Font Size
1 Samuel 30
Expanded Bible
1 Samuel 30
Expanded Bible
David’s War with the Amalekites
30 ·On the third day [Three days later], when David and his men arrived at Ziklag, he found that the Amalekites had raided ·southern Judah [the Negev] and Ziklag, ·attacking [crushing; sacking; L striking] Ziklag and burning it. 2 They captured the women and everyone, ·young and old [L small and great], but they had not killed anyone. They had only ·taken [carried] them away.
3 When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found the town had been burned and their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken ·as prisoners [captive]. 4 Then David and his ·army [people] cried loudly until they were too weak to cry anymore. 5 David’s two wives had also been taken—Ahinoam of Jezreel [25:43] and Abigail the widow of Nabal from Carmel [25:1–42]. 6 The men in the army ·were threatening to kill David with stones [talked of stoning him], which greatly ·upset [endangered] David. Each man was ·sad and angry [embittered] because his sons and daughters had been captured, but David found ·strength [courage] in the Lord his God. 7 David said to Abiathar the priest [L the son of Ahimelech], “Bring me the ·holy vest [ephod; Ex. 28:6–14].” So Abiathar brought the ephod [C the ephod contained the means to inquiry of God; 23:6].
8 Then David asked the Lord, “Should I ·chase the people who took our families [L pursue them]? Will I ·catch [overtake] them?”
The Lord answered, “·Chase [Pursue] them. You will catch them, and you will ·succeed in saving your families [certainly rescue them all].”
9 David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor ·Ravine [Valley; Wadi; Brook], where some of the men stayed [L behind]. 10 David and four hundred men kept up the chase. The other two hundred men stayed behind because they were too ·tired [exhausted] to cross the ·ravine [valley].
11 They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave the Egyptian some water to drink and some ·food [bread] to eat. 12 And they gave him a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. Then ·he felt better [he revived; L his spirit returned to him], because he had not eaten any ·food [bread] or drunk any water for three days and nights.
13 David asked him, “Who ·is your master [do you belong to]? Where do you come from?”
He answered, “I’m an [L young] Egyptian, the ·slave [servant] of an Amalekite. Three days ago my master ·left [abandoned] me, because I was sick. 14 We had raided the ·southern area [Negev] of the Kerethites, the ·land [territory] of Judah, and the ·southern area [Negev] of Caleb. We burned Ziklag, as well.”
15 David asked him, “Can you lead me to ·the people who took our families [L this band of raiders]?”
He answered, “·Yes, if you promise me [Swear; Take an oath] before God that you won’t kill me or ·give [hand] me back to my master. Then I will take you to ·them [L this band of raiders].”
16 So the Egyptian led David to the Amalekites. They were ·lying around [L spread out] on the ground, eating and drinking and ·celebrating [dancing] with the ·things [great plunder/spoil] they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. 17 David ·fought [slaughtered; L struck] them from ·sunset [twilight; dusk] until the evening of the next day. None of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode off on their camels. 18 David ·got his two wives back [rescued his two wives] and [recovered] everything the Amalekites had taken. 19 Nothing was missing. David brought back everyone, ·young and old [L great and small], sons and daughters. He ·recovered [brought back] the ·valuable things [plunder; spoil] and everything the Amalekites had taken. 20 David took all the sheep and cattle, and his men made these animals go in front, saying, “They are David’s ·prize [plunder; spoil].”
21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too ·tired [exhausted] to follow him, who had stayed at the Besor ·Ravine [Valley; Wadi; Brook]. They came out to meet David and the people with him. When he came near, David greeted the men at the ravine.
22 But the ·evil men [rogues; corrupt] and ·troublemakers [scoundrels; worthless] among those who followed David said, “Since these two hundred men didn’t go with us, we shouldn’t give them any of the ·things we recovered [plunder; spoil]. Just let each man take his wife and children and ·go [be off/gone].”
23 David answered, “No, my brothers. Don’t do that after what the Lord has given us. He has ·protected [preserved; kept] us and ·given [handed over to] us the ·enemy [raiders] who attacked us. 24 Who will listen ·to what you say [when you speak this way]? The share will be the same for the one who stayed with the ·supplies [equipment; baggage] as for the one who went into battle. All will share alike.” 25 David made this an ·order [statute; ordinance; requirement] and ·rule [regulation] for Israel, which continues even today.
26 When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the ·things he had taken from the Amalekites [plunder; spoil] to his friends, the ·leaders [elders] of Judah. He said, “Here is a ·present [gift] for you from the ·things [plunder; spoil] we took from the Lord’s enemies.”
27 David also sent some things to the leaders in Bethel, Ramoth in the ·southern part of Judah [Negev], Jattir, 28 Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, 29 Racal, the cities of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites, 30 Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach, 31 Hebron, and to the people in all the other places where he and his men had ·been [roamed; visited].
1 Samuel 30
New International Version
1 Samuel 30
New International Version
David Destroys the Amalekites
30 David and his men reached Ziklag(A) on the third day. Now the Amalekites(B) had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned(C) it, 2 and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.
3 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.(D) 4 So David and his men wept(E) aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives(F) had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning(G) him; each one was bitter(H) in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength(I) in the Lord his God.
7 Then David said to Abiathar(J) the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.(K)” Abiathar brought it to him, 8 and David inquired(L) of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”
“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed(M) in the rescue.(N)”
9 David and the six hundred men(O) with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. 10 Two hundred of them were too exhausted(P) to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.
11 They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat— 12 part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived,(Q) for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.
13 David asked him, “Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?”
He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite.(R) My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. 14 We raided the Negev of the Kerethites,(S) some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb.(T) And we burned(U) Ziklag.”
15 David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?”
He answered, “Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master,(V) and I will take you down to them.”
16 He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling(W) because of the great amount of plunder(X) they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. 17 David fought(Y) them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled.(Z) 18 David recovered(AA) everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. 20 He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.”
21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted(AB) to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. 22 But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”
23 David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. 24 Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.(AC)” 25 David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.
26 When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a gift(AD) for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”
27 David sent it to those who were in Bethel,(AE) Ramoth(AF) Negev and Jattir;(AG) 28 to those in Aroer,(AH) Siphmoth,(AI) Eshtemoa(AJ) 29 and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites(AK) and the Kenites;(AL) 30 to those in Hormah,(AM) Bor Ashan,(AN) Athak 31 and Hebron;(AO) and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed.
Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.