1 Samuel
1 Samuel 30 ©
1 The Amalekites spoil Ziklag. 3 David on his return is greatly distressed, but asking counsel of God is encouraged to pursue them. 9 He setteth forward, and finding an Egyptian receiveth intelligence of the enemy. 16 Being conducted to them, he smiteth them, and recovereth the spoil. 22 David's law of dividing the spoil. 26 He sendeth presents to his friends.
And David was hgreatly distressed; for the people spake of istoning him, because the soul of all the people was 1grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David jencouraged himself in the LORD his God.
But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
And they gave him a piece of pa cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and qwhen he had eaten, rhis spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
We made an invasion upon tthe south of the uCherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of vCaleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, wSwear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.
¶And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread *abroad upon all the earth, xeating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
And David ysmote them from the twilight even unto the evening of 2the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, *save four hundred young men, which rode upon zcamels, and fled.
And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.
And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they *drave before those other cattle, and said, This is bDavid's spoil.
¶And cDavid came to the dtwo hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he 3saluted them.
Then answered all the wicked men eand men of Belial, of 4those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, *save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.
Then said David, Ye shall not do so, fmy brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, gwho hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.
And it was so from that day 5forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
And to them which were in lAroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,