nights.

and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two cakes of raisins, and, when he had eaten, his spirit came back unto him, —for he had neither eaten food, nor drunk water, three days and three nights.

13 David asked him, “To whom do you belong? Where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I got sick.

Then David said to him—Whose art thou? and whence art thou? And he said, A young man of Egypt, am I, servant to an Amalekite, and my lord left me behind, because I fell sick, three days ago.

14 We 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.”

As for us, we invaded the South of the Cherithites, and against that which pertaineth unto Judah, and against the South of Caleb, —and, Ziklag, burned we with fire.

15 David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this troop?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me and not deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop.”

And David said unto him, Wilt thou bring me down unto this troop? And he said—Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt not put me to death, neither wilt thou surrender me into the hand of my lord, and I will bring thee down unto this troop.

16 When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread around over all the ground, eating, drinking, and dancing, because of all the great plunder that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

So he brought him down, and lo! they were left to themselves over the face of all the land, —eating, and drinking, and dancing around, for all the great spoil which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

17 David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped from there, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.

And David smote them, from the closing twilight even unto the evening of the next day, —and there escaped not of them a man, save four hundred young men who rode upon camels, and fled.

18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives.

And David rescued all whom the Amalekites had taken, —his two wives also, did David rescue;

19 There was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither plunder, nor anything that they had taken. David brought them all back.

and there was nothing missing to them—whether small or great, whether spoil, or sons or daughters, or, any thing which they had taken unto themselves, —the whole, did David recover.

20 David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s plunder.”

And David took all the flocks and the herds, —they drave them before those other cattle, and they said, This, is David’s spoil.

21 David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to stay at the brook Besor; and they went out to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David came near to the people, he greeted them.

And David came unto the two hundred men, who had been too wearied to follow David, and whom they had suffered to remain at the ravine of Besor, —and they came forth to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him, and when David came near unto the people, they enquired of his success.

22 Then all the wicked men and worthless fellows of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them anything of the plunder that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away and depart.”

Then responded every man who was bad and abandoned, from among the men who had been with David, and said—Because they went not with me there shall not be given them of the spoil that we have rescued, —save, to every man, his wife and his children, let them put them forth, then, and go.

23 Then David said, “Do not do so, my brothers, with that which the LORD has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.

Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, —with that which Yahweh hath given to us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.

24 Who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays with the baggage. They shall share alike.”

Who indeed, could hearken unto you, in this mutter? Surely, like the share of him that went down into the battle, even, so, shall be the share of him that remained by the stores—alike, shall they share.

25 It was so from that day forward that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

And so it came to pass, from that day forward, that he appointed it, for a statute and for a custom unto Israel, until this day.

26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, “Behold, a present for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.”

And, when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil, unto the elders of Judah, unto his friends, saying, —Lo! for you, a blessing, out of the spoil of the enemies of Yahweh:

27 He sent it to those who were in Bethel, to those who were in Ramoth of the South, to those who were in Jattir,

to them who were in Bethel, and to them who were in Ramoth of the South, and to them who were in Jattir,

28 to those who were in Aroer, to those who were in Siphmoth, to those who were in Eshtemoa,

and to them who were in Aroer, and to them who were in Siphmoth, and to them who were in Eshtemoa,

29 to those who were in Racal, to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, to those who were in the cities of the Kenites,

and to them who were in Racal, and to them who were in the cities of the Jerameelites, and to them who were in the cities of the Kenites,

30 to those who were in Hormah, to those who were in Borashan, to those who were in Athach,

and to them who were in Hormah, and to them who were in Cor-ashan, and to them who were in Athach,

31 to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men used to stay.

and to them who were in Hebron, —and to all the places where David had been to and fro, he and his men.