1 Samuel 30

1Now when David and his men were come to Siceleg on the third day, the Amalecites had made an invasion on the south side upon Siceleg, and had smitten Siceleg, and burnt it with fire,

1Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made an attack on the South and on Ziklag, and had overcome Ziklag and put it on fire;

2And had taken the women captives that were in it, both little and great: and they had not killed any person, but had carried them with them, and went on their way.

2And had made the women and all who were there, small and great, prisoners: they had not put any of them to death, but had taken them all away.

3So when David and his men came to the city, and found it burnt with fire, and that their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives,

3And when David and his men came to the town, they saw that it had been burned down, and their wives and their sons and daughters had been made prisoners.

4David and the people that were with him, lifted up their voices, and wept till they had no more tears.

4Then David and the people who were with him gave themselves up to weeping till they were able to go on weeping no longer.

5For the two wives also of David were taken captives, Achinoam, the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

5And David's two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel, had been made prisoners.

6And David was greatly afflicted: for the people had a mind to stone him, for the soul of every man was bitterly grieved for his sons and daughters: but David took courage in the Lord his God.

6And David was greatly troubled; for the people were talking of stoning him, because their hearts were bitter, every man sorrowing for his sons and his daughters: but David made himself strong in the Lord his God.

7And he said to Abiathar, the priest, the son of Achimelech: Bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

7And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, Come here to me with the ephod. And Abiathar took the ephod to David.

8And David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I pursue after these robbers, and shall I overtake them, or not? And the Lord said to him: Pursue after them: for thou shalt surely overtake them and recover the prey.

8Then David, questioning the Lord, said, Am I to go after this band? will I be able to overtake them? And in answer he said, Go after them, for you will certainly overtake them, and get back everything.

9So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and they came to the torrent Besor: and some, being weary, stayed there.

9So David went, and his six hundred men went with him, and they came to the stream Besor.

10But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred stayed, who, being weary, could not go over the torrent Besor.

10And David, with four hundred men, went on: but two hundred of them were overcome with weariness, and not able to go across the stream.

11And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David: and they gave him bread to eat, and water to drink,

11And in the fields they saw an Egyptian whom they took to David, and they gave him bread, and he had a meal, and they gave him water for drink;

12As also a piece of a cake of figs, and two bunches of raisins. And when he had eaten them, his spirit returned, and he was refreshed: for he had not eaten bread, nor drunk water, three days and three nights.

12And they gave him part of a cake of figs and some dry grapes; and after the food, his spirit came back to him, for he had had no food or drink for three days and nights.

13And David said to him: To whom dost thou belong; or whence dost thou come? and whither art thou going? He said: I am a young man of Egypt, the servant of an Amalecite: and my master left me, because I began to be sick three days ago.

13And David said to him, Whose man are you and where do you come from? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master went on without me because three days back I became ill.

14For we made an invasion on the south side of Cerethi, and upon Juda, and upon the south of Caleb, and we burnt Siceleg with fire.

14We made an attack on the south part of the country of the Cherethites, and on the land which is Judah's, and on the south of Caleb; and we put Ziklag on fire.

15And David said to him: Canst thou bring me to this company? and he said: Swear to me by God, that thou wilt not kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee to this company. And David swore to him.

15And David said to him, Will you take me down to this band? And he said, If you give me your oath that you will not put me to death or give me up to my master, I will take you to them.

16And when he had brought him, behold they were lying spread abroad upon all the ground, eating and drinking, and as it were keeping a festival day, for all the prey and the spoils which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Juda.

16And when he had taken him down, they saw them all, seated about on all sides, feasting and drinking among all the mass of goods which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah.

17And David slew them from the evening unto the evening of the next day, and there escaped not a man of them, but four hundred young men, who had gotten upon camels, and fled.

17And David went on fighting them from evening till the evening of the day after; and not one of them got away but only four hundred young men who went in flight on camels.

18So David recovered all that the Amalecites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.

18And David got back everything the Amalekites had taken; and he got back his two wives.

19And there was nothing missing small or great, neither of their sons or their daughters, nor of the spoils, and whatsoever they had taken, David recovered all.

19There was no loss of anything, small or great, sons or daughters or goods or anything which they had taken away: David got it all back.

20And he took all the flocks and the herds, and made them go before him: and they said: This is the prey of David.

20And they took all the flocks and herds, and driving them in front of him, said, These are David's.

21And David came to the two hundred men, who, being weary, had stayed, and were not able to follow David, and he had ordered them to abide at the torrent Besor: and they came out to meet David, and the people that were with him. And David coming to the people, saluted them peaceably.

21And David came to the two hundred men, who because of weariness had not gone with him, but were waiting at the stream Besor: and they went out, meeting David and the people who were with him; and when they came near them, they said, How are you?

22Then all the wicked and unjust men, that had gone with David, answering, said: Because they came not with us, we will not give them any thing of the prey which we have recovered: but let every man take his wife, and his children, and be contented with them, and go his way.

22Then the bad and good-for-nothing men among those who went with David said, Because they did not go with us, we will give them nothing of the goods which we have got back, but only to every man his wife and children, so that he may take them and go.

23But David said: You shall not do so, my brethren, with these things, which the Lord hath given us, who hath kept us, and hath delivered the robbers that invaded us into our hands:

23Then David said, You are not to do this, my brothers, after what the Lord has given us, who has kept us safe and given up the band which came against us into our hands.

24And no man shall hearken to you in this matter. But equal shall be the portion of him that went down to battle, and of him that abode at the baggage, and they shall divide alike.

24Who is going to give any attention to you in this question? for an equal part will be given to him who went to the fight and to him who was waiting by the goods: they are all to have the same.

25And this hath been done from that day forward, and since was made a statute and an ordinance, and as a law in Israel.

25And so he made it a rule and an order for Israel from that day till now.

26Then David came to Siceleg, and sent presents of the prey to the ancients of Juda, his neighbours, saying: Receive a blessing of the prey of the enemies of the Lord.

26And when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the goods to the responsible men of Judah, and to his friends, saying, Here is an offering for you from the goods of those who were fighting against the Lord;

27To them that were in Bethel, and that were in Ramoth to the south, and to them that were in Jether.

27He sent to those who were in Beth-el, and in Ramah of the South, and in Jattir;

28And to them that were in Aroer, and that were in Sephamoth, and that were in Esthamo,

28And to those in Arara and Eshtemoa

29And that were in Rachal, and that were in the cities of Jerameel, and that were in the cities of Ceni,

29and Carmel and in the towns of the Jerahmeelites, and in the towns of the Kenites;

30And that were in Arama, and that were in the lake Asan, and that were in Athach,

30And to those who were in Hormah and in Bor-ashan and in Athach;

31And that were in Hebron, and to the rest that were in those places, in which David had abode with his men.

31And in Hebron, and to all the places where David and his men had been living.