1 Samuel 30

1 Now when David and his men were come to Siceleg on the third day, the Amalecites had made an invasion on the south side upon Siceleg, and had smitten Siceleg, and burnt 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 the women captives that were in it, both little and great: and they had not killed any person, but had carried them with them, and went on 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 So when David and his men came to the city, and found it burnt with fire, and that their wives and their sons, and their daughters were taken captives,

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 David and the people that were with him, lifted up their voices, and wept till they had no more tears.

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

5 For the two wives also of David were taken captives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

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

6 And David was greatly afflicted: for the people had a mind to stone him, for the soul of every man was bitterly grieved for his sons, and daughters: but David took courage 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 And he said to Abiathar the priest the son of Achimelech: Bring me hither the ephod. And 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 And David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I pursue after these robbers, and shall I overtake them, or not? And the Lord said to him: Pursue after them: for thou shalt surely overtake them and recover the prey.

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 that were with him, and they came to the torrent Besor: and some being weary stayed there.

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, who being weary could not go over the torrent 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 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David: and they gave him bread to eat, and 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 As also a piece of a cake of figs, and two bunches of raisins. And when he had eaten them his spirit returned, and he was refreshed: for he had not eaten bread, nor drunk water 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 And David said to him: To whom dost thou belong? or whence dost thou come? and whither art thou going? He said: I am a young man of Egypt, the servant of an Amalecite, and my master left me, because I began to be sick three days ago.

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 For we made an invasion on the south side of Cerethi, and upon Juda, and upon the south of Caleb, and we burnt Siceleg 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 And David said to him: Canst thou bring me to this company? And he said: Swear to me by God, that thou wilt not kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee to this company. And David swore to him.

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 And when he had brought him, behold they were lying spread upon all the ground, eating and drinking, and as it were keeping a festival day, for all the prey, and the spoils which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Juda.

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 And David slew them from the evening unto the evening of the next day, and there escaped not a man of them, but four hundred young men, who had gotten upon 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 So David recovered all that the Amalecites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.

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

19 And there was nothing missing small or great, neither of their sons or their daughters, nor of the spoils, and whatsoever they had taken: David recovered all.

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 And he took all the flocks and the herds, and made them go before him: and they said: This is the prey of David.

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 And David came to the two hundred men, who being weary had stayed, and were not able to follow David, and he had ordered them to abide at the torrent Besor: and they came out to meet David, and the people that were with him. And David coming to the people saluted them peaceably.

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 and unjust men that had gone with David answering, said: Because they came not with us, we will not give them any thing of the prey which we have recovered: but let every man take his wife and his children, and be contented with them, and go his way.

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 But David said: You shall not do so, my brethren, with these things, which the Lord hath given us, who hath kept us, and hath delivered the robbers that invaded us into our hands.

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 And no man shall hearken to you in this matter. But equal shall be the portion of him that went down to battle and of him that abode at the baggage, and they shall divide 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 And this hath been done from that day forward, and since was made a statute, and an ordinance, and as a law in Israel.

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 Then David came to Siceleg, and sent presents of the prey to the ancients of Juda his neighbours, saying: Receive a blessing of the prey of the enemies of the Lord.

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 To them that were in Bethel, and that were in Ramoth to the south, and to them that were in Jether,

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

28 And to them that were in Aroer and that were in Sephamoth, and that were in Esthamo,

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

29 And that were in Rachal, and that were in the cities of Jerameel, and that were in the cities of Ceni,

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 And that were in Arama, and that were in the lake Asan, and that 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 And that were in Hebron, and to the rest that were in those places, in which David had abode with his men.

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