WEBVTT 00:00:00.920 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:08.919 in a year. Today, the readings are from 1 Samuel 00:00:08.919 --> 00:00:15.080 26 -30. Chapter 26 Now the Ziphites came to Saul 00:00:15.080 --> 00:00:17.699 at Gibeah, saying, Is David not hiding in the 00:00:17.699 --> 00:00:20.899 hill of Hakeilah opposite Jeshimon? Then Saul 00:00:20.899 --> 00:00:23.079 arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:25.519 having three thousand chosen men of Israel with 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:27.519 him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. 00:00:27.899 --> 00:00:29.879 And Saul encamped in the hill of Achela, which 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:32.579 is opposite Jeshimon, by the road. But David 00:00:32.579 --> 00:00:34.380 stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul 00:00:34.380 --> 00:00:37.100 came after him into the wilderness. David therefore 00:00:37.100 --> 00:00:39.780 sent out spies and understood that Saul had come 00:00:39.780 --> 00:00:42.380 indeed. So David arose and came to the place 00:00:42.380 --> 00:00:44.859 where Saul had encamped, and David saw the place 00:00:44.859 --> 00:00:47.320 where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:49.630 commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the 00:00:49.630 --> 00:00:51.929 camp with the people encamped all around him. 00:00:51.990 --> 00:00:54.229 Then David answered and said to Ahimelech the 00:00:54.229 --> 00:00:57.369 Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother 00:00:57.369 --> 00:01:00.450 of Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to 00:01:00.450 --> 00:01:02.729 Saul in the camp? And Abishai said, I will go 00:01:02.729 --> 00:01:05.069 down with you. So David and Abishai came to the 00:01:05.069 --> 00:01:07.129 people by night, and there Saul lay sleeping 00:01:07.129 --> 00:01:09.530 within the camp with his spear stuck in the ground 00:01:09.530 --> 00:01:11.950 by his head. And Abner and the people lay all 00:01:11.950 --> 00:01:14.569 around him. Then Abishai said to David, God has 00:01:14.569 --> 00:01:16.430 delivered your enemy into your hand this day. 00:01:16.719 --> 00:01:19.000 Now therefore please let me strike him at once 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:21.319 with the spear right to the earth, and I will 00:01:21.319 --> 00:01:23.879 not have to strike him a second time. But David 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:26.099 said to Abishai, Do not destroy him, for who 00:01:26.099 --> 00:01:28.420 can stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed 00:01:28.420 --> 00:01:31.739 and be guiltless? David said furthermore, As 00:01:31.739 --> 00:01:34.099 the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or 00:01:34.099 --> 00:01:36.480 his day shall come to die, or he shall go out 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:38.959 to battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:40.879 should stretch out my hand against the Lord's 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:43.709 anointed. But please take now the spear and the 00:01:43.709 --> 00:01:45.769 jug of water that are by his head, and let us 00:01:45.769 --> 00:01:48.170 go. So David took the spear and the jug of water 00:01:48.170 --> 00:01:50.849 by Saul's head, and they got away. And no man 00:01:50.849 --> 00:01:53.829 saw or knew it or awoke, for they were all asleep, 00:01:54.069 --> 00:01:56.069 because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen 00:01:56.069 --> 00:01:58.450 on them. Now David went over to the other side 00:01:58.450 --> 00:02:01.170 and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great 00:02:01.170 --> 00:02:03.409 distance being between them. And David called 00:02:03.409 --> 00:02:05.609 out to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, 00:02:05.769 --> 00:02:08.909 saying, Do you not answer Abner? Then Abner answered 00:02:08.909 --> 00:02:11.210 and said, Who are you calling out to the king? 00:02:11.430 --> 00:02:14.009 So David said to Abner, Are you not a man? Or 00:02:14.009 --> 00:02:16.629 who is like you in Israel? Why then have you 00:02:16.629 --> 00:02:19.169 not guarded your lord the king? For one of the 00:02:19.169 --> 00:02:21.229 people came in to destroy your lord the king. 00:02:21.469 --> 00:02:24.060 This thing that you have done is not good. As 00:02:24.060 --> 00:02:26.539 the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you 00:02:26.539 --> 00:02:28.740 have not guarded your master, the Lord's anointed. 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:31.520 And now see where the king's spear is, and the 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:33.699 jug of water that was by his head. Then Saul 00:02:33.699 --> 00:02:35.919 knew David's voice and said, Is that your voice, 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:38.659 my son David? David said, It is my voice, my 00:02:38.659 --> 00:02:41.860 lord, O king. And he said, Why does my lord thus 00:02:41.860 --> 00:02:44.120 pursue his servant? For what have I done, or 00:02:44.120 --> 00:02:46.639 what evil is in my hand? Now therefore, please, 00:02:46.680 --> 00:02:48.900 let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. 00:02:49.319 --> 00:02:51.860 If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let 00:02:51.860 --> 00:02:54.219 him accept an offering. But if it is the children 00:02:54.219 --> 00:02:56.800 of men, may they be cursed before the Lord. For 00:02:56.800 --> 00:02:58.860 they have driven me out this day from sharing 00:02:58.860 --> 00:03:01.439 in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go serve 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:04.770 other gods. So now do not let my blood fall to 00:03:04.770 --> 00:03:06.889 the earth before the face of the Lord. For the 00:03:06.889 --> 00:03:09.590 king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as 00:03:09.590 --> 00:03:11.550 when one hunts a partridge in the mountains. 00:03:11.849 --> 00:03:14.629 Then Saul said, I have sinned. Return my son 00:03:14.629 --> 00:03:17.009 David, for I will harm you no more, because my 00:03:17.009 --> 00:03:19.229 life was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed, 00:03:19.409 --> 00:03:21.689 I have played the fool and erred exceedingly. 00:03:22.090 --> 00:03:24.270 And David answered and said, Here is the king's 00:03:24.270 --> 00:03:26.650 spear. Let one of the young men come over and 00:03:26.650 --> 00:03:28.889 get it. May the Lord repay every man for his 00:03:28.889 --> 00:03:31.389 righteousness and his faithfulness. For the Lord 00:03:31.389 --> 00:03:33.449 delivered you into my hand this day, but I would 00:03:33.449 --> 00:03:35.689 not stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed. 00:03:35.909 --> 00:03:38.830 And indeed, as your life was valued much this 00:03:38.830 --> 00:03:41.509 day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much 00:03:41.509 --> 00:03:43.569 in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver 00:03:43.569 --> 00:03:46.030 me out of all tribulation. Then Saul said to 00:03:46.030 --> 00:03:48.330 David, May you be blessed, my son David. You 00:03:48.330 --> 00:03:51.110 shall both do great things and also still prevail. 00:03:51.560 --> 00:03:53.800 So David went on his way, and Saul returned to 00:03:53.800 --> 00:04:10.770 his place. Chapter 27 so I shall escape out of 00:04:10.770 --> 00:04:13.310 his hand. Then David arose and went over with 00:04:13.310 --> 00:04:15.710 the six hundred men who were with him to Achish 00:04:15.710 --> 00:04:18.470 the son of Maok, king of Gath. So David dwelt 00:04:18.470 --> 00:04:21.009 with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man 00:04:21.009 --> 00:04:23.509 with his household, and David with his two wives, 00:04:23.670 --> 00:04:27.610 Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, 00:04:27.649 --> 00:04:30.689 Nabal's widow. And it was told Saul that David 00:04:30.689 --> 00:04:33.629 had fled to Gath, so he sought him no more. Then 00:04:33.629 --> 00:04:36.230 David said to Achish, If I have now found favor 00:04:36.230 --> 00:04:38.730 in your eyes, let them give me a place in some 00:04:38.730 --> 00:04:40.750 town in the country, that I may dwell there. 00:04:40.870 --> 00:04:42.889 For why should your servant dwell in the royal 00:04:42.889 --> 00:04:45.449 city with you? So Achish gave him Ziklag that 00:04:45.449 --> 00:04:48.329 day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings 00:04:48.329 --> 00:04:51.089 of Judah to this day. Now the time that David 00:04:51.089 --> 00:04:53.470 dwelt in the country of the Philistines was one 00:04:53.470 --> 00:04:56.040 full year and four months. And David and his 00:04:56.040 --> 00:04:59.060 men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Gerzites, 00:04:59.300 --> 00:05:01.720 and the Amalekites. For those nations were the 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:04.480 inhabitants of the land from of old, as you go 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:07.259 to shore, even as far as the land of Egypt. When 00:05:07.259 --> 00:05:09.420 David attacked the land, he left neither man 00:05:09.420 --> 00:05:11.800 nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the 00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:14.699 oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the apparel, 00:05:14.779 --> 00:05:17.300 and returned and came to Achish. Then Achish 00:05:17.300 --> 00:05:19.160 would say, Where have you made the raid today? 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:21.879 And David would say, Against the southern area 00:05:21.879 --> 00:05:24.060 of Judah. or against the southern area of the 00:05:24.060 --> 00:05:26.259 Jeramalites, or against the southern area of 00:05:26.259 --> 00:05:28.519 the Kenites. David would save neither man nor 00:05:28.519 --> 00:05:31.120 woman alive to bring news to Gath, saying, Lest 00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:33.579 they should inform on us, saying, Thus David 00:05:33.579 --> 00:05:36.319 did. And thus was his behavior all the time he 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:38.860 dwelt in the country of the Philistines. So Achish 00:05:38.860 --> 00:05:41.319 believed David, saying, He has made his people 00:05:41.319 --> 00:05:43.939 Israel utterly abhor him. Therefore he will be 00:05:43.939 --> 00:05:47.920 my servant forever. Chapter 28 Now it happened 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:50.040 in those days that the Philistines gathered their 00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:52.279 armies together for war to fight with Israel. 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:54.740 And Achish said to David, You assuredly know 00:05:54.740 --> 00:05:57.040 that you will go out with me to battle, you and 00:05:57.040 --> 00:05:59.579 your men. So David said to Achish, Surely you 00:05:59.579 --> 00:06:01.860 know what your servant can do. And Achish said 00:06:01.860 --> 00:06:03.879 to David, Therefore I will make you one of my 00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:06.660 chief guardians forever. Now Samuel had died, 00:06:06.779 --> 00:06:08.959 and all Israel had lamented for him and buried 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:11.720 him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put 00:06:11.720 --> 00:06:14.000 the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. 00:06:14.279 --> 00:06:16.459 Then the Philistines gathered together and came 00:06:16.459 --> 00:06:19.160 and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all 00:06:19.160 --> 00:06:21.500 Israel together and they encamped at Gilboa. 00:06:21.930 --> 00:06:23.850 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he 00:06:23.850 --> 00:06:26.230 was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And 00:06:26.230 --> 00:06:28.209 when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did 00:06:28.209 --> 00:06:30.930 not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, 00:06:31.050 --> 00:06:33.689 or by the prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, 00:06:33.870 --> 00:06:36.350 Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go 00:06:36.350 --> 00:06:38.569 to her and inquire of her. And his servants said 00:06:38.569 --> 00:06:40.810 to him, In fact, there is a woman who is a medium 00:06:40.810 --> 00:06:43.829 at Ein Dor. So Saul disguised himself and put 00:06:43.829 --> 00:06:46.069 on other clothes, and he went, and two men with 00:06:46.069 --> 00:06:48.170 him. And they came to the woman by night, and 00:06:48.170 --> 00:06:51.019 he said, Please conduct a seance for me. and 00:06:51.019 --> 00:06:53.420 bring up for me the one I shall name to you. 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:56.220 Then the woman said to him, Look, you know what 00:06:56.220 --> 00:06:58.600 Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums 00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:01.000 and the spiritists from the land. Why then do 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:03.319 you lay a snare for my life to cause me to die? 00:07:03.740 --> 00:07:06.120 And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, As 00:07:06.120 --> 00:07:08.699 the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon 00:07:08.699 --> 00:07:11.139 you for this thing. Then the woman said, Whom 00:07:11.139 --> 00:07:13.459 shall I bring up for you? And he said, Bring 00:07:13.459 --> 00:07:15.779 up Samuel for me. When the woman saw Samuel, 00:07:15.879 --> 00:07:18.040 she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman 00:07:18.040 --> 00:07:20.240 spoke to Saul, saying, Why have you deceived 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:22.660 me? For you are Saul. And the king said to her, 00:07:22.759 --> 00:07:25.540 Do not be afraid. What do you see? And a woman 00:07:25.540 --> 00:07:27.899 said to Saul, I saw a spirit ascending out of 00:07:27.899 --> 00:07:30.740 the earth. So he said to her, What is his form? 00:07:30.899 --> 00:07:33.579 And she said, An old man is coming up, and he 00:07:33.579 --> 00:07:35.720 is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived 00:07:35.720 --> 00:07:38.300 that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face 00:07:38.300 --> 00:07:40.839 to the ground and bowed down. Now Samuel said 00:07:40.839 --> 00:07:43.500 to Saul, Why have you disturbed me? by bringing 00:07:43.500 --> 00:07:46.279 me up? And Saul answered, I am deeply distressed, 00:07:46.360 --> 00:07:48.620 for the Philistines make war against me, and 00:07:48.620 --> 00:07:50.759 God has departed from me, and does not answer 00:07:50.759 --> 00:07:53.459 me any more, neither by prophets nor by dreams. 00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:55.860 Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal 00:07:55.860 --> 00:07:58.920 to me what I should do. Then Samuel said, So 00:07:58.920 --> 00:08:00.980 why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed 00:08:00.980 --> 00:08:03.399 from you, and has become your enemy? And the 00:08:03.399 --> 00:08:05.800 Lord has done for himself as he spoke by me. 00:08:06.199 --> 00:08:07.980 For the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your 00:08:07.980 --> 00:08:10.519 hand and given it to your neighbor David. Because 00:08:10.519 --> 00:08:12.720 you did not obey the voice of the Lord, nor execute 00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:15.500 his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the Lord 00:08:15.500 --> 00:08:17.620 has done this thing to you this day. Moreover, 00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:20.459 the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into 00:08:20.459 --> 00:08:22.399 the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:24.560 and your sons will be with me. The Lord will 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:26.459 also deliver the army of Israel into the hand 00:08:26.459 --> 00:08:28.949 of the Philistines. immediately Saul fell full 00:08:28.949 --> 00:08:30.970 length on the ground and was dreadfully afraid 00:08:30.970 --> 00:08:33.210 because of the words of Samuel and there was 00:08:33.210 --> 00:08:35.710 no strength in him for he had eaten no food all 00:08:35.710 --> 00:08:38.289 day or all night and a woman came to Saul and 00:08:38.289 --> 00:08:40.289 saw that he was severely troubled and said to 00:08:40.289 --> 00:08:42.750 him look your maidservant has obeyed your voice 00:08:42.750 --> 00:08:45.269 and I have put my life in my hands and heeded 00:08:45.269 --> 00:08:47.049 the words which you spoke to me now therefore 00:08:47.049 --> 00:08:49.509 please heed also the voice of your maidservant 00:08:49.509 --> 00:08:52.230 and let me set a piece of bread before you and 00:08:52.230 --> 00:08:54.570 eat that you may have strength when you go on 00:08:54.570 --> 00:08:57.149 your way but he refused and said I will not eat 00:08:57.149 --> 00:08:59.710 so his servants together with the woman urged 00:08:59.710 --> 00:09:02.429 him and he heeded their voice then he arose from 00:09:02.429 --> 00:09:04.889 the ground and sat on the bed now the woman had 00:09:04.889 --> 00:09:07.250 a fatted calf in the house and she hastened to 00:09:07.250 --> 00:09:09.590 kill it and she took flour and kneaded it and 00:09:09.590 --> 00:09:12.190 baked unleavened bread from it so she brought 00:09:12.190 --> 00:09:14.230 it before Saul and his servants and they ate 00:09:14.230 --> 00:09:17.529 then they arose and went away that night chapter 00:09:17.529 --> 00:09:20.230 29 then the Philistines gathered together all 00:09:20.230 --> 00:09:22.730 their armies at Aphek and the Israelites encamped 00:09:22.730 --> 00:09:25.320 by a fountain which is in Jezreel And the lords 00:09:25.320 --> 00:09:27.379 of the Philistines passed in review by hundreds 00:09:27.379 --> 00:09:29.799 and by thousands. But David and his men passed 00:09:29.799 --> 00:09:32.299 in review at the rear with Achish. Then the princes 00:09:32.299 --> 00:09:34.799 of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:37.379 doing here? And Achish said to the princes of 00:09:37.379 --> 00:09:39.940 the Philistines, Is this not David, the servant 00:09:39.940 --> 00:09:42.559 of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:45.450 these days or these years? And to this day I 00:09:45.450 --> 00:09:47.990 have found no fault in him, since he defected 00:09:47.990 --> 00:09:50.009 to me. But the princes of the Philistines were 00:09:50.009 --> 00:09:51.870 angry with him. So the princes of the Philistines 00:09:51.870 --> 00:09:54.149 said to him, Make this fellow return, that he 00:09:54.149 --> 00:09:56.269 may go back to the place which you have appointed 00:09:56.269 --> 00:09:58.529 for him. And do not let him go down with us to 00:09:58.529 --> 00:10:01.049 battle, lest in the battle he become our adversary. 00:10:01.450 --> 00:10:04.029 For with what could he reconcile himself to his 00:10:04.029 --> 00:10:06.450 master, if not with the heads of these men? Is 00:10:06.450 --> 00:10:08.490 this not David, of whom they sang to one another 00:10:08.490 --> 00:10:11.289 in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, 00:10:11.350 --> 00:10:13.870 and David his ten thousands? Then Achish called 00:10:13.870 --> 00:10:16.129 David and said to him, Surely as the Lord lives, 00:10:16.309 --> 00:10:18.529 you have been upright, and your going out and 00:10:18.529 --> 00:10:20.909 your coming in with me in the army is good in 00:10:20.909 --> 00:10:23.590 my sight. For to this day I have not found evil 00:10:23.590 --> 00:10:26.690 in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless, 00:10:27.049 --> 00:10:29.259 the Lord's do not favor you. Therefore return 00:10:29.259 --> 00:10:31.879 now and go in peace, that you may not displease 00:10:31.879 --> 00:10:34.159 the lords of the Philistines. So David said to 00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:36.539 Akish, But what have I done? And to this day 00:10:36.539 --> 00:10:39.080 what have you found in your servant as long as 00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:41.279 I have been with you, that I may not go and fight 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:43.639 against the enemies of my lord the king? Then 00:10:43.639 --> 00:10:45.940 Akish answered and said to David, I know that 00:10:45.940 --> 00:10:48.340 you are as good in my sight as an angel of God. 00:10:48.620 --> 00:10:50.759 Nevertheless, the princes of the Philistines 00:10:50.759 --> 00:10:53.200 have said, He shall not go up with us to the 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:55.490 battle. Now therefore rise early in the morning 00:10:55.490 --> 00:10:57.590 with your master's servants who have come with 00:10:57.590 --> 00:11:00.190 you, and as soon as you are up early in the morning 00:11:00.190 --> 00:11:02.909 and have light, depart. So David and his men 00:11:02.909 --> 00:11:05.289 rose early to depart in the morning to return 00:11:05.289 --> 00:11:07.669 to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines 00:11:07.669 --> 00:11:11.889 went up to Jezreel. Chapter 30 Now it happened 00:11:11.889 --> 00:11:14.210 when David and his men came to Ziklag on the 00:11:14.210 --> 00:11:16.549 third day that the Amalekites had invaded the 00:11:16.549 --> 00:11:19.519 south and Ziklag. attacked Ziklag, and burned 00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:21.620 it with fire, and had taken captive the women 00:11:21.620 --> 00:11:23.840 and those who were there, from small to great. 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:26.120 They did not kill anyone, but carried them away 00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:28.860 and went their way. So David and his men came 00:11:28.860 --> 00:11:31.340 to the city, and there it was, burned with fire, 00:11:31.460 --> 00:11:33.580 and their wives, their sons, and their daughters 00:11:33.580 --> 00:11:35.980 had been taken captive. Then David and the people 00:11:35.980 --> 00:11:38.059 who were with him lifted up their voices and 00:11:38.059 --> 00:11:40.879 wept, until they had no more power to weep. And 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:43.700 David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and 00:11:43.700 --> 00:11:46.100 Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had 00:11:46.100 --> 00:11:49.100 been taken captive. Now David was greatly distressed, 00:11:49.179 --> 00:11:51.620 for the people spoke of stoning him, because 00:11:51.620 --> 00:11:53.960 the soul of all the people was grieved, every 00:11:53.960 --> 00:11:56.080 man for his sons and his daughters. But David 00:11:56.080 --> 00:11:58.779 strengthened himself in the Lord his God. Then 00:11:58.779 --> 00:12:01.460 David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's 00:12:01.460 --> 00:12:04.600 son, please bring the ephod here to me. And Abiathar 00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:06.779 brought the ephod to David. So David inquired 00:12:06.779 --> 00:12:08.980 of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? 00:12:09.139 --> 00:12:11.639 Shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue, 00:12:11.740 --> 00:12:13.799 for you shall surely overtake them, and without 00:12:13.799 --> 00:12:16.879 fail recover all. So David went, he and six hundred 00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:19.299 men who were with him, and came to the brook 00:12:19.299 --> 00:12:21.700 Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. 00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:24.700 But David pursued he and four hundred men, for 00:12:24.700 --> 00:12:26.879 two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:29.340 that they could not cross the brook Besor. Then 00:12:29.340 --> 00:12:31.379 they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought 00:12:31.379 --> 00:12:33.480 him to David. And they gave him bread, and he 00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:35.700 ate. And they let him drink water. And they gave 00:12:35.700 --> 00:12:37.840 him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:40.360 of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:42.879 came back to him, for he had eaten no bread nor 00:12:42.879 --> 00:12:44.860 drunk water for three days and three nights. 00:12:45.080 --> 00:12:47.259 Then David said to him, To whom do you belong, 00:12:47.480 --> 00:12:50.159 and where are you from? And he said, I am a young 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:52.860 man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite. And 00:12:52.860 --> 00:12:54.779 my servant left me behind, because three days 00:12:54.779 --> 00:12:57.600 ago I fell sick. We made an invasion of the southern 00:12:57.600 --> 00:12:59.919 area of the Karatites, in a territory which belongs 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:02.120 to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb, 00:13:02.299 --> 00:13:04.980 and we burned Ziklag with fire. And David said 00:13:04.980 --> 00:13:07.580 to him, Can you take me down to this troop? So 00:13:07.580 --> 00:13:09.580 he said, Swear to me by God that you will neither 00:13:09.580 --> 00:13:12.440 kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, 00:13:12.539 --> 00:13:14.779 and I will take you down to this troop. And when 00:13:14.779 --> 00:13:16.960 he had brought him down, there they were, spread 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:19.080 out over all the land, eating and drinking and 00:13:19.080 --> 00:13:21.419 dancing, because of all the great spoil which 00:13:21.419 --> 00:13:23.279 they had taken from the land of the Philistines 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:25.600 and from the land of Judah. Then David attacked 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:28.059 them from twilight until the evening of the next 00:13:28.059 --> 00:13:31.240 day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:34.460 young men who rode on camels and fled. So David 00:13:34.460 --> 00:13:36.340 recovered all that the Amalekites had carried 00:13:36.340 --> 00:13:39.360 away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:41.539 of theirs was lacking, either small or great, 00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:44.919 sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they 00:13:44.919 --> 00:13:47.820 had taken from them. David recovered all. Then 00:13:47.820 --> 00:13:49.899 David took all the flocks and herds they had 00:13:49.899 --> 00:13:52.259 driven before those other livestock and said, 00:13:52.419 --> 00:13:55.000 This is David's spoil. Now David came to the 00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:57.440 two hundred men who had been so weary that they 00:13:57.440 --> 00:13:59.720 could not follow David, whom they also had made 00:13:59.720 --> 00:14:02.120 to stay at the brook Besor. So they went out 00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:03.779 to meet David and to meet the people who were 00:14:03.779 --> 00:14:05.779 with him. And when David came near the people, 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:08.159 he greeted them. Then all the wicked and worthless 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:10.379 men of those who went with David answered and 00:14:10.379 --> 00:14:12.759 said, Because they did not go with us, we will 00:14:12.759 --> 00:14:15.200 not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, 00:14:15.460 --> 00:14:17.960 except for every man's wife and children, that 00:14:17.960 --> 00:14:20.320 they may lead them away and depart. But David 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:22.480 said, My brethren, you shall not do so with what 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:24.820 the Lord has given us, who has preserved us and 00:14:24.820 --> 00:14:27.460 delivered into our hand the troop that came against 00:14:27.460 --> 00:14:29.779 us. For who will heed you in this matter? But 00:14:29.779 --> 00:14:32.320 as his part is he who goes down to the battle, 00:14:32.440 --> 00:14:34.899 so shall his part be who stays by the supplies. 00:14:35.159 --> 00:14:37.759 They shall share alike. So it was from that day 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:40.220 forward he made it a statute and an ordinance 00:14:40.220 --> 00:14:43.240 for Israel to this day. Now when David came to 00:14:43.240 --> 00:14:45.460 Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders 00:14:45.460 --> 00:14:48.100 of Judah, to his friends, saying, Here is a present 00:14:48.100 --> 00:14:50.019 for you from the spoil of the enemies of the 00:14:50.019 --> 00:14:52.379 Lord. To those who were in Bethel, those who 00:14:52.379 --> 00:14:54.960 were in Ramoth of the south, those who were in 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:57.559 Jatir, those who were in Erewar, those who were 00:14:57.559 --> 00:15:00.519 in Sifmot, those who were in Ishtimoah, those 00:15:00.519 --> 00:15:02.620 who were in Rakal, those who were in the cities 00:15:02.620 --> 00:15:04.720 of the Jeromelites, those who were in the cities 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:07.559 of the Kenites, those who were in Hormah, those 00:15:07.559 --> 00:15:09.779 who were in Koreshan, those who were in Atak, 00:15:09.940 --> 00:15:12.490 those who were in Hebron. and to all the places 00:15:12.490 --> 00:15:14.669 where David himself and his men were accustomed 00:15:14.669 --> 00:15:22.169 to rove. I hope you enjoyed today's reading as 00:15:22.169 --> 00:15:24.350 much as I did and I look forward to seeing you 00:15:24.350 --> 00:15:26.750 again tomorrow to continue on our journey. God 00:15:26.750 --> 00:15:28.070 bless you and have a great day.