1Da David og hans mænd to dage senere ankom til deres hjemby, Ziklag, fandt de, at amalekitterne på et af deres plyndringstogter i sydlandet havde indtaget byen og brændt den ned til grunden.2De havde ikke slået indbyggerne ihjel, men taget dem med sig som krigsfanger, inklusive kvinder og børn.3Da David og hans mænd så ud over de nedbrændte ruiner, og det gik op for dem, hvad der var sket med deres familier,4græd de, til de ikke havde en tåre tilbage.5Også Davids to koner, Ahinoam og Abigajil, var bortført.6Det var et hårdt slag for David, og hans egen situation forværredes ved, at hans mænd, der var knust og forbitrede over den skæbne, der var overgået deres børn, gav ham skylden og begyndte at tale om at stene ham. Men David søgte styrke hos Herren.7Så sagde han til præsten Ebjatar: „Tag den hellige efod frem!” Ebjatar hentede så efoden, som man brugte for at få et svar fra Herren.8„Skal jeg følge efter den røverbande?” spurgte David Herren. „Kan jeg nå at indhente dem?” „Ja,” svarede Herren, „følg efter dem og befri alle fangerne.”9Så optog David og hans 600 mænd straks forfølgelsen af amalekitterne. Da de kom til Besorbækken, besluttede de at lade deres forsyninger og nogle af mændene blive der.10200 af de mest udmattede blev så ved bækken for at hvile sig og passe på forsyningerne, mens resten fortsatte forfølgelsen.11-12Undervejs fandt mændene en egyptisk slave, og ham førte de til David. Manden havde ikke fået noget at spise eller drikke i to døgn,[1] så de gav ham nogle brød, en figenkage, to rosinkager og noget vand. Da han var kommet til kræfter, spurgte David ham:13„Hvem er din herre, og hvor kommer du fra?” „Jeg er egypter og slave hos en amalekit,” svarede han. „Min herre efterlod mig her for to dage siden, fordi jeg blev syg.14Vi var på vej hjem efter at have været på forskellige plyndringstogter i den sydlige del af filistrenes[2] land, Judas land og Kalebs land. Undervejs brændte vi Ziklag ned til grunden.”15„Kan du vise os vej til de slyngler?” spurgte David. Egypteren svarede: „Hvis du ved Guds navn vil sværge på, at du ikke vil slå mig ihjel eller udlevere mig til min herre, lover jeg at føre jer til dem.”16Så førte han dem lige til amalekitternes lejr. De havde spredt sig ud over sletten, hvor de var i færd med at spise og drikke og danse af lystighed over det store krigsbytte, de havde taget fra filistrene og fra Judas folk.17Så snart det blev lyst, stormede David og hans mænd frem og dræbte amalekitterne fra tidlig morgen til sen aften. De eneste, der undslap, var 400 unge mænd, der flygtede på deres kameler.18-19David tog alt krigsbyttet tilbage, og han befriede alle krigsfangerne—også sine egne to koner.20Hans mænd samlede kvæget, gederne og fårene og førte dem til David. „Det er din personlige belønning,” sagde mændene til ham.21Da de nåede tilbage til Besorbækken og til de 200 mænd, som havde været for udmattede til at fortsætte forfølgelsen og derfor var blevet efterladt for at passe på forsyningerne, hilste David på dem med glæde.22Men nogle onde og selviske mænd blandt Davids krigere sagde: „De folk har ikke været med os i kampen. Derfor skal de heller ikke have del i krigsbyttet. Hvis de får deres koner og børn, må det være nok.”23-24Men David brød ind: „Nej, vær ikke så nærige med det, Herren har givet os. Det er jo Herren, som har hjulpet os med at besejre fjenden. Derfor deler vi byttet ligeligt imellem os, både mellem dem, der deltog i kampen, og dem, der blev tilbage og passede på forsyningerne.”25Fra da af har princippet om ligelig fordeling været som en lov i Israel, og det gælder den dag i dag.26Da David kom tilbage til Ziklag, sendte han noget af krigsbyttet til sine venner blandt Judas ledere sammen med følgende hilsen: „Det her er en gave til jer. Jeg har taget den fra Herrens fjender.”27-31Han sendte en sådan gave til lederne i de byer, hvor han og hans mænd havde været. Det var blandt andet Bet Zur,[3] Ramot i Negev, byerne Jattir, Aroer, Sifmot, Eshtemoa og Karmel,[4] jerahme’elitternes og kenitternes byer, og byerne Horma, Bor-Ashan, Atak og Hebron. (Josva 15,58; Josva 19,4)
1Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire (1.Sam 15,3; 1.Sam 15,7; 1.Sam 27,8; 1.Sam 29,4; 1.Sam 29,11; 1.Sam 30,14)2and taken captive the women and all[1] who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way.3And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.4Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.5David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. (1.Sam 25,42)6And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul,[2] each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. (2.Mos 17,4; 4.Mos 14,10)7And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. (1.Sam 23,6; 1.Sam 23,9)8And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” (1.Sam 22,10; 1.Sam 30,18; 1.Krøn 12,21)9So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. (1.Sam 23,13)10But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor. (1.Sam 30,21)11They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink,12and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. (Dom 15,19; 1.Sam 14,27)13And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago.14We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” (1.Sam 30,1; 2.Sam 8,18; 2.Sam 15,18; 2.Sam 20,7; 2.Sam 20,23; 1.Kong 1,38; 1.Kong 1,44; 1.Krøn 18,17; Ez 25,16; Zef 2,5)15And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band.” (1.Sam 25,3)
David Defeats the Amalekites
16And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.17And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled.18David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. (1.Sam 30,8)19Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. (1.Sam 30,18)20David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him,[3] and said, “This is David’s spoil.”21Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. (1.Sam 30,10)22Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.”23But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us.24Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” (4.Mos 31,27; Josva 22,8)25And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.26When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord.”27It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir, (1.Mos 28,19; Josva 15,48; Dom 1,22)28in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa, (5.Mos 2,36; Josva 13,16; Josva 15,50)29in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites, (Dom 1,16; 1.Sam 27,10)30in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, (Dom 1,17)31in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed. (Josva 14,13; Dom 1,10; 2.Sam 2,1)