1 Samuel 30:1-15 ▼

1 And it came to pass, when David and his men came into Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekite had invaded against the Negev and against Ziklag, and they had struck Ziklag, and burned it with the fire,

2 and they took captive the women and all those who were in it, from small and to great. They did not kill anyone, and they carried them off and went on their way.

3 And David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burned with the fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive.

4 And David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until that there was not in them power to weep.

5 And the two wives of David had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 And 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 his daughters. And David strengthened himself in YHWH his God.

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

8 And David inquired of YHWH, saying, “Shall I pursue after this troop? Will I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and you shall surely deliver.”

9 And David went, he and six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the Brook of Besor, and those left behind stood still.

10 And David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred men stayed behind who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook of Besor.

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

12 And they gave to him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins. And he ate and his strength came back to him, for he had not eaten bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights.

13 And David said to him, “To whom are you, and where are you from?” And he said, “An Egyptian, a young man, I am servant of an Amalekite. And my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago.

14 We made an invasion to the south of the Cherethite and against that which is unto Judah, and against the south of Caleb, and Ziklag we burned with the fire.”

15 And David said to him, “Can you take me down to this troop?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hand of my master, and I will take you down to this troop.”