David & His Men Rescue Their Captive Wives & Children |
1 Samuel 30:1-31 The Book of 1 Samuel [in Smaller Chunks] |
It [happened,] when David & his men [came] to Ziklag on the 3rd day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south & Ziklag & [defeated] Ziklag & burned it with fire. [They] had taken away the women captive that were [in Ziklag] & didn’t kill any, [whether old or young,] but carried them away [with them.] |
So, David & his men came to the city & [saw,] it was burned with fire & their wives, sons & daughters were taken [captive.] Then, David & the people with him lifted up their [voices & cried,] until they had no more [energy to cry.] |
David’s 2 wives were taken [captive:] Ahinoam, [from Jezreel] & Abigail, [Nabal’s widow, from Carmel.] David was [very] distressed; for the people [spoke] of stoning him, because their souls were grieved for [their children.] |
But David [was] encouraged [& found strength through] the Lord his God. David said to Abiathar, the priest, [Ahimelech’s] son, I pray [that] you bring me the ephod & Abiathar brought the ephod to David. |
David [consulted] the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? [The Lord God] answered [David,] Pursue: for you shall surely overtake them & without fail recover all. |
So, David & his 600 men with him [went] & came to the Brook Besor, where those [who] were left behind stayed. But David & 400 men pursued, [while] 200 men [stayed] behind, [because they were so exhausted] they couldn’t go over the Brook Besor. |
They found an Egyptian in the field & brought him to David & gave him bread & he [ate.] They made him drink [some] water & gave him a piece of a cake of figs & 2 clusters of raisins. |
When he had eaten, his strength [came back] to him again, [since] he hadn’t eaten [any] bread, nor drunk water [in] 3 days & 3 nights. David [asked] him, To whom [do you] belong? [Where] are you from? |
He said, I’m a young man [from] Egypt, [a] servant to an Amalekite & my master left me, because I [became] sick 3 days ago. We made an invasion upon the coast [belonging] to Judah, south of the Cherethites & south of Caleb & we burned Ziklag with fire. |
David said to him, Can you bring me down to this company? [The man] said, Swear to me by God, that you will neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master & I will bring you down to this company. |
And when [the man] brought [them] down, [they saw the company] was spread all [over] eating, drinking & dancing, because of the [large plunder] they had taken out of the land of the Philistines & out of the land of Judah. |
And David [attacked] them from twilight [until] the evening of the next day & not a man of them escaped [except] for 400 young men who fled on camels. David recovered all the Amalekites had [taken] away & rescued his 2 wives. |
And there was nothing lacking [of what they recovered] neither small nor [large,] neither sons nor daughters, nor anything they had taken from them. David recovered all. |
David took all their flocks & herds [which David’s men drove in front of the] other cattle & said, This is David’s [plunder.] David came to the 200 [exhausted] men, who were so faint that they couldn’t follow David & made them [stay] by the Brook Besor. |
And they went to meet David & the people with him. When David came near the people, he [greeted] them. |
Then, all the wicked & [worthless] men [who] went with David, said, Because they [didn’t go] with us, we won’t give them [any] of the [plunder] that we have recovered, [except for] every [man’s] wife & children, [so] they may lead them away & depart. |
Then, David said, My [brothers,] you shall not [be greedy] with [all] the Lord has given [to] us. [He] has [protected] us & has delivered the company into our hand [that attacked] us. Who will [listen] to you in this matter? |
[Everyone] shall [share] alike: [those who] went down to the battle & [those who waited] by the stuff. From that day forward, [David] made it a [mandate & a rule] for Israel [until] this day. |
And when David came to Ziklag, he sent [some] of the [plunder] to the elders of Judah & even to his friends, saying, [Look,] a present for you [from the plunder] of the enemies of the Lord. |
[David sent it to those in:] BethEl, south in Ramoth & in Jattir, Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, Rachal & in the cities of the: Jerahmeelites, Kenites, Hormah, Chor Ashan, Ahtach, Hebron & all the places where David & his men [had roamed.] |