1Samuel 30 - Prayer Tents

David Destroys the Amalekites

30Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground.H1732H582H935H6860H7992H3117H6003H6584H5045H6860H5221H6860H8313H784 2They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone.H802H7617H4191H376H1419H6996H5090H3212H1870 3When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families,H1732H582H935H5892H8313H784H802H1121H1323H7617 4they wept until they could weep no more.H1732H5971H5375H6963H1058H3581H1058 5David's two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, were among those captured.H1732H8147H802H7617H293H3159H26H802H5037H3761 6David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God.H1732H3966H3334H5971H559H5619H5315H5971H4843H376H1121H1323H1732H2388H3068H430 7Then he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring me the ephod!" So Abiathar brought it.H1732H559H54H3548H288H1121H5066H646H54H5066H646H1732 8Then David asked the LORD, "Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?" And the LORD told him, "Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!"H1732H7592H3068H559H7291H310H1416H5381H559H7291H5381H5381H5337H5337 9So David and his 600 men set out, and they came to the brook Besor.H1732H3212H8337H3967H376H935H5158H1308H3498H5975 10But 200 of the men were too exhausted to cross the brook, so David continued the pursuit with 400 men.H1732H7291H702H3967H376H3967H5975H6296H5674H5158H1308 11Along the way they found an Egyptian man in a field and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink.H4672H376H4713H7704H3947H1732H5414H3899H398H8248H4325 12They also gave him part of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins, for he hadn't had anything to eat or drink for three days and nights. Before long his strength returned.H5414H6400H1690H8147H6778H398H7307H7725H398H3899H8354H4325H7969H3117H7969H3915 13"To whom do you belong, and where do you come from?" David asked him. "I am an Egyptian—the slave of an Amalekite," he replied. "My master abandoned me three days ago because I was sick.H1732H559H559H5288H4713H5650H376H6003H113H5800H7969H3117H2470 14We were on our way back from raiding the Kerethites in the Negev, the territory of Judah, and the land of Caleb, and we had just burned Ziklag."H6584H5045H3774H3063H5045H3612H8313H6860H784 15"Will you lead me to this band of raiders?" David asked. The young man replied, "If you take an oath in God's name that you will not kill me or give me back to my master, then I will guide you to them."H1732H559H3381H1416H559H7650H430H4191H518H5462H3027H113H3381H1416 16So he led David to them, and they found the Amalekites spread out across the fields, eating and drinking and dancing with joy because of the vast amount of plunder they had taken from the Philistines and the land of Judah.H3381H5203H6440H776H398H8354H2287H1419H7998H3947H776H6430H776H3063 17David and his men rushed in among them and slaughtered them throughout that night and the entire next day until evening. None of the Amalekites escaped except 400 young men who fled on camels.H1732H5221H5399H6153H4283H4422H376H702H3967H5288H376H7392H1581H5127 18David got back everything the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.H1732H5337H6002H3947H1732H5337H8147H802 19Nothing was missing: small or great, son or daughter, nor anything else that had been taken. David brought everything back.H5737H4480H6996H1419H1121H1323H7998H3947H1732H7725 20He also recovered all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock. "This plunder belongs to David!" they said.H1732H3947H6629H1241H5090H6440H1931H4735H559H1732H7998 21Then David returned to the brook Besor and met up with the 200 men who had been left behind because they were too exhausted to go with him. They went out to meet David and his men, and David greeted them joyfully.H1732H935H3967H582H6296H3212H310H1732H3427H5158H1308H3318H7125H1732H7125H5971H1732H5066H5971H7592H7965 22But some evil troublemakers among David's men said, "They didn't go with us, so they can't have any of the plunder we recovered. Give them their wives and children, and tell them to be gone."H6030H7451H376H1100H582H1980H1732H559H1980H5414H7998H5337H376H802H1121H5090H3212 23But David said, "No, my brothers! Don't be selfish with what the LORD has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us.H559H1732H6213H251H3068H5414H8104H5414H1416H935H3027 24Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment."H8085H1697H2506H3381H3381H4421H2506H3427H3627H2505H3162 25From then on David made this a decree and regulation for Israel, and it is still followed today.H3117H4605H7760H2706H4941H3478H3117 26When he arrived at Ziklag, David sent part of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends. "Here is a present for you, taken from the LORD's enemies," he said.H1732H935H6860H7971H7998H2205H3063H7453H559H1293H7998H341H3068 27The gifts were sent to the people of the following towns David had visited: Bethel, Ramoth-negev, Jattir,H834H1008H5045H7418H3492 28Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,H6177H8224H851 29Racal, the towns of the Jerahmeelites, the towns of the Kenites,H7403H5892H3397H5892H7017 30Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach,H2767H3565H6269 31Hebron, and all the other places David and his men had visited.H2275H4725H1732H582H1980