1 Samuel 30-31
King James Version
30 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;
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.
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.
4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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;
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued 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.
20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.
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.
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.
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.
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.
25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
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;
27 To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,
28 And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in 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,
30 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chorashan, and to them which were in Athach,
31 And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.
31 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons.
3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.
7 And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.
10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.
11 And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;
12 All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.
13 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
1 Samuel 30-31
1599 Geneva Bible
30 1 The Amalekites burn Ziklag. 5 David’s two wives are taken prisoners. 6 The people would stone him. 8 He asketh counsel of the Lord, and pursuing his enemies recovereth the prey. 24 He divideth it equally, 26 And sendeth part to his friends.
1 But when David and his men were come to Ziklag [a]the third day, the Amalekites had invaded upon the South, even unto Ziklag, and had [b]smitten Ziklag, and burnt it with fire,
2 And had taken the women that were therein, prisoners, both small and great, and slew not a man, but carried them away, and went their ways.
3 ¶ So David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burnt with fire, and their [c]wives and their sons, and their daughters were taken prisoners.
4 Then David and the people that were with him, lift up their voices and wept, until they could weep no more.
5 David’s two wives were taken prisoners also, Ahinoam the Jezreelite, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6 And David was in great sorrow: for the people [d]intended to stone him, because the hearts of all the people were vexed every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David comforted himself in the Lord his God.
7 ¶ And David said to Abiathar the Priest Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me the Ephod. And Abiathar brought the Ephod to David.
8 Then David asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I follow after this company? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Follow: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and [e]recover all.
9 ¶ So David and the six hundred men that were with him, went, and came to the river Besor, where a part of them abode:
10 But David and four hundred men followed (for two hundred abode behind, being too weary to go over the river Besor.)
11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him [f]bread, and he did eat, and they gave him water to drink.
12 Also they gave him a few 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 in three days, and three 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, and servant to an Amalekite: and my master left me three days ago because I fell sick.
14 We roved upon the South of Chereth, and upon the coast belonging to Judah, and upon the South of Caleb, and we burnt Ziklag with fire.
15 And David said unto him, Canst thou bring me to this company? And he said, [g]Swear unto me by God, that thou will neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee to this company.
16 ¶ And when he had brought him thither, behold, they lay scattered abroad upon all the earth, [h]eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great prey that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening [i]of the next morrow, so that there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken: also David rescued his two wives.
19 And they lacked nothing, small or great, son or daughter, or of the spoil of all that they had taken away: David recovered them all.
20 David also took all the sheep, and the oxen, and they drove them before his cattle, and said, This is David’s [j]prey.
21 ¶ And David came to the two hundred men that were too weary for to follow David: whom they had made also to abide at the river Besor: and they came to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: so when David came near to the people, he saluted them.
22 Then answered all the evil and wicked of the men that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, therefore will we give them none of the prey that we have recovered, save to every man his [k]wife and his children: therefore let them carry them away and depart.
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 hands.
24 For who will obey 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.
25 [l]So from that day forward he made it a statute and a law in Israel, until this day.
26 ¶ When David therefore came to Ziklag, he sent of the prey unto the Elders of Judah and to his friends, saying, See there is a blessing for you of the spoil of the enemies of the Lord.
27 He sent to them of Bethel, and to them of South Ramoth, and to them of Jattir,
28 And to them of Aroer, and to them of Siphmoth, and to them of Eshtemoa,
29 And to them of Rachal, and to them of the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them of the cities of the Kenites,
30 And to them of Hormah, and to them of Chorashan, and to them of Athach,
31 And to them of Hebron, and [m]to all the places where David and his men had haunted.
31 4 Saul killeth himself. 6 His children are slain in the battle. 12 The men of Jabesh took down his body, which was hanged on the wall.
1 Now (A)the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled away from the Philistines, and they fell down [n]wounded in mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines pressed sore upon Saul and his sons, and slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua Saul’s sons.
3 And when the battle went sore against Saul, the archers and bowmen [o]hit him, and he was sore [p]wounded of the archers.
4 Then said Saul unto his armor bearer, [q]Draw out thy sword, and thrust me through therewith, lest the uncircumcised come and thrust me through and mock me: but his armor bearer would not, for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell upon it.
5 And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men that same day together.
7 ¶ And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the [r]valley, and they of the other side [s]Jordan saw that the men of Israel were put to flight, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they left the cities, and ran away: and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 ¶ And on the morrow when the Philistines were come to spoil them that were slain, they found Saul and his three sons lying in mount Gilboa,
9 And they cut off his head, and stripped him out of his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines on every side, that they should [t]publish it in the temple of their idols, and among the people.
10 And they laid up his armor in the house of Ashtoreth, but they hanged up his body on the wall of Beth Shan.
11 ¶ When the inhabitants of [u]Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 Then they arose (as many as were strong men) and went all night, and took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, from the wall of Beth Shan, and came to Jabesh, and (B)burnt them there,
13 And took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, (C)and [v]fasted seven days.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 30:1 After that he departed from Achish.
- 1 Samuel 30:1 That is, destroyed the city.
- 1 Samuel 30:3 For these only remained in the city, when the men were gone to war.
- 1 Samuel 30:6 Thus we see that in troubles and adversity we do not consider God’s providence, but like raging beasts forget both our own duty, and contemn God’s appointment over us.
- 1 Samuel 30:8 Though God seem to leave us for a time, yet if we trust in him, we shall be sure to find comfort.
- 1 Samuel 30:11 God by his providence both provided for the necessity of this poor stranger, and made him a guide to David to accomplish his enterprise.
- 1 Samuel 30:15 For oaths were in all ages had in most reverence, even among the heathen.
- 1 Samuel 30:16 The wicked in their pomp and pleasures consider not the judgment of God, which is then at hand to smite them.
- 1 Samuel 30:17 Some read, and unto the morrow of the two evenings: that is, three days.
- 1 Samuel 30:20 Which the Amalekites had taken of others, and David from them, besides the goods of Ziklag.
- 1 Samuel 30:22 Under these are comprehended the cattle and goods, which appertained to every man.
- 1 Samuel 30:25 Some refer these words to David, that he alleged an old custom and law, as if it were written, it is both now, and hath been ever.
- 1 Samuel 30:31 Showing himself mindful of their benefits towards him.
- 1 Samuel 31:1 Or, slain.
- 1 Samuel 31:3 Hebrew, found him.
- 1 Samuel 31:3 Or, afraid.
- 1 Samuel 31:4 So we see that his cruel life hath a desperate end: as is commonly seen in them that persecute the children of God.
- 1 Samuel 31:7 Near to Gilboa.
- 1 Samuel 31:7 The Tribes of Reuben and Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh.
- 1 Samuel 31:9 In token of victory and triumph.
- 1 Samuel 31:11 Whom he had delivered from their enemies, 1 Sam. 11:11.
- 1 Samuel 31:13 According to the custom of mourners.
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