Old/New Testament
David Defeats the Amalekites
30 On the third day David and his men came to Ziklag. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They attacked Ziklag and burned it.[a] 2 They took captive the women and all[b] who were in it, from the youngest to the oldest, but they did not kill anyone. They simply carried them off and went on their way.
3 When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned.[c] Their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the men[d] who were with him wept loudly[e] until they could weep no more.[f] 5 David’s two wives had been taken captive—Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal’s widow. 6 David was very upset, for the men[g] were thinking of stoning him;[h] each man grieved bitterly[i] over his sons and daughters. But David drew strength from the Lord his God.
7 Then David 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, saying, “Should I pursue this raiding band? Will I overtake them?” He said to him, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them and carry out a rescue!”
9 So David went, accompanied by his 600 men. When he came to the Wadi Besor, those who were in the rear stayed there.[j] 10 David and 400 men continued the pursuit, but 200 men who were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor stayed there.
11 Then they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave him bread to eat and water to drink. 12 They gave him a slice of pressed figs and two bunches of raisins to eat. This greatly refreshed him,[k] for he had not eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 David said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” The young man said, “I am an Egyptian, the servant of an Amalekite man. My master abandoned me when I was ill for three days. 14 We conducted a raid on the Negev of the Kerethites, on the area of Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb. We burned Ziklag.”[l] 15 David said to him, “Can you take us down to this raiding party?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to this raiding party.”
16 So he took David[m] down, and they found them spread out over the land. They were eating and drinking and enjoying themselves because of all the loot[n] they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 But David struck them down from twilight until the following evening. None of them escaped, with the exception of 400 young men who got away on camels.[o] 18 David retrieved everything the Amalekites had taken; he[p] also rescued his two wives. 19 There was nothing missing, whether small or great. He retrieved sons and daughters, the plunder, and everything else they had taken.[q] David brought everything back. 20 David took all the flocks and herds and drove them in front of the rest of the animals. People were saying, “This is David’s plunder!”
21 Then David approached the 200 men who had been too exhausted to go with him,[r] those whom they had left at the Wadi Besor. They went out to meet David and the people who were with him. When David approached the people, he asked how they were doing. 22 But all the evil and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, “Since they didn’t go with us,[s] we won’t give them any of the loot we retrieved! They may take only their wives and children. Let them lead them away and be gone!”
23 But David said, “No! You shouldn’t do this, my brothers. Look at what the Lord has given us![t] He has protected us and has delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. 24 Who will listen to you in this matter? The portion of the one who went down into the battle will be the same as the portion of the one who remained with the equipment! Let their portions be the same!”
25 From that time onward it was a binding ordinance[u] for Israel, right up to the present time.
26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah who were his friends, saying, “Here’s a gift[v] for you from the looting of the Lord’s enemies!” 27 The gift was for those in the following locations:[w] for those in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, and Jattir; 28 for those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, 29 and Racal; for those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites; 30 for those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach, 31 and Hebron; and for those in whatever other places David and his men had traveled.
The Death of Saul
31 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel. The men of Israel fled from the Philistines and many of them fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines stayed right on the heels[x] of Saul and his sons. They[y] struck down Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua. 3 Saul himself was in the thick of the battle;[z] the archers[aa] spotted him and wounded him severely.
4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and stab me with it! Otherwise these uncircumcised people will come, stab me, and torture me.” But his armor-bearer refused to do it, because he was very afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him. 6 So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that day.
7 When the men of Israel who were in the valley and across the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled. The Philistines came and occupied them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip loot from the corpses, they discovered Saul and his three sons lying dead[ab] on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off Saul’s[ac] head and stripped him of his armor. They sent messengers to announce the news in the temple of their idols and among their people throughout the surrounding land of the Philistines. 10 They placed Saul’s armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths[ad] and hung his corpse on the city wall of Beth Shan.
11 When the residents of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their warriors set out and traveled throughout the night. They took Saul’s corpse and the corpses of his sons from the city wall of Beth Shan and went[ae] to Jabesh, where they burned them. 13 They took the bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh; then they fasted for seven days.
23 Someone[a] asked[b] him, “Lord, will only a few[c] be saved?” So[d] he said to them, 24 “Exert every effort[e] to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once[f] the head of the house[g] gets up[h] and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, ‘Lord,[i] let us in!’[j] But he will answer you,[k] ‘I don’t know where you come from.’[l] 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’[m] 27 But[n] he will reply,[o] ‘I don’t know where you come from![p] Go away from me, all you evildoers!’[q] 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth[r] when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,[s] and all the prophets in the kingdom of God[t] but you yourselves thrown out.[u] 29 Then[v] people[w] will come from east and west, and from north and south, and take their places at the banquet table[x] in the kingdom of God.[y] 30 But[z] indeed,[aa] some are last[ab] who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
Going to Jerusalem
31 At that time,[ac] some Pharisees[ad] came up and said to Jesus,[ae] “Get away from here,[af] because Herod[ag] wants to kill you.” 32 But[ah] he said to them, “Go[ai] and tell that fox,[aj] ‘Look, I am casting out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day[ak] I will complete my work.[al] 33 Nevertheless I must[am] go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it is impossible[an] that a prophet should be killed[ao] outside Jerusalem.’[ap] 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,[aq] you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you![ar] How often I have longed[as] to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but[at] you would have none of it![au] 35 Look, your house is forsaken![av] And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”[aw]
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