1 Samuel 30 - English Standard Version (ESV)

David's Wives Are Captured

30 Now when David and his men came to (A)Ziklag on the third day, (B)the Amalekites had (C)made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire 2 and taken captive the women and all[a] who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. 3 And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. 5 David's (D)two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke (E)of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul,[b] each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

7 (F)And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 (G)And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this (H)band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake (I)and shall surely rescue.” 9 So David set out, and (J)the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men. (K)Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.

11 They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink, 12 and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, (L)his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. 14 (M)We had made a raid against the Negeb of (N)the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15 And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this (O)band.”

David Defeats the Amalekites

16 And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. 18 (P)David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. (Q)David brought back all. 20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him,[c] and said, “This is David's spoil.”

21 Then David came to (R)the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left (S)at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.” 23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 24 Who would listen to you in this matter? (T)For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” 25 And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.

26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord.” 27 It was for those in (U)Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in (V)Jattir, 28 in (W)Aroer, in Siphmoth, in (X)Eshtemoa, 29 in Racal, in the cities of (Y)the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of (Z)the Kenites, 30 in (AA)Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, 31 in (AB)Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 30:2 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks and all
  2. 1 Samuel 30:6 Compare 22:2
  3. 1 Samuel 30:20 The meaning of the Hebrew clause is uncertain

Cross references

  1. 1 Samuel 30:1 : ch. 29:4, 11
  2. 1 Samuel 30:1 : ch. 27:8; [ch. 15:3, 7]
  3. 1 Samuel 30:1 : ver. 14
  4. 1 Samuel 30:5 : See ch. 25:42, 43
  5. 1 Samuel 30:6 : [Ex. 17:4; Num. 14:10]
  6. 1 Samuel 30:7 : ch. 23:6, 9
  7. 1 Samuel 30:8 : See ch. 22:10
  8. 1 Samuel 30:8 : [1 Chr. 12:21]
  9. 1 Samuel 30:8 : ver. 18
  10. 1 Samuel 30:9 : See ch. 23:13
  11. 1 Samuel 30:10 : ver. 21
  12. 1 Samuel 30:12 : Judg. 15:19; [ch. 14:27]
  13. 1 Samuel 30:14 : ver. 1
  14. 1 Samuel 30:14 : 2 Sam. 8:18; 15:18; 20:7, 23; 1 Kgs. 1:38, 44; 1 Chr. 18:17; [Ezek. 25:16; Zeph. 2:5]
  15. 1 Samuel 30:15 : [ch. 25:3]
  16. 1 Samuel 30:18 : ver. 8
  17. 1 Samuel 30:19 : [See ver. 18 above]; ver. 8
  18. 1 Samuel 30:21 : ver. 10
  19. 1 Samuel 30:21 : ver. 10
  20. 1 Samuel 30:24 : [Num. 31:27; Josh. 22:8]
  21. 1 Samuel 30:27 : Gen. 28:19; See Judg. 1:22-26
  22. 1 Samuel 30:27 : Josh. 15:48
  23. 1 Samuel 30:28 : Deut. 2:36; Josh. 13:16
  24. 1 Samuel 30:28 : Josh. 15:50
  25. 1 Samuel 30:29 : ch. 27:10
  26. 1 Samuel 30:29 : See Judg. 1:16
  27. 1 Samuel 30:30 : Judg. 1:17
  28. 1 Samuel 30:31 : Josh. 14:13-15; Judg. 1:10; 2 Sam. 2:1-4

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1 Samuel 30 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

30 And it cometh to pass, in the coming in of David and his men to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites have pushed unto the south, and unto Ziklag, and smite Ziklag, and burn it with fire, 2 and they take captive the women who [are] in it; from small unto great they have not put any one to...
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1 Samuel 30 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

30 And when David and his men had come into Ziklag in the third day, (they learned that) men of Amalek had made assault on the south part (of Judah,) (and) in Ziklag; and (had) smitten Ziklag, and burnt it by fire. (And when David and his men had come into Ziklag on the third day, they learned that ...
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1 Samuel 30 - World English Bible (WEB)

30 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, 2 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 ...
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1 Samuel 30 - The Voice (VOICE)

30 When David and his men reached Ziklag three days later, they discovered that the Amalekites had raided the desert hill country. They had attacked Ziklag in David’s absence, burned it, 2 and carried away the women and all the other inhabitants whom David had left behind. None of them were killed,...
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1 Samuel 30 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Raid on Amalek30 Now it came to pass, when David and his men returned to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag, and had attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire; 2 taking the women in it captive, young and old, without killing anyone, but carried the...
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1 Samuel 30 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

David Avenges the Destruction of Ziklag30 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amal′ekites had made a raid upon the Negeb and upon Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag, and burned it with fire, 2 and taken captive the women and all[a] who were in it, both small and great; the...
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1 Samuel 30 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

David Avenges the Destruction of Ziklag30 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amal′ekites had made a raid upon the Negeb and upon Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag, and burned it with fire, 2 and taken captive the women and all[a] who were in it, both small and great; the...
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1 Samuel 30 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

David Avenges the Destruction of Ziklag30 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negeb and on Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag, burned it down, 2 and taken captive the women and all[a] who were in it, both small and great; they killed none ...
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1 Samuel 30 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

David Avenges the Destruction of Ziklag30 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negeb and on Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag, burned it down,(A)2 and taken captive the women and all[a] who were in it, both small and great; they killed none...
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1 Samuel 30 - New Living Translation (NLT)

David Destroys the Amalekites30 Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground. 2 They had carried off the women and children and everyone els...
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1 Samuel 30 - New Life Version (NLV)

David’s Battle with the Amalekites30 When David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had come to fight in the Negev and Ziklag. They had destroyed Ziklag, and burned it with fire. 2 They took the women and all who were in it, without killing anyone. They carried them out and ...
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1 Samuel 30 - New King James Version (NKJV)

David’s Conflict with the Amalekites30 Now it happened, when David and his men came to (A)Ziklag, on the third day, that the (B)Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the (C)women and those who were there, from small to great; t...
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1 Samuel 30 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

David destroys the Amalekites30 David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned 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 of...
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1 Samuel 30 - New International Version (NIV)

David Destroys the Amalekites30 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...
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1 Samuel 30 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

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1 Samuel 30 - New English Translation (NET)

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