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.H1732H582H935H6860H7992H3117H6003H6584H5045H6860H5221H6860H8313H7842They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone.H802H7617H4191H376H1419H6996H5090H3212H18703When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families,H1732H582H935H5892H8313H784H802H1121H1323H76174they wept until they could weep no more.H1732H5971H5375H6963H1058H3581H10585David's two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, were among those captured.H1732H8147H802H7617H293H3159H26H802H5037H37616David 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.H1732H3966H3334H5971H559H5619H5315H5971H4843H376H1121H1323H1732H2388H3068H4307Then he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring me the ephod!" So Abiathar brought it.H1732H559H54H3548H288H1121H5066H646H54H5066H646H17328Then 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!"H1732H7592H3068H559H7291H310H1416H5381H559H7291H5381H5381H5337H53379So David and his 600 men set out, and they came to the brook Besor.H1732H3212H8337H3967H376H935H5158H1308H3498H597510But 200 of the men were too exhausted to cross the brook, so David continued the pursuit with 400 men.H1732H7291H702H3967H376H3967H5975H6296H5674H5158H130811Along 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.H4672H376H4713H7704H3947H1732H5414H3899H398H8248H432512They 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.H5414H6400H1690H8147H6778H398H7307H7725H398H3899H8354H4325H7969H3117H7969H391513"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.H1732H559H559H5288H4713H5650H376H6003H113H5800H7969H3117H247014We 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."H6584H5045H3774H3063H5045H3612H8313H6860H78415"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."H1732H559H3381H1416H559H7650H430H4191H518H5462H3027H113H3381H141616So 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.H3381H5203H6440H776H398H8354H2287H1419H7998H3947H776H6430H776H306317David 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.H1732H5221H5399H6153H4283H4422H376H702H3967H5288H376H7392H1581H512718David got back everything the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.H1732H5337H6002H3947H1732H5337H8147H80219Nothing was missing: small or great, son or daughter, nor anything else that had been taken. David brought everything back.H5737H4480H6996H1419H1121H1323H7998H3947H1732H772520He also recovered all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock. "This plunder belongs to David!" they said.H1732H3947H6629H1241H5090H6440H1931H4735H559H1732H799821Then 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.H1732H935H3967H582H6296H3212H310H1732H3427H5158H1308H3318H7125H1732H7125H5971H1732H5066H5971H7592H796522But 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."H6030H7451H376H1100H582H1980H1732H559H1980H5414H7998H5337H376H802H1121H5090H321223But 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.H559H1732H6213H251H3068H5414H8104H5414H1416H935H302724Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment."H8085H1697H2506H3381H3381H4421H2506H3427H3627H2505H316225From then on David made this a decree and regulation for Israel, and it is still followed today.H3117H4605H7760H2706H4941H3478H311726When 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.H1732H935H6860H7971H7998H2205H3063H7453H559H1293H7998H341H306827The gifts were sent to the people of the following towns David had visited: Bethel, Ramoth-negev, Jattir,H834H1008H5045H7418H349228Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,H6177H8224H85129Racal

, the towns of the Jerahmeelites, the towns of the Kenites,H7403H5892H3397H5892H701730Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach,H2767H3565H626931Hebron, and all the other places David and his men had visited.H2275H4725H1732H582H1980