1 Samuel 30:1–8

David Destroys the Amalekites

30David and his men reached Ziklag^u on the third day. Now the Amalekites^v had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned^w it, ²and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.

³When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.^{x 4}So David and his men wept^y aloud until they had no strength left to weep. ⁵David’s two wives^z had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ⁶David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning^a him; each one was bitter^b in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength^c in the Lord his God.

⁷Then David said to Abiathar^d the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.^e” Abiathar brought it to him, ⁸and David inquired^f of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed^g in the rescue.^h”