Parallel Bible results for "1 samuel 30"

1 Samuel 30

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.

New Century Version NCV

1 On the third day, when David and his men arrived at Ziklag, he found that the Amalekites had raided southern Judah and Ziklag, attacking Ziklag and burning it.

2 They captured the women and everyone, young and old, but they had not killed anyone. They had only taken them away.

3 When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found the town had been burned and their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken as prisoners.

4 Then David and his army cried loudly until they were too weak to cry anymore.

5 David's two wives had also been taken -- Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal from Carmel.

6 The men in the army were threatening to kill David with stones, which greatly upset David. Each man was sad and angry because his sons and daughters had been captured, but David found strength in the Lord his God.

7 David said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring me the holy vest."

8 Then David asked the Lord, "Should I chase the people who took our families? Will I catch them?" The Lord answered, "Chase them. You will catch them, and you will succeed in saving your families."

9 David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Ravine, where some of the men stayed.

10 David and four hundred men kept up the chase. The other two hundred men stayed behind because they were too tired to cross the ravine.

11 They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave the Egyptian some water to drink and some food to eat.

12 And they gave him a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. Then he felt better, because he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and nights.

13 David asked him, "Who is your master? Where do you come from?" He answered, "I'm an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. Three days ago my master left me, because I was sick.

14 We had raided the southern area of the Kerethites, the land of Judah, and the southern area of Caleb. We burned Ziklag, as well.

15 David asked him, "Can you lead me to the people who took our families?" He answered, "Yes, if you promise me before God that you won't kill me or give me back to my master. Then I will take you to them."

16 So the Egyptian led David to the Amalekites. They were lying around on the ground, eating and drinking and celebrating with the things they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah.

17 David fought them from sunset until the evening of the next day. None of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode off on their camels.

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

19 Nothing was missing. David brought back everyone, young and old, sons and daughters. He recovered the valuable things and everything the Amalekites had taken.

20 David took all the sheep and cattle, and his men made these animals go in front, saying, "They are David's prize."

21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too tired to follow him, who had stayed at the Besor Ravine. They came out to meet David and the people with him. When he came near, David greeted the men at the ravine.

22 But the evil men and troublemakers among those who followed David said, "Since these two hundred men didn't go with us, we shouldn't give them any of the things we recovered. Just let each man take his wife and children and go."

23 David answered, "No, my brothers. Don't do that after what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and given us the enemy who attacked us.

24 Who will listen to what you say? The share will be the same for the one who stayed with the supplies as for the one who went into battle. All will share alike."

25 David made this an order and rule for Israel, which continues even today.

26 When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the things he had taken from the Amalekites to his friends, the leaders of Judah. He said, "Here is a present for you from the things we took from the Lord's enemies."

27 David also sent some things to the leaders in Bethel, Ramoth in the southern part of Judah, Jattir,

28 Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

29 Racal, the cities of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites,

30 Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach,

31 Hebron, and to the people in all the other places where he and his men had been.