1 Samuel 30 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

David’s Victory over the Amalekites

1 Then it happened ^H1961, when David ^H1732 and his men ^H376 came ^H935 to Ziklag ^H6860 on the third ^H7992 day ^H3117, that the Amalekites ^H6003 had carried ^H6584 out ^H6584 an ^H6584 attack ^H6584 on the [fn]Negev ^H5045 and on Ziklag ^H6860, and had [fn]overthrown ^H5221 Ziklag ^H6860 and burned ^H8313 it with fire ^H784;

2 and they took ^H7617 captive ^H7617 the women ^H802 and all who ^H834 were in it, from ^H4480 the small ^H6996 to the great ^H1419, [fn]without ^H3808 killing ^H4191 anyone ^H376, and drove ^H5090 them off ^H5090 and went ^H1980 their way ^H1870. 3 When David ^H1732 and his men ^H376 came ^H935 to the city ^H5892, behold ^H2009, it was burned ^H8313 with fire ^H784, and their wives ^H802, their sons ^H1121, and their daughters ^H1323 had been taken ^H7617 captive ^H7617. 4 Then David ^H1732 and the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were with him raised ^H5375 their voices ^H6963 and wept ^H1058 until ^H5704 H834 there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 strength ^H3581 in them to weep ^H1058. 5 Now David’s ^H1732 two ^H8147 wives ^H802 had been taken ^H7617 captive ^H7617, Ahinoam ^H293 the Jezreelitess ^H3159 and Abigail ^H26 the [fn]widow ^H802 of Nabal ^H5037 the Carmelite ^H3761. 6 Also, David ^H1732 was ^H6887 in ^H6887 great ^H3966 distress ^H6887 because ^H3588 the people ^H5971 spoke ^H559 of stoning ^H5619 him, for all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 were ^H4843 [fn]embittered ^H4843, each ^H376 one ^H376 because ^H5921 of his sons ^H1121 and his daughters ^H1323. But David ^H1732 felt ^H2388 strengthened ^H2388 in the LORD ^H3068 his God ^H430.

7 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Abiathar ^H54 the priest ^H3548, the son ^H1121 of Ahimelech ^H288, “Please ^H4994 bring ^H5066 me the ephod ^H646.” So Abiathar ^H54 brought ^H5066 the ephod ^H646 to David ^H1732. 8 And David ^H1732 inquired ^H7592 of the LORD ^H3068, saying ^H559, “Shall I pursue ^H7291 H310 this ^H2088 band ^H1416 of ^H1416 raiders ^H1416? Will I overtake ^H5381 them?” And He said ^H559 to him, “Pursue ^H7291, for you will certainly ^H5381 overtake ^H5381 them, and you will certainly ^H5337 rescue ^H5337 everyone.” 9 So David ^H1732 left ^H1980, he and the six ^H8337 hundred ^H3967 men ^H376 who ^H834 were with him, and they came ^H935 to the brook ^H5158 Besor ^H1308, where some who were left ^H3498 behind ^H3498 stayed ^H5975. 10 But David ^H1732 pursued ^H7291, he and four ^H702 hundred ^H3967 men ^H376, for two hundred ^H3967 who ^H834 were too ^H4480 exhausted ^H6296 to cross ^H5674 the brook ^H5158 Besor ^H1308 stayed ^H5975 behind.

11 Now they found ^H4672 an Egyptian ^H4713 in the field ^H7704 and brought ^H3947 him to David ^H1732, and gave ^H5414 him bread ^H3899 and he ate ^H398, and they provided ^H8248 him water ^H4325 to ^H8248 drink ^H8248. 12 They also gave ^H5414 him a slice ^H6400 of fig ^H1690 cake ^H1690 and two ^H8147 cakes ^H6778 of ^H6778 raisins ^H6778, and he ate ^H398; then his spirit ^H7307 [fn]revived ^H7725. For he had not eaten ^H398 bread ^H3899 or drunk ^H8354 water ^H4325 for three ^H7969 days ^H3117 and three ^H7969 nights ^H3915. 13 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559 to him, “To whom ^H4310 do you belong? And where ^H335 are you from?” And he said ^H559, “I am a young ^H5288 man ^H5288 of Egypt ^H4713, a servant ^H5650 of an Amalekite ^H6003; and my master ^H113 abandoned ^H5800 me when ^H3588 I became ^H2470 sick ^H2470 three ^H7969 days ^H3117 ago. 14 We carried ^H6584 out ^H6584 an ^H6584 attack ^H6584 on the [fn]Negev ^H5045 of the Cherethites ^H3774, and on that which ^H834 belongs to Judah ^H3063, and on the [fn]Negev ^H5045 of Caleb ^H3612, and we burned ^H8313 Ziklag ^H6860 with fire ^H784.” 15 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559 to him, “Will you bring ^H3381 me down ^H3381 to this ^H2088 band ^H1416 of ^H1416 raiders ^H1416?” And he said ^H559, “Swear ^H7650 to me by God ^H430 that you will not kill ^H4191 me or hand ^H5462 H3027 me over ^H5462 to my master ^H113, and I will bring ^H3381 you down ^H3381 to this ^H2088 band ^H1416.”

16 Now when he had brought ^H3381 him down ^H3381, behold ^H2009, they were dispersed ^H5203 over ^H5921 all ^H3605 the land ^H776, eating ^H398 and drinking ^H8354 and celebrating ^H2287 because of all ^H3605 the great ^H1419 plunder ^H7998 that they had taken ^H3947 from the land ^H776 of the Philistines ^H6430 and from the land ^H776 of Judah ^H3063. 17 And David ^H1732 [fn]slaughtered ^H5221 them from the twilight ^H5399 [fn]until ^H5704 the evening ^H6153 of [fn]the next ^H4283 day ^H4283; and not a man ^H376 of them escaped ^H4422, except ^H3588 H518 four ^H702 hundred ^H3967 young ^H5288 men ^H5288 who ^H834 rode ^H7392 on camels ^H1581 and fled ^H1272. 18 So David ^H1732 recovered ^H5337 all ^H3605 that the Amalekites ^H6002 had taken ^H3947, and [fn]rescued ^H5337 his two ^H8147 wives ^H802. 19 And nothing ^H3808 of theirs ^H1992 was ^H5737 missing ^H5737, whether ^H4480 small ^H6996 or ^H5704 great ^H1419, sons ^H1121 or daughters ^H1323, plunder ^H7998, or ^H5704 anything ^H3605 that they had taken ^H3947 for themselves ^H1992; David ^H1732 brought ^H7725 it all ^H3605 back ^H7725. 20 So David ^H1732 had [fn]captured ^H3947 all ^H3605 the sheep ^H6629 and the cattle ^H1241 which the people drove ^H5090 ahead ^H6440 of [fn]the other livestock ^H4735, and they said ^H559, “This ^H2088 is David’s ^H1732 plunder ^H7998.”

The Plunder Is Divided

21 When David ^H1732 came ^H935 to the two hundred ^H3967 men ^H376 who ^H834 were too ^H4480 exhausted ^H6296 to follow ^H1980 H310 David ^H1732 and [fn]had been left ^H3427 behind ^H3427 at the brook ^H5158 Besor ^H1308, and they went ^H3318 out ^H3318 to meet ^H7122 David ^H1732 and to meet ^H7122 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were with him, then David ^H1732 approached ^H5066 the people ^H5971 and greeted ^H7592 H7965 them.

22 Then all ^H3605 the wicked ^H7451 and [fn]worthless ^H1100 men ^H376 among ^H4480 those who ^H834 went ^H1980 with David ^H1732 said ^H559, “Since ^H3282 H834 they did not go ^H1980 with [fn]us, we will not give ^H5414 them any ^H4480 of the spoils ^H7998 that we have recovered ^H5337, except ^H3588 H518 to every ^H376 man ^H376 his wife ^H802 and his children ^H1121, so that they may lead ^H5090 them away ^H5090 and leave ^H1980.” 23 But David ^H1732 said ^H559, “You must not do ^H6213 so ^H3651, my brothers ^H251, with what ^H834 the LORD ^H3068 has given ^H5414 us, for He has protected ^H8104 us and handed ^H5414 H3027 over ^H5414 to us the band ^H1416 of ^H1416 raiders ^H1416 that came ^H935 against ^H5921 us. 24 And who ^H4310 will listen ^H8085 to you in this ^H2088 matter ^H1697? For as is the share ^H2506 of the one who goes ^H3381 down ^H3381 into the battle ^H4421, so shall be the share ^H2506 of the one who stays ^H3427 by the baggage ^H3627; they shall share ^H2505 alike ^H3162.” 25 So it has been ^H1961 from that day ^H3117 forward ^H4605, that he made ^H7760 it a statute ^H2706 and an ordinance ^H4941 for Israel ^H3478 to this ^H2088 day ^H3117.

26 Now when David ^H1732 came ^H935 to Ziklag ^H6860, he sent ^H7971 some of the spoils ^H7998 to the elders ^H2205 of Judah ^H3063, to his friends ^H7453, saying ^H559, “Behold ^H2009, a [fn]gift ^H1293 for you from the spoils ^H7998 of the enemies ^H340 of the LORD ^H3068: 27 to those who ^H834 were in Bethel ^H1008, to those who ^H834 were in Ramoth ^H7418 of ^H7418 the ^H7418 [fn]Negev ^H7418, to those who ^H834 were in Jattir ^H3492, 28 to those who ^H834 were in Aroer ^H6177, to those who ^H834 were in Siphmoth ^H8224, to those who ^H834 were in Eshtemoa ^H851, 29 to those who ^H834 were in Racal ^H7403, to those who ^H834 were in the cities ^H5892 of the Jerahmeelites ^H3397, to those who ^H834 were in the cities ^H5892 of the Kenites ^H7017, 30 to those who ^H834 were in Hormah ^H2767, to those who ^H834 were in Bor-ashan ^H3565, to those who ^H834 were in Athach ^H6269, 31 to those who ^H834 were in Hebron ^H2275, and to all ^H3605 the places ^H4725 where ^H834 H8033 David ^H1732 himself ^H1931 and his men ^H376 walked ^H1980.”