David Rescues His Soldiers' Families
1 It took David and his men three days to reach Ziklag. But while they had been away, the Amalekites had been raiding in the desert around there. They had attacked Ziklag, burned it to the ground, 2 and had taken away the women and children. 3 When David and his men came to Ziklag, they saw the burned-out ruins and learned that their families had been taken captive. 4 They started crying and kept it up until they were too weak to cry any more. 5 David's two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, had been taken captive with everyone else.
6 David was desperate. His soldiers were so upset over what had happened to their sons and daughters that they were thinking about stoning David to death. But he felt the Lord God giving him strength, 7 and he said to the priest, “Abiathar, let's ask God what to do.”
Abiathar brought everything he needed to get answers from God, and he went over to David. 8 Then David asked the Lord, “Should I go after the people who raided our town? Can I catch up with them?”
“Go after them,” the Lord answered. “You will catch up with them, and you will rescue your families.”
9-10 David led his 600 men to Besor Gorge, but 200 of them were too tired to go across. So they stayed behind, while David and the other 400 men crossed the gorge.
11 Some of David's men found an Egyptian out in a field and took him to David. They gave the Egyptian some bread, and he ate it. Then they gave him a drink of water, 12 some dried figs, and two handfuls of raisins. This was the first time in three days he had tasted food or water. Now he felt much better.
13 “Who is your master?” David asked. “And where do you come from?”
“I'm from Egypt,” the young man answered. “I'm the servant of an Amalekite, but he left me here three days ago because I was sick. 14 We had attacked some towns in the desert where the Cherethites live, in the area that belongs to Judah, and in the desert where the Caleb clan lives. And we burned down Ziklag.”
15 “Will you take me to those Amalekites?” David asked.
“Yes, I will, if you promise with God as a witness that you won't kill me or hand me over to my master.”
16 He led David to the Amalekites. They were eating and drinking everywhere, celebrating because of what they had taken from Philistia and Judah. 17 David attacked just before sunrise the next day and fought until sunset. Four hundred Amalekites rode away on camels, but they were the only ones who escaped.
18 David rescued his two wives and everyone else the Amalekites had taken from Ziklag. 19 No one was missing—young or old, sons or daughters. David brought back everything that had been stolen, 20 including their livestock.
David also took the sheep and cattle that the Amalekites had with them, but he kept these separate from the others. Everyone agreed that these would be David's reward.
21 On the way back, David went to the 200 men he had left at Besor Gorge, because they had been too tired to keep up with him. They came toward David and the people who were with him. When David was close enough, he greeted the 200 men and asked how they were doing.
22 Some of David's men were good-for-nothings, and they said, “Those men didn't go with us to the battle, so they don't get any of the things we took back from the Amalekites. Let them take their wives and children and go!”
23 But David said:
My friends, don't be so greedy with what the Lord has given us! The Lord protected us and gave us victory over the people who attacked. 24 Who would pay attention to you, anyway? Soldiers who stay behind to guard the camp get as much as those who go into battle.
25 David made this a law for Israel, and it has been the same ever since.
26 David went back to Ziklag with everything they had taken from the Amalekites. He sent some of these things as gifts to his friends who were leaders of Judah, and he told them, “We took these things from the Lord's enemies. Please accept them as a gift.”
27-31 This is a list of the towns where David sent gifts: Bethel, Ramoth in the Southern Desert, Jattir, Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, Racal, the towns belonging to the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites, Hormah, Bor-Ashan, Athach, and Hebron. He also sent gifts to the other towns where he and his men had traveled.
Dāvids atbrīvo Ciklagas gūstekņus
1 Kad Dāvids ar saviem vīriem trešajā dienā nonāca Ciklagā, amālēkieši bija sirojuši dienvidzemē un Ciklagā, nopostījuši Ciklagu un nodedzinājuši to ar uguni. 2 Viņi aizveda gūstā sievas, kas tur bija, un visus no maza līdz lielam, bet nevienu nenogalināja. Viņi aizgāja savu ceļu un aizveda tos visus sev līdzi. 3 Dāvids ar saviem vīriem ienāca pilsētā, un, redzi, tā bija nodedzināta ar uguni un viņu sievas, dēli un meitas aizvestas gūstā! 4 Dāvids un viņa ļaudis sāka vaimanāt un raudāja, kamēr vairs nebija spēka paraudāt. 5 Arī abas Dāvida sievas bija aizvestas gūstā – jizreēliete Ahīnoama un Abīgaila, karmelieša Nābāla atraitne. 6 Pats Dāvids bija lielos spaidos, jo ļaudis teicās viņu nomētāt akmeņiem – visi bija sarūgtināti par saviem dēliem un meitām. Tomēr Dāvids guva spēku Kungā, savā Dievā.
7 Dāvids teica priesterim Ebjātāram, Ahīmeleha dēlam: “Jel nes šurp man efodu!” Ebjātārs atnesa efodu Dāvidam, 8 un Dāvids izjautāja Kungu: “Vai man dzīties pakaļ šai bandai, vai es to panākšu?” Un viņš tam atbildēja: “Dzenies, jo tu tos noteikti panāksi un visu atgūsi!” 9 Tad Dāvids un viņa seši simti vīru devās ceļā un nonāca pie Besoras strauta, kur daļa no viņiem palika. 10 Dāvids ar četriem simtiem vīru turpināja vajāšanu, bet divi simti vīru, kas bija pārāk novārguši, lai šķērsotu Besoras strautu, palika tur. 11 Viņi uz lauka uzgāja kādu ēģiptieti un atgādāja to pie Dāvida. Viņi tam deva ēst, un tas ēda, un viņi to padzirdīja ar ūdeni. 12 Viņi iedeva tam gabalu vīģu plāceņa un divus rozīņu plāceņus. Viņš ēda un atguvās, jo neko nebija ne ēdis, ne dzēris trīs dienas un trīs naktis.
13 Tad Dāvids viņam jautāja: “Kas tu esi un no kurienes?” Puisis atbildēja: “Es esmu ēģiptietis, kāda amālēkieša vergs. Kad pirms trim dienām es saslimu, mans kungs mani pameta. 14 Mēs sirojām krētiešu dienvidzemē un tajā, kas Jūdā, un Kāleba dienvidzemē, un mēs ar uguni nodedzinājām Ciklagu.” 15 Dāvids viņam prasīja: “Vai tu mani aizvedīsi pie šīs bandas?” Viņš teica: “Zvēri man pie dieviem, ka tu mani nenonāvēsi un neatdosi manam kungam, un es tevi aizvedīšu pie šīs bandas.” 16 Viņš tos noveda lejā, un, redzi, tie bija izklīduši kur kurais – ēda, dzēra un līksmojās par milzīgo laupījumu, ko tie bija guvuši filistiešu un Jūdas zemē. 17 Dāvids tos kāva no krēslas līdz nākamās dienas vakaram, un neviens no tiem neizbēga kā vien četri simti jaunekļu, kas aizbēga jāšus uz kamieļiem. 18 Dāvids atguva visu, ko amālēkieši bija paņēmuši, Dāvids atdabūja arī abas savas sievas. 19 Neviena netrūka – ne maza, ne liela, ne dēlu, ne meitu, ne arī kas no laupījuma un visa, ko tie viņiem bija paņēmuši. To visu Dāvids atdeva ļaudīm atpakaļ. 20 Sev Dāvids ņēma visas avis un vēršus, un viņi dzina tos pa priekšu viņa ganāmpulkam, saukdami: “Šis ir Dāvida laupījums!” 21 Dāvids atgriezās pie tiem divi simti vīriem, kas bija pārāk novārguši, lai sekotu viņam, un kurus tie bija atstājuši pie Besoras strauta. Viņi iznāca pretī Dāvidam un viņa pulkam. Dāvids pienāca pie viņiem un sveicināja ar mieru.
22 Bet visi ļaunie un nelietīgie starp tiem, kas bija gājuši kopā ar Dāvidu, runāja: “Mēs ar viņiem nedalīsimies laupījumā, ko esam atguvuši, tāpēc ka šie nenāca kopā ar mums, – atdosim tikai katram viņa sievu un bērnus, lai ņem un staigā!”
23 Bet Dāvids teica: “Tā nedariet, mani brāļi, ar to, ko Kungs mums devis! Viņš mūs ir pasargājis un nodevis mūsu rokās to bandu, kas bija pret mums nākusi. 24 Kā lai paklausa jūsu vārdiem?! Tiem, kas palikuši pie mantām, pienākas tāda pati daļa kā tiem, kas gājuši karā. Lai visi dalās!” 25 Tā tas ir aizvien kopš tās dienas – viņš to padarīja par likumu un tiesu Israēlā līdz pat šai dienai.
26 Dāvids atgriezās Ciklagā un no laupījuma nosūtīja daļu Jūdas vecajiem, saviem draugiem, sacīdams: “Te jums svētības dāvana no laupījuma, kas atņemts Kunga ienaidniekiem.” 27 Nosūtīja tiem, kas Bētelē, tiem, kas Raāmot-Negebā, tiem, kas Jatīrā, 28 tiem, kas Aroērā, tiem, kas Sifmotā, tiem, kas Eštmo, 29 tiem, kas Rāhālā, tiem, kas jerahmeēliešu pilsētās, tiem, kas kēniešu pilsētās, 30 tiem, kas Hormā, tiem, kas Bor-Āšānā, tiem, kas Atāhā, 31 tiem, kas Hebronā un visur, kur Dāvids un viņa vīri bija staigājuši.
