David derrota a los amalecitas
1Al tercer día David y sus hombres llegaron a Siclag, pero se encontraron con que los amalecitas habían invadido la región del Néguev y que, luego de atacar e incendiar a Siclag, 2habían tomado cautivos a las mujeres y a todos los que estaban allí, desde el más grande hasta el más pequeño. Sin embargo, no habían matado a nadie.
3Cuando David y sus hombres llegaron, encontraron que la ciudad había sido quemada y que sus esposas, hijos e hijas habían sido llevados cautivos. 4David y los que estaban con él se pusieron a llorar y a gritar hasta quedarse sin fuerzas. 5También habían caído prisioneras dos esposas de David, la jezrelita Ajinoán y Abigaíl, la viuda de Nabal de Carmel.
6David se angustió, pues la tropa hablaba de apedrearlo; y es que todos se sentían amargados por la pérdida de sus hijos e hijas. Pero cobró ánimo y puso su confianza en el Señor su Dios. 7Entonces dijo al sacerdote Abiatar, hijo de Ajimélec:
—Tráeme el efod.
Tan pronto como Abiatar se lo trajo, 8David consultó al Señor:
—¿Debo perseguir a esa banda de saqueadores? ¿Los voy a alcanzar?
—Persíguelos —respondió el Señor—. Vas a alcanzarlos y rescatarás a los cautivos.
9David partió con sus seiscientos hombres hasta llegar al arroyo de Besor. Allí se quedaron rezagados 10doscientos hombres que estaban demasiado cansados para cruzar el arroyo. Así que David continuó la persecución con los cuatrocientos hombres restantes.
11Los hombres de David se encontraron en el campo con un egipcio, y se lo llevaron a David. Le dieron de comer y de beber, 12y le ofrecieron una torta de higo y dos tortas de uvas pasas, pues hacía tres días y tres noches que no había comido ni bebido nada. En cuanto el egipcio comió, recobró las fuerzas.
13—¿A quién perteneces? —preguntó David—. ¿De dónde vienes?
—Soy egipcio —respondió—, esclavo de un amalecita. Hace tres días caí enfermo, y mi amo me abandonó. 14Habíamos invadido la región sur de los quereteos, de Judá y de Caleb; también incendiamos Siclag.
15—Guíanos adonde está esa banda de saqueadores —dijo David.
—Júreme usted por Dios —suplicó el egipcio—, que no me matará ni me entregará a mi amo. Con esa condición, lo llevo adonde está la banda.
16El egipcio los guio hasta los amalecitas, los cuales estaban dispersos por todo el campo, comiendo, bebiendo y festejando el gran botín que habían conseguido en el territorio filisteo y en el de Judá. 17David los atacó al amanecer y los combatió hasta la tarde del día siguiente. Los únicos que lograron escapar fueron cuatrocientos muchachos que huyeron en sus camellos. 18David pudo recobrar todo lo que los amalecitas se habían robado, y también rescató a sus dos esposas. 19Nada les faltó del botín, ni grande ni pequeño, ni hijos ni hijas, ni ninguna otra cosa de lo que les habían quitado. 20David también se apoderó de todas las ovejas y vacas. La gente llevaba todo al frente y pregonaba: «¡Este es el botín de David!».
21Luego David regresó al arroyo de Besor, donde se habían quedado los doscientos hombres que estaban demasiado cansados para seguirlo. Ellos salieron al encuentro de David y su gente, y David, por su parte, se acercó para saludarlos. 22Pero entre los que acompañaban a David había gente mala y perversa que reclamó:
—Estos no vinieron con nosotros, así que no vamos a darles nada del botín que recobramos. Que tome cada uno a su esposa y a sus hijos y que se vaya.
23—No hagan eso, mis hermanos —respondió David—. Fue el Señor quien nos lo dio todo, quien nos protegió y puso en nuestras manos a esa banda de saqueadores que nos había atacado. 24¿Quién va a estar de acuerdo con ustedes? Del botín participan tanto los que se quedan cuidando el bagaje como los que van a la batalla.
25Aquel día David estableció ese estatuto como ley en Israel, la cual sigue vigente hasta el día de hoy.
26Después de llegar a Siclag, David envió parte del botín a sus amigos que eran jefes de Judá, con este mensaje: «Aquí tienen un regalo del botín que rescatamos de los enemigos del Señor».
27Recibieron ese regalo los ancianos de Betel, Ramot del Néguev, Jatir, 28Aroer, Sifmot, Estemoa, 29Racal, las ciudades de Jeramel, las ciudades quenitas 30de Jormá, Borasán, Atac, 31y Hebrón, y los ancianos de todos los lugares donde David y sus hombres habían vivido.
1And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; 2And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
3¶ So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. 4Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.30.6 grieved: Heb. bitter
7And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. 8And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all. 9So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed. 10But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
11¶ And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water; 12And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. 13And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick. 14We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire. 15And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.
16¶ And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. 17And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.30.17 the next…: Heb. their morrow 18And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives. 19And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all. 20And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil.
21¶ And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.30.21 saluted…: or, asked them how they did 22Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.30.22 those: Heb. men 23Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand. 24For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike. 25And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.30.25 forward: Heb. and forward
26¶ And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD;30.26 present: Heb. blessing 27To them which were in Beth-el, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir, 28And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa, 29And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites, 30And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chor-ashan, and to them which were in Athach, 31And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.
