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Take a breath, find your place, and read deeply. Discover the joy of reading God’s word with the Immerse New Living Translation (NLT) Bible.
This daily Bible podcast will take you through the Bible in a year following the Immerse Bible Reading Experience. So grab your family and small group and go through the Bible in a year together with Immerse. Each of the 6 volumes is available online or at your favorite Christian bookstore.
Ethan: Welcome to Immerse: the
daily bible reading experience.
Day 100 and 96
the entire Philistine army now mobilized
at a effect, and the Israelites
camped at the spring in Jezreel.
As the Philistine rulers were leading
out their troops in groups of hundreds
and thousands, David and his men
marched to the rear with King Aish.
But the Philistine commanders demanded,
What are these Hebrews doing here?
And Achish told them, This is David,
the servant of King Saul of Israel.
He's been with me for years, and I've
never found a single fault in him
from the day he arrived until today.
But the Philistine commanders were angry.
Send him back to the town
you've given him, they demanded.
He can't go into the battle with us.
What if he turns against us in
battle and becomes our adversary?
Is there any better way for him to
reconcile himself with his master
than by handing our heads over to him?
Isn't this the same David about whom the
women of Israel sing in their dances?
Saul has killed his thousands
and David his ten thousands?
So Achish finally summoned David and
said to him, I swear by the Lord that
you have been a trustworthy ally.
I think you should go with me into battle,
for I've never found a single flaw in
you from the day you arrived until today.
But the other Philistine
rulers won't hear of it.
Please don't upset them,
but go back quietly.
What have I done to
deserve this treatment?
David demanded.
What have you ever found in your
servant that I can't go and fight
the enemies of my Lord the King?
But Achish insisted, As far
as I'm concerned, you're as
perfect as an angel of God.
But the Philistine commanders are afraid
to have you with them in the battle.
Now get up early in the morning and leave
with your men as soon as it gets light.
So David and his men headed back
into the land of the Philistines.
While the Philistine
army went on to Jezreel.
Three days later, when David and his men
arrived home at their town of Ziklag,
they found that the Amalekites had
made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag.
They had crushed Ziklag and
burned it to the ground.
They had carried off the women
and children and everyone else,
but without killing anyone.
When David and his men saw the
ruins and realized what had
happened to their families, they
wept until they could weep no more.
David's two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel
and Abigail, the widow of Navel from
Carmel, were among those captured.
David was now in great danger, because
all his men were very bitter about
losing their sons and daughters.
And they began to talk of stoning him.
But David found strength
in the Lord his God.
Then he said to Abiathar the
priest, Bring me the ephod.
So Abiathar brought it.
Then David asked the Lord, Should
I chase after this band of raiders?
Will I catch them?
And the Lord told him, Yes, go after them.
You will surely recover everything
that was taken from you.
So David and his six hundred men set
out, and they came to the brook, Besor.
But two hundred of the men
were too exhausted to cross the
brook, so David continued the
pursuit with four hundred men.
Along the way they found an Egyptian
man in a field and brought him to David.
They gave him some bread
to eat and water to drink.
They also gave him part of a fig
cake and two clusters of raisins.
For he hadn't had anything to eat
or drink for three days and nights.
Before long, his strength returned.
To whom do you belong, and
where do you come from?
David asked him.
I am an Egyptian, the slave
of an Amalekite, he replied.
My master abandoned me three
days ago because I was sick.
We were on our way back from
raiding the Kirithites in the Negev.
The territory of Judah and the land of
Caleb, and we had just burned Ziklak.
Will you lead me to this band of raiders?
David asked.
The young man replied, If you take
an oath in God's name that you will
not kill me or give me back to my
master, then I will guide you to them.
So he led David to them.
And they found the Amalekites spread out
across the fields, eating and drinking
and dancing with joy because of the vast
amount of plunder they had taken from
the Philistines and the land of Judah.
David and his men rushed in among them
and slaughtered them throughout that night
and the entire next day until evening.
None of the Amalekites escaped, except
400 young men who fled on camels.
David got back everything the Amalekites
had taken, and he rescued his two wives.
Nothing was missing, small or
great, son or daughter, nor
anything else that had been taken.
David brought everything back.
He also recovered all the flocks
and herds, and his men drove them
ahead of the other livestock.
This plunder belongs to David, they said.
Then David returned to the brook
Besor, and met up with the two
hundred men who had been left behind.
because they were too
exhausted to go with him.
They went out to meet David and his
men, and David greeted them joyfully.
But some evil troublemakers among
David's men said, They didn't
go with us, so they can't have
any of the plunder we recovered.
Give them their wives and
children, and tell them to be gone.
But David said, No, my brothers, don't be
selfish with what the Lord has given us.
He has kept us safe and helped us defeat
the band of raiders that attacked us.
Who will listen when you talk like this?
We share and share alike, those who go to
battle and those who guard the equipment.
From then on, David made this a
decree and regulation for Israel,
and it is still followed today.
When he arrived at Ziklag, David sent
part of the plunder to the elders
of Judah, who were his friends.
Here is a present for you, taken
from the Lord's enemies, he said.
The gifts were sent to the people of
the following towns David had visited.
Bethel, Ramoth Negev, Jatter, Oroer,
Sifmath, Eshtimoah, Rakel, the towns
of the Jerameelites, the towns of
the Kenites, Hormah, Bor Ashan,
Athak, Hebron, and all the other
places David and his men had visited.