1 Três dias mais tarde quando David, acompanhado dos seus homens, chegou a casa na cidade de Ziclague, constatou que os amalequitas tinham feito uma incursão na cidade e queimado tudo inteiramente, levando consigo mulheres e crianças. Ao olharem para aquilo, e ao darem-se conta do que acontecera às suas famílias, choraram todos dolorosamente.5 As duas mulheres de David, Ainoã e Abigail, encontravam-se também entre as cativas.6 David estava seriamente preocupado, porque os homens, na sua grande dor por causa dos filhos que os amalequitas lhes tinham levado, falavam até de o apedrejarem. No entanto David tomou forças no Senhor seu Deus.7 Então disse ao sacerdote Abiatar: Traz-me aqui o éfode! E perguntou ao Senhor: Vou no encalço deles? Apanhá-los-emos? O Senhor respondeu-lhe: Vai, persegue-os; recuperarás tudo o que eles vos levaram!9 David, mais os outros seiscentos homens, partiram atrás dos amalequitas. Quando alcançaram o ribeiro de Besor, duzentos deles estavam de tal maneira exaustos que nem conseguiram atravessá-lo; mas os outros quatrocentos prosseguiram na corrida. Pelo caminho, a certa altura encontraram um moço egípcio num campo e trouxeram-no a David. O rapaz não tinha comido nem bebido nada durante três dias e três noites; deram-lhe parte dum bolo de figos, duas mãos-cheias de uvas secas, água para beber, e depois disso recuperou as forças.13 Quem és tu? Donde vens?, perguntou-lhe David.Sou egípcio, servo dum amalequita. O meu senhor abandonou-me há três dias porque eu estava muito doente. Vínhamos de uma incursão militar no Negueve e também no sul de Judá, e ainda na terra de Calebe; também destruímos Ziclague.15 Podes dizer-me para onde foram eles? Se me jurares em nome de Deus que não me matas nem me entregas de novo ao meu amo, então guiar-te-ei até eles.16 E assim levou-os ao acampamento dos amalequitas. Estavam todos espalhados numa grande área daquela terra, comendo, bebendo, dançando de alegria por causa do enorme despojo que tinham trazido da Filisteia e de Judá. David e os companheiros saltaram-lhes em cima e mataram neles durante a noite toda, mais o dia seguinte até ao anoitecer. Os únicos que conseguiram escapar foram quatrocentos rapazes que fugiram montados em camelos. David recuperou tudo o que eles tinham levado. Os homens retomaram as famílias e os haveres; David pôde libertar as suas duas mulheres. Toda a gente juntou o gado e os rebanhos, conduzindo-os diante de si e exclamavam: Este é o teu despojo, David!21 Quando chegaram de novo ao ribeiro de Besor e se juntaram aos tais duzentos que não tinham podido continuar por se encontrarem esgotados, sem forças, David saudou-os pacificamente. Mas alguns dos que vinham com David, homens ruins, perversos, começaram a dizer: Esses não vieram connosco, não hão-de de ter parte no despojo. Que se lhes dê as mulheres e os filhos e que se vão embora.23 Não, meus irmãos! O Senhor guardou-nos e ajudou-nos a derrotar o inimigo. Numa altura destas alguém poderia dar ouvidos a uma tal proposta? Vamos todos repartir o que obtivemos irmãmente - os que foram à batalha e os que guardaram as bagagens.25 Foi então que David fez disso uma lei em todo o Israel, e que ainda hoje é válida.26 Quando chegou a Ziclague enviou parte do saque aos anciãos de Judá: Isto é um presente para vocês, tirado aos inimigos do Senhor, escreveu-lhes. Estes presentes foram enviados aos anciãos das seguintes cidades onde David e os companheiros tinham estado: Betel, Sul de Ramote, Jatir, Aroer, Sifmote, Estemoa, Racal, as cidades dos jerameelitas, as cidades dos queneus, Horma, Borasã, Atace, Hebrom.

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 in it, 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 spoke 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.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 inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue 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 remained.10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode 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 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 drank any water, three days and three nights.13 And David said to 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 ago 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 conduct me down to this company? And he said, Swear to me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will lead thee down to this company.16 And when he had conducted 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 from the land of the Philistines, and from the land of Judah.17 And David smote them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, who rode upon camels, and fled.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 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 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.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 aught of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.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 to you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the goods: they shall part 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 of the spoil to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you, of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD;27 To them who were in Beth-el, and to them who were in south Ramoth, and to them who were in Jattir,28 And to them who were in Aroer, and to them who were in Siphmoth, and to them who were in Eshtemoa,29 And to them who were in Rachal, and to them who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them who were in the cities of the Kenites,30 And to them who were in Hormah, and to them who were in Chor-ashan, and to them who were in Athach,31 And to them who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to resort.