1 Samuel 30:1–8

David Destroys the Amalekites

30 David and his men reached Ziklagu on the third day. Now the Amalekitesv had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burnedw it, 2 and 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.

3 When 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 wepty aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wivesz had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoninga him; each one was bitterb in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strengthc in the Lord his God.

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

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