1Três 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 ateado o fogo;2mas levaram consigo mulheres, crianças e toda a gente que ali estava, pequenos e grandes, sem matar ninguém.3Logo que David e os seus homens chegaram à cidade, observaram que ela fora totalmente incendiada e que tinham levado as suas mulheres, com os filhos e filhas.4Ao verem aquilo e ao darem-se conta do que acontecera às suas famílias, todos choraram amargamente.5As duas mulheres de David, Ainoã, a jezreelita, e Abigail, a viúva de Nabal, o carmelita, encontravam-se também entre os cativos.6David estava seriamente preocupado, porque os homens, na sua grande dor por causa dos filhos que os amalequitas lhes tinham levado, falavam até em apedrejá-lo. No entanto, David tomou forças no SENHOR, seu Deus.7Então disse ao sacerdote Abiatar, filho de Aimeleque: “Traz-me aqui o éfode!”8E perguntou ao SENHOR: “Vou no encalço deles? Apanhá-los-emos?” O SENHOR respondeu-lhe: “Vai, persegue-os e recuperarás tudo o que vos levaram!”9David e os outros 600 homens partiram atrás dos amalequitas. Quando alcançaram o ribeiro de Besor, 200 deles estavam de tal maneira exaustos que não conseguiram atravessá-lo.10Mas os outros 400 prosseguiram na corrida.11A 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 e água para beber. Depois disso, ele 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.14Vínhamos de uma incursão militar na terra dos cretenses, e também no sul de Judá, e ainda na terra de Calebe; também incendiámos Ziclague.”15“Podes dizer-me para onde eles foram?” Ele respondeu: “Se jurares em nome de Deus que não me matas nem me entregas de novo ao meu amo, guiar-te-ei até eles.”16Assim levou-os ao acampamento dos amalequitas. Estavam espalhados numa grande área daquela terra, a comer, a beber e a dançar de alegria, por causa do enorme despojo que tinham trazido da Filisteia e de Judá.17David e os companheiros saltaram-lhes em cima e lutaram durante a noite toda e no dia seguinte até ao anoitecer. Os únicos que conseguiram escapar foram 400 rapazes que fugiram montados em camelos.18David recuperou tudo o que os amalequitas tinham levado e resgatou também as suas duas mulheres.19Recuperou todas as pessoas, desde as pequenas às grandes, os filhos e as filhas dos seus homens, e todos os despojos que os amalequitas tinham roubado.20Toda a gente juntou o gado e os rebanhos, conduzindo-os diante de si e exclamando: “Este é o teu despojo, David!”21Quando chegaram de novo ao ribeiro de Besor e se juntaram aos tais duzentos que não tinham podido continuar, por se encontrarem esgotados e sem forças, David saudou-os pacificamente.22Contudo, alguns dos que vinham com David, homens ruins e perversos, começaram a dizer: “Esses não vieram connosco, por isso, não hão de ter parte no despojo. Levem as mulheres e os filhos e vão embora.”23“Não, meus irmãos! O SENHOR guardou-nos e ajudou-nos a derrotar o inimigo.24Numa altura destas alguém poderia dar ouvidos a uma tal proposta? Vamos repartir o que obtivemos irmãmente com os que foram à batalha e com os que guardaram as bagagens.”25Foi assim que David fez desta uma lei para todo o Israel que ainda hoje é válida.26Quando chegou a Ziclague enviou parte do saque aos anciãos de Judá: “Isto é um presente tirado aos inimigos do SENHOR”, escreveu-lhes.27Estes 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 e Hebrom.
English Standard Version
David’s Wives Are Captured
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 fire2and taken captive the women and all* 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.6And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul,* each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.7And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.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.”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.10But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.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.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.”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.”
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.19Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all.20David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him,* 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.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.”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,28in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa,29in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites,30in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach,31in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.
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