The First Book of Samuel

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- Kapitel 30 -

Bvt when Dauid and his men were come to Ziklag the thirde day, the Amalekites had inuaded vpon the South, euen vnto Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burnt it with fire,

And had taken the women that were therein, prisoners, both small and great, and slewe not a man, but caryed them away, and went their wayes.

So Dauid and his men came to the city, and beholde, it was burnt with fire, and their wiues, and their sonnes, and their daughters were taken prisoners.

Then Dauid and the people that was with him, lift vp their voyces and wept, vntill they could weepe no more.

Dauids two wiues were taken prisoners also, Ahinoam the Izreelite, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

And Dauid was in great sorowe: for the people entended to stone him, because the heartes of all the people were vexed euery man for his sonnes and for his daughters: but Dauid comforted him selfe in the Lord his God.

David Destroys the Amalekites

And Dauid saide to Abiathar the Priest Ahimelechs sonne, I pray thee, bring me the Ephod. And Abiathar brought the Ephod to Dauid.

Then Dauid asked counsell at the Lord, saying, Shall I follow after this companie? shall I ouertake them? And he answered him, Followe: for thou shalt surely ouertake them, and recouer all.

So Dauid and the sixe hundreth men that were with him, went, and came to the riuer Besor, where a part of them abode:

But Dauid and foure hundreth men followed (for two hundreth abode behinde, being too wearie to goe ouer the riuer Besor)

And they found an Egyptian in the fielde, and brought him to Dauid, and gaue him bread and he did eat, and they gaue him water to drinke.

Also they gaue him a fewe figges, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirite came againe to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunke any water in three dayes, and three nightes.

And Dauid saide vnto him, To whome belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he saide, I am a yong man of Egypt, and seruant to an Amalekite: and my master left me three dayes agoe, because I fell sicke.

We roued vpon the South of Chereth, and vpon the coast belonging to Iudah, and vpon the South of Caleb, and we burnt Ziklag with fire.

And Dauid saide vnto him, Canst thou bring me to this companie? And he said, Sweare vnto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliuer me into the handes of my master, and I will bring thee to this companie.

And when he had brought him thither, beholde, they lay scattered abroade vpon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dauncing, because of all the great pray that they had taken out of the lande of the Philistims, and out of the land of Iudah.

And Dauid smote them from the twilight, euen vnto the euening of the next morowe, so that there escaped not a man of them, saue foure hundreth yong men, which rode vpon camels, and fled.

And Dauid recouered all that the Amalekites had taken: also Dauid rescued his two wiues.

And they lacked nothing, small or great, sonne or daughter, or of the spoyle of all that they had taken away: Dauid recouered them all.

Dauid also tooke all the sheepe, and the oxen, and they draue them before his cattell, and said, This is Dauids pray.

The Spoils Are Divided

And Dauid came to the two hundreth men that were too wearie for to follow Dauid: whome they had made also to abide at the riuer Besor: and they came to meete Dauid, and to meete the people that were with him: so when Dauid came neere to the people, hee saluted them.

Then answered all the euill and wicked of the men that went with Dauid, and saide, Because they went not with vs, therefore will wee giue them none of the pray that wee haue recouered, saue to euery man his wife and his children: therefore let them carie them away and depart.

Then saide Dauid, Yee shall not doe so, my brethren, with that which the Lord hath giuen vs, who hath preserued vs, and deliuered the companie that came against vs, into our handes.

For who will obey you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth downe to the battel, so shall his part be, that tarieth by the stuffe: they shall part alike.

So from that day forward hee made it a statute and a lawe in Israel, vntill this day.

When Dauid therefore came to Ziklag, he sent of the pray vnto the Elders of Iudah and to his friends, saying, See there is a blessing for you of the spoyle of the enemies of the Lord.

Hee sent to them of Beth-el, and to them of South Ramoth, and to them of Iattir,

And to them of Aroer, and to them of Siphmoth, and to them of Eshtemoa,

And to them of Rachal, and to them of the cities of the Ierahmeelites, and to them of the cities of the Kenites,

And to them of Hormah, and to them of Chor-ashan, and to them of Athach,

And to them of Hebron, and to all the places where Dauid and his men had hanted.

When David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid on the South and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag and burned it with fire,

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

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

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

David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

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

David Destroys the Amalekites

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

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

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

But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they couldn’t go over the brook Besor.

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.

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, and drank no water for three days and three nights.

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 got sick.

We made a raid on the South of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.”

David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this troop?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me and not deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop.”

When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread around over all the ground, eating, drinking, and dancing, because of all the great plunder that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped from there, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.

David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives.

There was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither plunder, nor anything that they had taken. David brought them all back.

David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s plunder.”

The Spoils Are Divided

David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to stay at the brook Besor; and they went out to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David came near to the people, he greeted them.

Then all the wicked men and worthless fellows of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give them anything of the plunder that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away and depart.”

Then David said, “Do not do so, my brothers, with that which the LORD has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.

Who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays with the baggage. They shall share alike.”

It was so from that day forward that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, “Behold, a present for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.”

He sent it to those who were in Bethel, to those who were in Ramoth of the South, to those who were in Jattir,

to those who were in Aroer, to those who were in Siphmoth, to those who were in Eshtemoa,

to those who were in Racal, to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, to those who were in the cities of the Kenites,

to those who were in Hormah, to those who were in Borashan, to those who were in Athach,

to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men used to stay.