1 Samuel 30

1 Tendo Davi e seus homens chega-do a Siceleg ao terceiro dia, com sua tropa, tinham os amalecitas feito uma incursão no Negueb e em Siceleg, ferindo e incendiando a cidade.

2 Haviam tomado as mulheres e todos os que ali se achavam, desde o menor até o maior; não mataram ninguém, mas levaram todos cativos para a sua terra.

3 Davi e seus homens, ao chegarem, encontraram a cidade incendiada e suas mulheres, filhos e filhas levados cativos.

4 Por isso, choraram até não poder mais.

5 As duas mulheres de Davi, Aqui­noam de Jezrael e Abigail de Carmelo, viúva de Nabal, estavam também presas.

6 Davi afligiu-se em extremo, porque os seus queriam apedrejá-lo, estando todos amargurados por causa da perda de seus filhos e filhas. Mas Davi se reconfortou no Senhor, seu Deus.

7 E disse ao sacerdote Abiatar, filho de Abimelec: "Traze-me o efod". Abiatar trouxe-lhe o efod.

8 Davi consultou o Senhor: "Devo perseguir essa gente? Vou alcançá-la?". "Persegue-os – respondeu o Senhor –; tu os alcançarás certamente e os vencerás."

9 Davi pôs-se em marcha com os seiscentos homens de sua tropa e chegaram à torrente de Besor, onde ficaram os que já estavam esgotados.

10 Davi prosseguiu a perseguição com quatrocentos homens, pois duzentos tinham ficado atrás, estando por demais cansados para poderem atravessar a torrente de Besor.

11 Encontraram no campo um egípcio e levaram-no a Davi. Deram-lhe pão para comer, água para beber,

12 um pedaço de torta de figos secos e duas tortas de uvas secas. Ele comeu e recobrou as forças, porque havia três dias e três noites que nada tinha comido nem bebido.

13 Davi disse-lhe: "Quem és tu e de onde és?". "Eu sou um escravo egípcio – respondeu ele – a serviço de um amalecita. Meu senhor abandonou-me há três dias porque caí doen­te.

14 Fizemos uma incursão no Negueb dos cereteus, no território de Judá, no Negueb de Caleb e incendiamos Siceleg".

15 Davi disse-lhe: "Queres conduzir-me a esse bando?". "Jura-me pelo nome de Deus – respondeu o homem – que não me matarás, nem me entregarás ao meu senhor e eu te guiarei até esse bando."

16 Guiados pelo egípcio, alcançaram-nos. Os amalecitas estavam espalhados por todo o campo, comendo, bebendo e festejando por causa da enorme presa que tinham tomado na terra dos filisteus e de Judá.

17 Davi feriu-os do romper do dia à tarde do dia seguinte e só escaparam quatrocentos homens, que fugiram montados em camelos.

18 Recobrou Davi tudo o que os amalecitas tinham tomado, salvando também as suas duas mulheres.

19 E não faltou ninguém, nem pequeno nem grande, nem filho nem filha, nem o que quer que seja do espólio que tinham levado: Davi reconduziu tudo de volta.

20 E tomou também todos os rebanhos e manadas, diante dos quais iam os homens, gritando: "Eis a presa de Davi!".

21 Foi, pois, Davi juntar-se aos duzentos homens deixados na torrente de Besor, por estarem cansados demais para segui-lo. E eles vieram ao encontro de Davi e de sua tropa e Davi saudou-os ao chegar junto deles.

22 Todos os malvados, porém, todos os maus elementos que se encontravam na tropa de Davi começaram a dizer: "Visto que eles não foram conosco, nada lhes daremos do espólio recuperado, salvo, a cada um, a sua mulher e seus filhos. Que os tomem e se retirem!".

23 "Não façais assim, meus irmãos – interveio Davi – com o que o Senhor nos deu, depois de nos ter protegido e nos ter entregue nas mãos a tropa que se tinha levantado contra nós!

24 Quem poderia aceitar a proposta que fazeis? A parte dos que ficaram junto às bagagens será a mesma que a daqueles que foram ao combate. Eles compartilharão."

25 A partir daquele dia, estabeleceu Davi em Israel esse costume e esse direito que subsiste ainda hoje.

26 De volta a Siceleg, enviou Davi uma parte do espólio aos anciãos de Judá, seus amigos, com esta mensagem: "Eis um presente para vós, proveniente do espólio tomado aos inimigos do Senhor".

27 Enviou igualmente uma parte aos de Betel, de Ramá, do Negueb,

28 de Jeter, de Aroer, de Sefamot, de Estemo,

29 de Racal, aos das cidades dos jerameelitas, aos das cidades dos cineus, aos de Horma,

30 de Bor-Asã, de Atac, de Hebron e de todos os lugares por onde Davi tinha passado com seus homens.

1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; 2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. 4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.*30.6 grieved: Heb. bitter

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. 8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all. 9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water; 12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. 13 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick. 14 We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire. 15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.

16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. 17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.*30.17 the next…: Heb. their morrow 18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives. 19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all. 20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil.

21 And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.*30.21 saluted…: or, asked them how they did 22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.*30.22 those: Heb. men 23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand. 24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike. 25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.*30.25 forward: Heb. and forward

26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD;*30.26 present: Heb. blessing 27 To them which were in Beth-el, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir, 28 And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa, 29 And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites, 30 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chor-ashan, and to them which were in Athach, 31 And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.