1 Samuel

Tells about Samuel, the last judge, and the beginning of Israel's monarchy with King Saul and young David.

Chapter 30

1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

*On the third day, when David and his group arrived at Ziklag, the Amalekites attacked the southern region, including Ziklag. They destroyed Ziklag by setting it on fire.

2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

*They captured the women inside but didn't kill anyone, big or small. They took them with them and continued on their journey.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

*David and his group arrived at the city, only to find it on fire. Everyone - the women, children, and girls - had been captured as prisoners.

4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

*Then David and his friends cried loudly and cried so much that they couldn't cry anymore.

5 And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

*David's two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail married to Nabal, were captured.

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

*David was very upset because people wanted to stone him. Everyone was sad, worrying about their children. But David found strength in God.

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

*David asked the priest Abiathar, who was Ahimelech's son, to bring him the ephod. Abiathar then brought the ephod to David.

8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

*David asked the Lord if he should chase after the enemy group and catch up with them. The Lord replied, "Yes, go chase them because you will definitely catch up with them, and you will get back everything without fail."

9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.

*So David and 600 men traveled together and reached a stream called Besor, while the others who didn't go stayed there.

10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

*But David chased, with 400 men: 200 stayed back, as they were too tired to cross the Besor stream.

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

*They discovered an Egyptian in the field and took him to David. They provided him with food and he ate it. They also gave him water to drink.

12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

*They gave him fig cake and raisin clusters. After eating, he felt better because he hadn't had bread or water for three days and nights.

13 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.

*David asked the young man, "Who do you belong to?" and "Where are you from?" The young man replied, "I'm a young Egyptian, working for an Amalekite. My boss left me because I got sick three days ago."

14 We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.

*We attacked the southern lands of the Cherethites, the Judah coast, and Caleb's southern area. We also set Ziklag on fire.

15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.

*And David asked, "Can you take me to this group?" The man replied, "Swear to God that you won't hurt me or hand me over to my boss, and I'll take you to the group."

16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

*And after lowering him, they spread out everywhere on Earth, feasting and drinking, and dancing due to the huge loot they seized from the lands of the Philistines and Judah.

17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.

*And David fought against them from late afternoon until the following evening. None of them got away, except for 400 young men who rode on camels and ran away.

18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

*David got back everything the Amalekites took, also saving his two wives.

19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

*They had everything they needed, from little things to big things, and no children or possessions were missing. They didn't lose anything either. David brought everything back.

20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil.

*David gathered all the sheep and goats that were being led ahead of the other animals and declared, "These are David's treasures."

21 And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.

*David found two hundred very tired men by the Besor stream. They couldn't keep up with him and were supposed to stay at the stream. They went out to greet David and the others with him. When David reached the people, he greeted them.

22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.

*Then all the bad men who were with David spoke up and said, "We won't give any of the things we took back as loot to those who didn't come with us, except for each man's wife and children. We will let them take their families so they can leave with them and go away."

23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.

*Then David said, "You must not do this, my friends. The Lord has given us this, and He has protected us and handed over those who tried to defeat us."

24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.

*Who will listen to you about this? But whoever goes to fight will get a share, and whoever stays behind will also get a share; they will receive equal parts.

25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

*From that day on, he turned it into a rule and regulation for Israel, which still stands today.

26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD;

*When David arrived at Ziklag, he sent some stolen items to the leaders of Judah, his friends, saying, "Here's a gift for you from the stolen goods of the LORD's enemies."

27 To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,

*To the people in Bethel, South Ramoth, and Jattir.

28 And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,

*To the people in Aroer, Siphmoth, and Eshtemoa,

29 And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,

*To those in Rachal, the Jerahmeelite cities, and the Kenite cities, this message applies too.

30 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chorashan, and to them which were in Athach,

*To the people in Hormah, Chorashan, and Athach,

31 And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.

*To those in Hebron and everywhere else where David and his men used to go often.

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