David's Enemies Attack Ziklag
David's City Is Attacked (1 Samuel 30:1-8 NLT)
The Amalekites Raid Ziklag
1 Three days later, when David and his men arrived at Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. The Amalekites had destroyed Ziklag and burned it down.
The Amalekites Take David's Family
2 The Amalekites had taken the women and children captive, but they had not killed anyone. 3 When David and his men saw that their families were gone, they wept until they could weep no more.
David's Men Blame Him
4 David's men threatened to stone him because they were so bitter about their families. But David found strength in the Lord his God.
David Seeks God's Guidance
5 Then David asked the Lord, "Should I chase after these raiders? Will I catch them?" The Lord told him, "Yes, chase after them. You will definitely recover everything that was taken from you."
6 So David and the six hundred men who were with him set out, and they came to the Besor Brook. Some of the men were too tired to cross, so they stayed behind.
7 But David and four hundred men continued the chase, leaving two hundred exhausted men behind.
8 They caught up with the Amalekites while they were celebrating with food and drink, for they had taken a vast amount of plunder from the Philistines and from Judah.
The Battle Ahead
David and his men were determined to rescue their families and reclaim their stolen possessions. But the Amalekites were well-armed and ready for battle. Would David be able to rescue his family and defeat his enemies? The battle ahead would be fierce, but David had faith in God's guidance and protection.
