Parallel Bible results for "1 samuel 30"

1 Samuel 30

Common English Bible CEB

1 Three days later, David and his soldiers reached Ziklag. The Amalekites had raided the arid southern plain and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it down,

2 taking the women and everyone in the city prisoner, whether young or old. They hadn't killed anyone but carried them off and went on their way.

3 When David and his soldiers got to the town and found it burned down, and their wives, their sons, and their daughters taken prisoner,

4 David and the troops with him broke into tears and cried until they could cry no more.

5 David's two wives had been captured as well: Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel.

6 David was in deep trouble because the troops were talking about stoning him. Each of the soldiers was deeply distressed about their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

7 David said to the priest Abiathar, Ahimelech's son, "Bring the priestly vest to me." So Abiathar brought it to David.

8 Then David asked the LORD, "Should I go after this raiding party? Will I catch them?" "Yes, go after them!" God answered. "You will definitely catch them and will succeed in the rescue!"

9 So David set off with six hundred men. They came to the Besor ravine, where some stayed behind.

10 David and four hundred men continued the pursuit, while two hundred men stayed there, too exhausted to cross the Besor ravine.

11 They found an Egyptian in the countryside and brought him to David. They gave him bread, and he ate, and they gave him water to drink.

12 They also gave him a piece of fig cake and two raisin cakes. He ate and regained his strength because he hadn't eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and nights.

13 Then David asked him, "Whose slave are you? Where do you come from?" "I'm an Egyptian servant boy," he said, "and the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I got sick three days ago.

14 We had raided the arid southern plain belonging to the Cherethites, the territory belonging to Judah, and the southern plain of Caleb. We also burned Ziklag down."

15 "Can you guide me to this raiding party?" David asked him. "Make a pledge to me by God that you won't kill me or hand me over to my master," the boy said, "and I will guide you to the raiding party."

16 So the boy led David to them, and he found them scattered all over the countryside, eating, drinking, and celebrating over the large amount of plunder they had taken from Philistine and Judean territory.

17 David attacked them from twilight until evening of the next day. He killed them all. No one escaped except four hundred young men who got on camels and fled.

18 David rescued everything that the Amalekites had taken, including his own two wives.

19 Nothing was missing from the plunder or anything that they had taken, neither old nor young, son nor daughter. David brought everything back.

20 David also captured all the sheep and cattle, which were driven in front of the other livestock. The troops said, "This is David's plunder!"

21 David reached the two hundred men who were too exhausted to follow him and had stayed behind at the Besor ravine. They came out to greet him and the troops who were with him. When David approached them, he asked how they were doing.

22 But then all the evil and despicable individuals who had accompanied David said, "We won't share any of the plunder we rescued with them because they didn't go with us. Each of them can take his wife and children and go—but that's it."

23 "Brothers!" David said. "Don't act that way with the things the LORD has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the raiding party that had attacked us.

24 How could anyone agree with you on this plan? The share of those who went into battle and the share of those who stayed with the supplies will be divided equally."

25 So from that day forward, David made that a regulation and a law in Israel, which remains in place even now.

26 When David returned to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah and to his friends. "Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD's enemies," he said.

27 It went to those in Bethel, Ramoth of the arid southern plain, Jattir,

28 Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

29 Racal, the towns of the Jerahmeelites, the towns of the Kenites,

30 Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach,

31 Hebron, and all the places where David and his soldiers had spent time.

The Message Bible MSG

1 Three days later, David and his men arrived back in Ziklag. Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They tore Ziklag to pieces and then burned it down.

2 They captured all the women, young and old. They didn't kill anyone, but drove them like a herd of cattle.

3 By the time David and his men entered the village, it had been burned to the ground, and their wives, sons, and daughters all taken prisoner.

4 David and his men burst out in loud wails - wept and wept until they were exhausted with weeping.

5 David's two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken prisoner along with the rest.

6 And suddenly David was in even worse trouble. There was talk among the men, bitter over the loss of their families, of stoning him.

7 He ordered Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the Ephod so I can consult God." Abiathar brought it to David.

8 Then David prayed to God, "Shall I go after these raiders? Can I catch them?" The answer came, "Go after them! Yes, you'll catch them! Yes, you'll make the rescue!"

9 David went, he and the six hundred men with him. They arrived at the Brook Besor, where some of them dropped out.

10 David and four hundred men kept up the pursuit, but two hundred of them were too fatigued to cross the Brook Besor, and stayed there.

11 Some who went on came across an Egyptian in a field and took him to David. They gave him bread and he ate. And he drank some water.

12 They gave him a piece of fig cake and a couple of raisin muffins. Life began to revive in him. He hadn't eaten or drunk a thing for three days and nights!

13 David said to him, "Who do you belong to? Where are you from?"

14 We had raided the Negev of the Kerethites, of Judah, and of Caleb. Ziklag we burned."

15 David asked him, "Can you take us to the raiders?" "Promise me by God," he said, "that you won't kill me or turn me over to my old master, and I'll take you straight to the raiders."

16 He led David to them. They were scattered all over the place, eating and drinking, gorging themselves on all the loot they had plundered from Philistia and Judah.

17 David pounced. He fought them from before sunrise until evening of the next day. None got away except for four hundred of the younger men who escaped by riding off on camels.

18 David rescued everything the Amalekites had taken. And he rescued his two wives!

19 Nothing and no one was missing - young or old, son or daughter, plunder or whatever. David recovered the whole lot.

20 He herded the sheep and cattle before them, and they all shouted, "David's plunder!"

21 Then David came to the two hundred who had been too tired to continue with him and had dropped out at the Brook Besor. They came out to welcome David and his band. As he came near he called out, "Success!"

22 But all the mean-spirited men who had marched with David, the rabble element, objected: "They didn't help in the rescue, they don't get any of the plunder we recovered. Each man can have his wife and children, but that's it. Take them and go!"

23 "Families don't do this sort of thing! Oh no, my brothers!" said David as he broke up the argument. "You can't act this way with what God gave us! God kept us safe. He handed over the raiders who attacked us.

24 Who would ever listen to this kind of talk? The share of the one who stays with the gear is the share of the one who fights - equal shares. Share and share alike!"

25 From that day on, David made that the rule in Israel - and it still is.

26 On returning to Ziklag, David sent portions of the plunder to the elders of Judah, his neighbors, with a note saying, "A gift from the plunder of God's enemies!"

27 He sent them to the elders in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, Jattir,

28 Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

29 Racal, Jerahmeelite cities, Kenite cities,

30 Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach,

31 and Hebron, along with a number of other places David and his men went to from time to time.