1 David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day, but the Amalekites had just raided the Negeb and Ziklag, storming it and burning it to the ground.
2 They had taken captive the women and all who were in the city, young and old. They killed no one but carried them off when they left.
3 When they reached the town, David and his men found it burned to the ground and their wives, sons and daughters taken captive.
4 Then David and those with him wept aloud until they could weep no more.
5 David's two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, widow of Nabal of Carmel had also been taken captive.
6 Now David was greatly distressed because the people were talking of stoning him; for they were embittered because of what had happened to their sons and daughters. But David found strength in Yahweh his God.
7 David told Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, to bring him the ephod. So Abiathar brought the ephod to David
8 who then consulted Yahweh, "Shall I go after these raiders? Can I overtake them?" The answer was, "Go after them for you shall surely overtake them and recover the captives."
9 David set out with his six hundred men and they reached the brook of Besor. There, two hundred men stayed behind, for they were too exhausted to cross the brook,
10 and David continued the chase with four hundred men.
11 They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. They gave him food, which he ate, and water to drink.
12 They gave him a piece of fig cake and two pieces of raisin cake. The Egyptian ate and recovered his strength, for he had been three days and three nights without eating or drinking.
13 David then questioned him, "To whom do you belong, and where do you come from?" He answered, "I am an Egyptian, slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me because I fell sick three days ago.
14 We raided the Negeb of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah and the Negeb of Caleb and set Ziklag on fire."
15 David then asked him, "Will you lead me to this raiding band?" He replied, "Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master and I will lead you to this raiding band."
16 So the Egyptian led David to the raiding band whom they found scattered all over the ground, eating, drinking, dancing and feasting with the spoils they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.
17 David fought them from early morning to the evening of the following day, allowing no one to escape except four hundred young men who mounted their camels and fled.
18 David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken and rescued his two wives.
19 Nothing and no one was missing, small or great, son or daughter, booty or anything the Amalekites had taken. David brought back everything.
20 He then gathered flocks and herds and the people drove them before him, saying, "These are David's spoils!"
21 David reached the two hundred men who had been too tired to follow him, and were left behind at the Besor brook. These men came to meet David and those who were with him. David then drew near and greeted them.
22 But the malicious and worthless people among those who had accompanied David said, "Since they did not come with us, we shall not share the booty with them; let each of them take his wife and children and leave."
23 But David said, "My brothers, you shall not do that after what Yahweh has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the band that raided us.
24 Who would agree to what you have said? The share of those who go down to battle and of those who remain with the baggage shall be the same; they shall share alike."
25 From that day to the present, this has been a statute and custom for Israel.
26 When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent part of the booty to the elders of Judah, to each of his friends, saying, "This is a gift to you from the booty of Yahweh's enemies:
27 to those in Bethel, in Ramoth-negeb, in Jattir,
28 in Aroer, in Sipmoth, in Eshtemoa,
29 in Racal, in the Jerahmeelite cities, in the Kenite cities,
30 in Hormah, in Borashan,
31 in Athach, in Hebron, and in all the places where David and his men had stayed.
Versículos relacionados com 1 Samuel, 30:
1 Samuel 30 narrates the episode in which David and his men return to Ziclague and discover that the city was looted and their women and children were taken as captive by the Amalequitas. David leads his men in search of the Amalequites and, with the help of God, defeats them and rescues their families. The verses selected below deal with topics such as the loss and recovery of goods and family, the importance of trust in God in difficult times and generosity and social responsibility.
Genesis 14:16: "And brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, and the women and the people." This verse reports the rescue of Lot and his goods after he was captured by the kings who warned in the region. Just as David rescued his family and goods, Abram also rescued Lot and his goods. Both trusted God and were successful in their mission.
Psalm 34:18: "Near the lord of those who have a broken heart and save those of the oppressed spirit." This verse talks about God's proximity to those who are going through difficult times. When David and his men arrived in Ziclague and found that their families had been captured, they were devastated and their hearts broken. This verse highlights the importance of trust in God in times of adversity.
Proverbs 3:27: "Do not refuse a favor to those who need it, being in your hands the ability to accomplish it." This verse talks about the importance of being generous and helping those who need it. When David and his men rescued their families, they also found an Egyptian abandoned by the Amalequites. They fed him and took care of him before interrogating him and finding the location of the Amalequitas. This verse highlights the importance of generosity and social responsibility.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4: "Blessed be the God and the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Mercies and God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our tribulation, so that we may also comfort those who are in any Anguish, with the consolation with which we ourselves are comforted by God. " This excerpt talks about the consolation that God offers us in times of tribulation and how we can use it to comfort those who are also experiencing difficulties. When David and his men found the Egyptian abandoned by the Amalequites, they fed him and took care of him before interrogating him and discovering the location of the Amalequitas. This verse highlights the importance of being comforted by God so that we can comfort others.
Matthew 6:19-21: "You do not accumulate to you treasures on the earth, where trace and rust run and where thieves steal and steal; but gather to you treasures in the sky, where neither the trace nor the rust corrupt, and where Thieves do not dig or steal; for where your treasure is, there will be your heart too. " These verses address the importance of valuing and investing in eternal things rather than earthly treasures, which are perishable and can be lost. The text reminds us that the place where we deposit our riches reveals the true position of our hearts.
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