1 Samuel 30

1 And it came to pass when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the 'Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burnt it with fire;

And it came to pass when David and his men had entered Sekelac on the third day, that Amalec had made an incursion upon the south, and upon Sekelac, and struck Sekelac, and burnt it with fire.

2 And had taken captive the women that were therein, both great and small: they had not slain any one, but had led them off, and gone on their way.

And as to the women and all things that were in it, great and small, they killed neither man nor woman, but carried them captives, and went on their way.

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

And David and his men came into the city, and, behold, it was burnt with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters were carried captive.

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

And David and his men lifted up their voice, and wept till there was no longer any power within them to weep.

5 And the two wives of David were also taken captive, Achino'am the Yizre'elitess, and Abigayil the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

And both the wives of David were carried captive, Achinaam, the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was imbittered, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David fortified himself in the Lord his God.

And David was greatly distressed, because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, each for his sons and his daughters: but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

7 And David said to Ebyathar the priest, the son of Achimelech, Bring hither, I pray thee, unto me the ephod. And Ebyathar brought the ephod near unto David.

And David said to Abiathar the priest the son of Achimelech, Bring near the ephod.

8 And David asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop! shall I overtake them? And he said to him, Pursue; for thou wilt surely overtake them, and certainly recover [all].

And David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? and he said to him, Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them, and you shall surely rescue [the captives].

9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came up to the brook Bessor, where those that were left behind stayed.

So David went, he an the six hundred men with him, an they come as far as the brook Bosor, and the superfluous ones stopped.

10 But David pursued on, he and four hundred men; and there stayed behind two hundred men, who were too fatigued to go over the brook Bessor.

And he pursued them with four hundred men; and there remained behind two hundred men, who tarried on the other side of the brook Bosor.

11 And they found an Egyptian man in the field, and took him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;

And they find an Egyptian in the field, and they take him, and bring him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they caused him to drink water.

12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins, and he ate, and then his spirit returned to him; for he had not eaten any bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and he ate, and his spirit was restored in him; for he had not eaten bread, and had not drunk water three days and three nights.

13 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young Egyptian man, the servant to an 'Amalekite; and my master left me behind, because I fell sick, today three days ago.

And David said to him, Whose are you? and whence are you? and the young man the Egyptian said, I am the servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me, because I was taken ill three days ago.

14 We made an invasion upon the south of the Kerethites, and upon that which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and Ziklag did we burn with fire.

And we made an incursion on the south of the Chelethite, and on the parts of Judea, and on the south of Chelub, and we burnt Sekelac with fire.

15 And David said to him, Wilt thou bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt not kill me, and that thou wilt not surrender me into the hand of my master, and then will I bring thee down to this troop.

And David said to him, Will you bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear now to me by God, that you will not kill me, and that you will not deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down upon this troop.

16 And he brought him down; and behold, they were scattered over the face of all the country, eating and drinking, and dancing for joy, because of all the great spoil which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

So be brought him down there, and behold, they [were] scattered abroad upon the surface of the whole land, eating and drinking, and feasting by [reason of] all the great spoils which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Juda.

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

And David came upon them, and struck them from the morning till the evening, and on the next day; and not one of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who were mounted on camels, and fled.

18 And David recovered all that the 'Amalekites had taken away; and his two wives also did David rescue.

And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued both his wives.

19 And there was nothing missing to them, from small to great, as also sons and daughters, and spoil, down to every thing that they had taken from them: the whole did David bring back.

And nothing was lacking to them of great or small, either of the spoils, or the sons and daughters, or anything that they had taken of theirs; and David recovered all.

20 And David took all the flocks and the herds: these they drove before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.

And he took all the flocks, and the herds, and led them away before the spoils: and it was said of these spoils, These [are] the spoils of David.

21 And David came to the two hundred men, who had been too fatigued to follow after David, and whom they had left to remain at the brook Bessor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him; and David came near to the people, and asked them after their well-being.

And David comes to the two hundred men who were left behind that they should not follow after David, and he had caused them to remain by the brook of Bosor; and they came forth to meet David, and to meet his people with him: and David drew near to the people, and they asked him how he did.

22 Then exclaimed every wicked and worthless man, of those that had gone with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them aught of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, and these they may lead away, and go.

Then every ill-disposed and bad man of the soldiers who had gone with David, answered and said, Because they did not pursue together with us, we will not give them of the spoils which we have recovered, only let each one lead away with him his wife and his children, and let them return.

23 Then said David, Ye must not do so, my brethren; since the Lord hath given us this, and guarded us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.

And David said, You shall not do so, after the Lord has delivered [the enemy] to us, and guarded us, and the Lord has delivered into our hands the troop that came against u.

24 And who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as is the part of him that went down to the battle, so shall be the part of him that remained with the baggage: together must they share.

And who will listen to these your words? for they are not inferior to us; for according to the portion of him that went down to the battle, so shall be the portion of him that abides with the baggage; they shall share alike.

25 And it happened from that day and forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel until this day.

And it came to pass from that day forward, that it became an ordinance and a custom in Israel until this day.

26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, Behold, here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord:

And David came to Sekelac, and sent of the spoils to the elders of Juda, and to his friends, saying, Behold [some] of the spoils of the enemies of the Lord;

27 To those who were in Beth-el, and to those who were in south Ramoth, and to those who were in Yattir,

to those in Baethsur, and to those in Rama of the south, and to those in Gethor.

28 And to those who were in 'Aro'er, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa',

And to those in Aroer, and to those in Ammadi, and to those in Saphi, and to those in Esthie,

29 And to those who were in Rachal, and to those who were in the cities of Yerach-meelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites,

and to those in Geth, and to those in Cimath, and to those in Saphec, and to those in Themath, and to those in Carmel, and to those in the cities of Jeremeel, and to those in the cities of the Kenezite;

30 And to those who were in Chormah, and to those who were in Kor-'ashan, and to those who were in 'Athach,

and to those in Jerimuth, and to those in Bersabee, and to those in Nombe,

31 And to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men had wandered about.

and to those in Chebron, and to all the places which David and his men had passed through.