1 Samuel 30:1-13 ▼

1 When David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and set it on fire.

2 They took the women in it captive, from young to old. They did not kill anyone. Instead, they carried them off and went on their way.

3 David and his men came to the town, and it had been burned down. Their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.

4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and cried until they had no more strength left to cry.

5 David's two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal's former wife, had been captured.

6 David was in great danger because all the people were bitter because of their sons and daughters, and they were talking about stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

7 David told Ahimelech's son Abiathar the priest, |Bring me the ephod.| So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

8 David inquired of the LORD: |Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?| The LORD told David, |Pursue them! You will definitely overtake them and rescue the captives.|

9 So David and 600 men who were with him set out. They came to the Wadi Besor where those who were left behind stayed.

10 David and 400 men continued the pursuit, while the 200 men who were too exhausted to cross over the Wadi Besor remained there.

11 They found an Egyptian man in the field, and they took him to David. They gave him food to eat and provided water for him.

12 They gave him part of a fig cake and two bunches of raisins. After he had eaten, he revived, since he had neither eaten food nor had he drunk water for three days and three nights.

13 David told him, |To whom do you belong and where are you from?| The Egyptian replied, |I'm a young Egyptian man, the slave of an Amalekite man. My master abandoned me, because I got sick three days ago.