1 Samuel 30

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Now by the time David and his men reached Ziklag three days later, the Amalekites had raided theNegeb and Ziklag; they had sacked Ziklag and burnt it down.	1 And when David and his men had arrived at Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made an attack on the south side against Ziklag. And they had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire.
2 They had taken the women prisoner, and everyone who was there, both smal and great. They had notkil ed anyone, but had carried them off and gone away.	2 And they had led the women in it away as captives, from the small to the great. And they had not killed anyone, but they led them away with them. And then they traveled on their journey.
3 When David and his men arrived, they found the town burnt down and their wives and sons anddaughters taken captive.	3 Therefore, when David and his men had arrived at the city, and had found it burned with fire, and that their wives and their sons and daughters had been led away as captives,
4 Then David and the people with him wept aloud til they were too weak to weep any more.	4 David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices. And they mourned until the tears in them failed.
5 David's two wives had been captured: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail widow of Nabal of Carmel.	5 For indeed, the two wives of David also had been led away as captives: Ahinoam, the Jezreelite, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
6 David was in great trouble, since the people were talking of stoning him; the people al felt very bitter,each man for his own sons and daughters. But David took courage from Yahweh his God.	6 And David was greatly saddened. And the people were willing to stone him, because the soul of every man was bitter over his sons and daughters. But David was strengthened by the Lord his God.
7 To the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, David said, 'Bring me the ephod.' Abiathar brought the ephodto David.	7 And he said to the priest Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring the ephod to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
8 David then consulted Yahweh, 'Shal I go in pursuit of these raiders? Wil I overtake them?' Theanswer was, 'Go in pursuit; you will certainly overtake them and rescue the captives.'	8 And David consulted the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue these robbers, and will I overtake them, or not?” And the Lord said to him: “Pursue. For without doubt, you will overtake them and find the prey.”
9 David accordingly set off with the six hundred men who were with him and reached the torrent ofBesor.	9 Therefore, David went away, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and they arrived as far as the torrent Besor. And certain ones, being weary, stayed there.
10 David then continued the pursuit with four hundred men, two hundred staying behind who were tooexhausted to cross the torrent of Besor.	10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men. For two hundred stayed, who, being weary, were not able to cross the torrent Besor.
11 Out in the country they found an Egyptian and brought him to David. They gave him some bread toeat and some water to drink;	11 And they found an Egyptian man in the field, and they led him to David. And they gave him bread, so that he might eat, and water, so that he might drink,
12 they also gave him a piece of fig cake and two bunches of raisins; he ate these and his spirits revived-- he had had nothing to eat or drink for three days and three nights.	12 and also a section of a mass of dried figs, and two clusters of dried grapes. And when he had eaten, his spirit returned, and he was refreshed. For he had not eaten bread, nor drank water, for three days and three nights.
13 David then said to him, 'Whose man are you and where do you come from?' He replied, 'I am ayoung Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite; my master abandoned me because I fel sick three days ago.	13 And so David said to him: “To whom do you belong? Or where are you from? And where are you going?” And he said: “I am a young man of Egypt, the servant of an Amalekite man. But my lord abandoned me, because I began to be sick the day before yesterday.
14 We raided the Negeb of the Cherethites, and the Negeb of Judah, and the Negeb of Caleb too, andwe burnt Ziklag down.'	14 For indeed, we broke forth to the southern side of Cherethi, and against Judah, and to the south of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.”
15 David said, 'Wil you guide me to these raiders?' He replied, 'Swear to me by God not to kill me orhand me over to my master, and I wil guide you to these raiders.'	15 And David said to him, “Are you able to lead me to this battle line?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me, and that you will not deliver me into the hands of my lord, and I will lead you to this battle line.” And David swore to him.
16 He guided him to them, and there they were, scattered over the whole countryside, eating, drinkingand celebrating, on account of the enormous booty which they had brought back from the territory of thePhilistines and the territory of Judah.	16 And when he had led him, behold, they were stretched out on the face of the land everywhere, eating and drinking and celebrating, as if it were a feast day, because of all the prey and spoils that they had taken from the land of the Philistines, and from the land of Judah.
17 David slaughtered them from dawn until the evening of the following day. No one escaped, exceptfour hundred young men who mounted camels and fled.	17 And David struck them down from evening until the evening of the next day. And no one among them escaped, except four hundred youths, who had climbed on camels and fled.
18 He rescued everything that the Amalekites had taken -- David also rescued his two wives.	18 Therefore, David rescued all that the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.
19 Nothing of theirs was lost, whether smal or great, from the booty or sons and daughters -- everythingthat had been taken from them; David recovered everything.	19 And nothing was missing, from small even to great, among the sons and daughters, and among the spoils, and among everything whatsoever that they had seized. David returned it all.
20 They captured the flocks and herds as wel and drove them in front of him. 'This is David's booty,'they shouted.	20 And he took all the flocks and the herds, and he drove them before his face. And they said, “This is the prey of David.”
21 When David reached the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and whom hehad left at the torrent of Besor, they came out to meet David and the party accompanying him; Davidapproached with his party and greeted them.	21 Then David arrived at the two hundred men, who, being weary, had stayed, for they had not been able to follow David, and he had ordered them to remain at the torrent Besor. And they went out to meet David, and the people who were with him. Then David, drawing near to the people, greeted them peacefully.
22 But al the rogues and scoundrels among the men who had gone with David began saying, 'Sincethey did not go with us, we shal not give them any of the booty which we have rescued, except that each ofthem can have his wife and children. Let them take them away and be off.'	22 And all the wicked and iniquitous men, out of the men who had gone with David, responding, said: “Since they did not go with us, we will not give to them anything from the prey that we have rescued. But let his wife and children be enough for each of them; when they have accepted this, they may go back.”
23 But David said, 'Do not behave like this, brothers, with what Yahweh has given us; he has protectedus and has handed over to us the raiders who attacked us.	23 But David said: “You shall not do this, my brothers, with these things that the Lord has delivered to us, for he has preserved us, and he has given into our hands the robbers who broke out among us.
24 Who would agree with you on this? No: As the share of the man who goes into battle, so is the shareof the man who stays with the baggage. They wil share alike.'	24 And so, let no one heed you over these words. But equal shall be the portion of him who descended to the battle, and of him who remained with the supplies, and they will divide it alike.”
25 And from that day on, he made that a rule and custom for Israel, which obtains to the present day.	25 And this has been done from that day and thereafter. And it was established as a statute, and as if a law, in Israel even to this day.
26 When David reached Ziklag, he sent parts of the booty to the elders of Judah, town by town, with thismessage, 'Here is a present for you, taken from the booty of Yahweh's enemies':	26 Then David went to Ziklag, and he sent gifts from the prey to the elders of Judah, his neighbors, saying, “Receive a blessing from the prey of the enemies of the Lord,”
27 to those in Bethel, to those in Ramoth of the Negeb,	27 to those who were in Bethel, and who were in Ramoth toward the south, and who were in Jattir,
28 to those in Jattir, to those in Aroer, to those in Siphmoth, to those in Eshtemoa,	28 and who were in Aroer, and who were in Siphmoth, and who were in Eshtemoa,
29 to those in Carmel, to those in the towns of Jerahmeel, to those in the towns of the Kenites,	29 and who were in Racal, and who were in the cities of Jerahmeel, and who were in the cities of Keni,
30 to those in Hormah, to those in Borashan, to those in Athach,	30 and who were in Hormah, and who were at the lake of Ashan, and who were in Athach,
31 to those in Hebron and to al the places which David and his men had frequented.	31 and who were in Hebron, and to the remainder who were in those places where David had stayed, he and his men.