1 Samuel 30:1–10

David Avenges the Destruction of Ziklag

³⁰Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negeb and on Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag, burned it down,^{* 2}and taken captive the women and allⁿ who were in it, both small and great; they killed none of them but carried them off and went their way. ³When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned down and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. ⁴Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. ⁵David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.^{* 6}David was in great danger, for the people spoke of stoning him because all the people were bitter in spirit for their sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.^*

⁷David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.^{* 8}David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”^{* 9}So David set out, he and the six hundred men who were with him. They came to the Wadi Besor, where those stayed who were left behind.^{* 10}But David went on with the pursuit, he and four hundred men; two hundred stayed behind, too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor.^*