1 Aconteceu que, ao terceiro dia, quando Davi e os seus homens chegaram a Ziclague, os amalequitas já tinham invadido o Sul e a cidade de Ziclague. Tomaram Ziclague e a incendiaram. 2 Levaram cativas as mulheres que lá estavam, mas não mataram ninguém, nem pequenos nem grandes; tão somente os levaram consigo e foram embora. 3 Davi e os seus homens chegaram à cidade, e viram que tinha sido queimada, e que as suas mulheres, os seus filhos e as suas filhas haviam sido levados cativos. 4 Então Davi e o povo que estava com ele ergueram a voz e choraram, até não terem mais forças para chorar. 5 Também as duas mulheres de Davi tinham sido levadas: Ainoã, a jezreelita, e Abigail, a viúva de Nabal, o carmelita. 6 Davi ficou muito angustiado, pois o povo falava de apedrejá-lo, porque todos estavam amargurados, cada um por causa de seus filhos e suas filhas. Mas Davi se reanimou no Senhor, seu Deus.

7 Davi disse a Abiatar, o sacerdote, filho de Aimeleque:

— Traga aqui a estola sacerdotal.

E Abiatar a trouxe a Davi. 8 Então Davi consultou o Senhor, dizendo:

— Devo perseguir esse bando? Conseguirei alcançá-lo?

O Senhor respondeu:

— Persiga o bando, porque você certamente o alcançará e libertará os cativos.

9 Então Davi partiu, ele e os seiscentos homens que com ele estavam, e chegaram ao ribeiro de Besor, onde os retardatários ficaram. 10 Davi e quatrocentos homens continuaram a perseguição, mas duzentos ficaram atrás, por não poderem passar o ribeiro de Besor, de tão cansados que estavam.

11 Encontraram no campo um homem egípcio e o trouxeram a Davi. Deram-lhe pão, e ele comeu, e deram-lhe água para beber. 12 Deram-lhe também um pedaço de pasta de figos secos e dois cachos de passas, e ele comeu. Assim, recobrou as forças, pois havia três dias e três noites que não comia pão, nem bebia água. 13 Então Davi lhe perguntou:

— De quem você é e de onde você vem?

O moço egípcio respondeu:

— Sou servo de um amalequita, e meu senhor me deixou aqui, porque adoeci há três dias. 14 Nós invadimos o lado sul dos queretitas, o território de Judá e o lado sul de Calebe e pusemos fogo em Ziclague.

15 Então Davi lhe perguntou:

— Você poderia me levar até esse bando?

Ele respondeu:

— Jure por Deus que não vai me matar, nem me entregar nas mãos de meu senhor, e eu o levarei até esse bando.

16 E ele levou Davi até lá. Eis que os amalequitas estavam espalhados por toda a região, comendo, bebendo e fazendo festa por todo aquele grande despojo que tomaram da terra dos filisteus e da terra de Judá. 17 Davi os atacou e lutou contra eles, desde o crepúsculo até a tarde do dia seguinte, e nenhum deles escapou, a não ser quatrocentos moços que montaram em camelos e fugiram. 18 Assim, Davi salvou tudo o que os amalequitas tinham levado. Também salvou as suas duas mulheres. 19 Não lhes faltou coisa alguma, nem pequena nem grande, nem os filhos, nem as filhas, nem o despojo, nada do que lhes haviam tomado: Davi trouxe tudo de volta. 20 Davi também tomou todas as ovelhas e o gado. Então levaram esses animais diante de Davi e disseram:

— Este é o despojo de Davi.

21 Quando Davi se aproximou dos duzentos homens que, de tão cansados que estavam, não o puderam seguir e ficaram no ribeiro de Besor, estes saíram ao encontro de Davi e do povo que vinha com ele. Davi se aproximou deles e os saudou cordialmente. 22 Então todos os perversos e malignos, dentre os homens que tinham ido com Davi, disseram:

— Uma vez que não foram conosco, não lhes daremos nada do despojo que salvamos. Que cada um leve a sua mulher e os seus filhos e se vá embora.

23 Porém Davi disse:

— Meus irmãos, não façam isto com o que o Senhor nos deu. Ele nos guardou e entregou em nossas mãos o bando que vinha contra nós. 24 E quem lhes daria ouvidos nisso? Porque a mesma parte que cabe aos que foram à batalha será também a parte dos que ficaram com a bagagem; receberão partes iguais.

25 E assim, desde aquele dia em diante, isso foi estabelecido por estatuto e direito em Israel, até o dia de hoje.

26 Quando Davi chegou a Ziclague, enviou parte do despojo aos anciãos de Judá, seus amigos, dizendo:

— Este é um presente para vocês, tirado do despojo dos inimigos do Senhor.

27 Ele enviou esse presente aos anciãos de Betel, de Ramote do Neguebe, de Jatir, 28 de Aroer, de Sifmote, de Estemoa, 29 de Racal, das cidades dos jerameelitas e dos queneus, 30 de Horma, de Borasã, de Atace, 31 de Hebrom e de todos os lugares em que Davi tinha passado, ele e os seus homens.

1 And it came to pass, when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid upon the South, and upon Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire,2 and had taken captive the women [and all] that were in it, both small and great. They did not kill any, but carried them off, and went their way.3 And when David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire. And their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captive.4 Then David and the people who 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 captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters. But David strengthened himself in LORD his God.7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, I pray thee, bring me here the ephod. And Abiathar brought there the ephod to David.8 And David inquired of LORD, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue, for thou shall surely overtake [them], and shall without fail recover [all].9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred stayed behind, who 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 ate, and they gave him water to drink.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 to him, To whom do thou belong? And from where are thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite. And my master left me because three days ago I fell sick.14 We made a raid upon the South of the Cherethites, and upon that which belongs to Judah, and upon the South of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.15 And David said to him, Will thou bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear to me by God, that thou will neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this troop.16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the ground, 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 of17 And David smote them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. And there escaped not a man of them, except four hundred young men who rode upon camels and fled.18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, 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 anything that they had taken to them; David brought back all.20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, [which] they drove before those [other] cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.21 And David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to abide at the brook Besor. And they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. And when D22 Then answered all the wicked men and base fellows of those who went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them anything of the spoil that we have recovered except to every man his wife and his childr23 Then David said, Ye shall not do so, my brothers, with that which LORD has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.24 And who will hearken to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle so shall his share be who remains by the baggage; they shall share alike.25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent from the spoil to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold, a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of LORD:27 to those who were in Bethel, and to those who were in Ramoth of the South, and to those who were in Jattir,28 and to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa,29 and to those who were in Racal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites,30 and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in Borashan, and to those who were in Athach,31 and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to frequent.