1 Quando ao terceiro dia chegou Davi com seus homens a Ziclague, os amalequitas tinham feito uma invasão no Neguebe e em Ziclague, e tinham ferido a Ziclague e a tinham queimado a fogo:2 tinham levado cativas as mulheres, e todos os que ali se achavam, tanto pequenos como grandes; não mataram a ninguém, porém os levaram consigo, e foram seu caminho.3 Quando Davi e seus homens chegaram à cidade, eis que estava queimada a fogo, e suas mulheres, e seus filhos e filhas levados cativos.4 Davi e o povo que se achava com ele, levantaram a sua voz e choraram, até não terem mais forças para chorar.5 Foram também levadas cativas as duas mulheres de Davi, Ainoã a jezreelita, e Abigail que fora mulher de Nabal o carmelita.6 Davi estava muito angustiado; pois o povo, tendo a alma amargurada por causa de seus filhos e de suas filhas falava em apedrejá-lo. Porém ele se confortou em Jeová seu Deus.7 Disse Davi ao sacerdote Abiatar, filho de Aimeleque: Traze-me cá o efode. Abiatar trouxe o efode a Davi.8 Davi consultou a Jeová, dizendo: Perseguirei eu a esta tropa? alcançá-la-ei? Respondeu-lhe Jeová: Persegue-a, pois sem falta a alcançarás e tudo libertarás.9 Partiu Davi, com os seiscentos homens que com ele se achavam, e foram à torrente de Besor, onde os retardatários ficaram.10 Porém perseguiu Davi com quatrocentos homens; porque ficaram atrás duzentos que de cansados não puderam passar a torrente de Besor.11 Achando no campo a um egípcio, trouxeram-no a Davi. Fizeram-lhe comer pão e beber água;12 deram-lhe também um pedaço de pasta de figos secos e dois cachos de passas. Depois de os ter comido, recobrou alento, pois havia três dias e três noites que não tinha comido pão, nem bebido água.13 Então lhe perguntou Davi: De quem és tu? donde vens? Respondeu ele: Eu sou um moço egípcio, servo dum amalequita; o meu senhor me abandonou, porque adoeci há três dias.14 Nós fizemos uma correria para o Neguebe dos quereteus, para o de Judá, e para o de Calebe, e pusemos fogo a Ziclague.15 Disse-lhe Davi: Poderás descer e guiar-me a essa tropa? Ele respondeu: Jura-me tu por Deus que não me hás de matar, e que me não hás de entregar nas mãos do meu senhor, e descerei e guiar-te-ei a essa tropa.16 Desceu e o guiou. Eis que eles estavam espalhados sobre a face de toda a terra, comendo, bebendo e dançando, por causa de todo o grande despojo que haviam tomado da terra dos filisteus e da terra de Judá.17 Feriu-os Davi desde o crepúsculo até a tarde do dia seguinte, e nenhum deles escapou senão quatrocentos mancebos que, montados nos camelos, fugiram.18 Recobrou Davi tudo o que os amalequitas tinham tomado, e livrou as suas duas mulheres.19 Não lhes faltou coisa alguma, nem pequena nem grande, nem filhos, nem filhas, nem despojo, nem qualquer coisa que eles tinham tomado para si: Davi tornou a trazer tudo.20 Davi tomou todos os rebanhos e manadas; aqueles que os fizeram caminhar diante do outro gado, diziam: Este é o despojo de Davi.21 Chegou Davi aos duzentos homens, que de cansados não puderam segui-lo, os quais também foram obrigados a ficar à torrente de Besor. Estes saíram ao encontro de Davi e dos que vinham com ele. Davi, aproximando-se deles, saudou-os.22 Então todos os malvados e filhos de Belial, dentre os que foram com Davi, disseram: Visto que não foram conosco, nada lhes daremos do despojo que recobramos, senão que a cada um daremos suas mulheres e seus filhos, para que os levem e se retirem.23 Disse Davi: Não fareis assim, meus irmãos, com o que nos deu Jeová que nos conservou e entregou em nossas mãos a tropa que vinha contra nós.24 Quem vos ouvirá neste negócio? pois qual é a porção do que desce para a batalha, tal será a porção do que fica com a bagagem: receberão partes iguais.25 Daquele dia em diante até hoje foi estabelecido por estatuto e preceito em Israel.26 Chegando Davi a Ziclague, enviou dos despojos aos anciãos de Judá, seus amigos, dizendo: Eis um presente para vós dos despojos dos inimigos de Jeová.27 Dos despojos enviou aos de Betel, aos de Ramote do Neguebe e aos de Jatir;28 aos de Aroer, aos de Sifmote e aos de Estemoa;29 aos de Racal aos das cidades dos jerameelitas e aos das cidades dos quenitas;30 aos de Hormá, aos de Corasã e aos de Atace;31 aos de Hebrom e a todos os lugares que Davi e seus homens costumavam freqüentar.

1 Now when David and his men were come to Siceleg on the third day, the Amalecites had made an invasion on the south side upon Siceleg, and had smitten Siceleg, and burnt it with fire.2 And had taken the women captives that were in it, both little and great: and they had not killed any person, but had carried them with them, and went on their way.3 So when David and his men came to the city, and found it burnt with fire, and that their wives and their sons, and their daughters were taken captives,4 David and the people that were with him, lifted up their voices, and wept till they had no more tears.5 For the two wives also of David were taken captives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel.6 And David was greatly afflicted: for the people had a mind to stone him, for the soul of every man was bitterly grieved for his sons, and daughters: but David took courage in the Lord his God.7 And he said to Abiathar the priest the son of Achimelech: Bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.8 And David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I pursue after these robbers, and shall I overtake them, or not? And the Lord said to him: Pursue after them: for thou shalt surely overtake them and recover the prey.9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and they came to the torrent Besor: and some being weary stayed there.10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred stayed, who being weary could not go over the torrent Besor.11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David: and they gave him bread to eat, and water to drink,12 As also a piece of a cake of figs, and two bunches of raisins. And when he had eaten them his spirit returned, and he was refreshed: for he had not eaten bread, nor drunk water three days, and three nights.13 And David said to him: To whom dost thou belong? or whence dost thou come? and whither art thou going? He said: I am a young man of Egypt, the servant of an Amalecite, and my master left me, because I began to be sick three days ago.14 For we made an invasion on the south side of Cerethi, and upon Juda, and upon the south of Caleb, and we burnt Siceleg with fire.15 And David said to him: Canst thou bring me to this company? And he said: Swear to me by God, that thou wilt not kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee to this company. And David swore to him.16 And when he had brought him, behold they were lying spread upon all the ground, eating and drinking, and as it were keeping a festival day, for all the prey, and the spoils which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Juda.17 And David slew them from the evening unto the evening of the next day, and there escaped not a man of them, but four hundred young men, who had gotten upon camels, and fled.18 So David recovered all that the Amalecites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.19 And there was nothing missing small or great, neither of their sons or their daughters, nor of the spoils, and whatsoever they had taken: David recovered all.20 And he took all the flocks and the herds, and made them go before him: and they said: This is the prey of David.21 And David came to the two hundred men, who being weary had stayed, and were not able to follow David, and he had ordered them to abide at the torrent Besor: and they came out to meet David, and the people that were with him. And David coming to the people saluted them peaceably.22 Then all the wicked and unjust men that had gone with David answering, said: Because they came not with us, we will not give them any thing of the prey which we have recovered: but let every man take his wife and his children, and be contented with them, and go his way.23 But David said: You shall not do so, my brethren, with these things, which the Lord hath given us, who hath kept us, and hath delivered the robbers that invaded us into our hands.24 And no man shall hearken to you in this matter. But equal shall be the portion of him that went down to battle and of him that abode at the baggage, and they shall divide alike.25 And this hath been done from that day forward, and since was made a statute, and an ordinance, and as a law in Israel.26 Then David came to Siceleg, and sent presents of the prey to the ancients of Juda his neighbours, saying: Receive a blessing of the prey of the enemies of the Lord.27 To them that were in Bethel, and that were in Ramoth to the south, and to them that were in Jether,28 And to them that were in Aroer and that were in Sephamoth, and that were in Esthamo,29 And that were in Rachal, and that were in the cities of Jerameel, and that were in the cities of Ceni,30 And that were in Arama, and that were in the lake Asan, and that were in Athach,31 And that were in Hebron, and to the rest that were in those places, in which David had abode with his men.