Ziklag Raided and the Families Taken
David comes home to Ziklag burned and every family carried off, with his own men talking of stoning him; he strengthens himself in our Father. A starving Egyptian slave leads him to the raiders. Everything is recovered, and the exhausted men who stayed behind share equally.
30 1David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day; Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag, attacked and burned it, 2and captured the women and everyone there, young and old; killed no one, but drove them off and went their way. 3David and his men reached the city, burned with fire—wives, sons, daughters taken captive. 4David and his people raised their voices and wept until they had no strength left to weep. 5David's two wives were also captured, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6David was greatly distressed—the people talked of stoning him, each bitter over his sons and daughters—but he strengthened himself in our Father.
7David told Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, "Bring me the ephod." Abiathar brought David the ephod.
8David asked our Father, "Will I chase these raiders? Will I overtake them?" "Chase," he said. "You will surely overtake them and rescue everyone."
9So David and his 600 men came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. 10David pursued with 400 men; 200 stayed back, too worn out to cross the Besor Valley. 11They found an Egyptian in the fields, brought him to David, and gave him bread and water. 12They gave him a piece of fig cake and two clusters of raisins. He ate, and his strength returned—he'd had no bread or water for three days and three nights. 13David asked, "Whose are you? Where from?" He said, "A young Egyptian, an Amalekite's slave. My master abandoned me three days ago—I was sick.
14We raided the Cherethite Negev, Judah's territory, and Caleb's Negev, and burned Ziklag with fire."
15David asked, "Will you lead me down to this raiding band?" He said, "Swear to me by God you won't kill me or hand me to my master, and I'll bring you to them."
16The Egyptian led David down, and there they were, spread out over the land, eating, drinking, celebrating over the vast plunder taken from Philistine and Judean land. 17David struck them from twilight to the next evening; only 400 young men who rode off on camels escaped. 18David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives. 19Nothing was missing—small, great, sons, daughters, plunder, or anything else taken—all David brought back. 20David took all the flock and herd; his men drove it ahead of the other livestock, saying, "This is David's plunder."
21David reached the 200 men too exhausted to follow him, left at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and his people; he greeted them as he approached. 22But all the wicked, worthless men among David's followers said, "Since they didn't go with us, we won't give them any recovered plunder—only each man's wife and children, to lead away and go."
23But David said, "Don't do this, my brothers, with what our Father gave us. He guarded us and gave the raiders who came against us into our hands. 24Who would listen to you on this? The one who goes into battle and the one who stays with the supplies share alike." 25From that day on, David made it a statute and ordinance for Israel, lasting to this day.
26When David reached Ziklag, he sent plunder to Judah's elders, his friends, saying, "A gift for you from the plunder of our Father's enemies." 27He sent it to those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negev, and in Jattir; 28to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, and Eshtemoa; 29to those in Rachal, in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites; 30to those in Hormah, Bor-ashan, and Athach; 31and to those in Hebron and all the places where David and his men had roamed.
