1 Samuel 30:1-13 ▼

1 It happened, when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, that Amalek had made a raid on the Negev, and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire,

2 and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They did not kill any, but carried them off, and went their way.

3 When David and his men came to the city, look, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captive.

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

5 David's two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelite, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

7 David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, |Please bring me here the ephod.| Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

8 David inquired of the LORD, saying, |If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them?| He answered him, |Pursue; for you shall surely overtake them, and shall without fail recover all.|

9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Wadi Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.

10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they couldn't cross the Wadi Besor.

11 They found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink.

12 They gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins. When he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

13 David asked him, |To whom do you belong? Where are you from?| He said, |I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick.