1 Samuel 30
1 Three days later, when David and his men arrived at Ziklag, [they discovered that] men of the Amalek people-group had raided Ziklag and [towns in] the southern part of Judah. They had destroyed Ziklag and burned down all the buildings.
| וַיְהִי בְּבֹא דָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו צִֽקְלַג בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וַעֲמָלֵקִי פָֽשְׁטוּ אֶל־נֶגֶב וְאֶל־צִקְלַג וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־צִקְלַג וַיִּשְׂרְפוּ אֹתָהּ בָּאֵֽשׁ׃ |
2 They had captured the women [and the children] and everyone else, and had taken them away. But they had not killed anyone.
| וַיִּשְׁבּוּ אֶת־הַנָּשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ מִקָּטֹן וְעַד־גָּדוֹל לֹא הֵמִיתוּ אִישׁ וַיִּֽנְהֲגוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ לְדַרְכָּֽם׃ |
3 When David and his men came to Ziklag, they saw that the town had been burned, and that their wives and sons and daughters had been captured and taken away.
| וַיָּבֹא דָוִד וַֽאֲנָשָׁיו אֶל־הָעִיר וְהִנֵּה שְׂרוּפָה בָּאֵשׁ וּנְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם וּבְנֹתֵיהֶם נִשְׁבּֽוּ׃ |
4 David and his men cried loudly, until [they were so weak that] they could not cry [any more].
| וַיִּשָּׂא דָוִד וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר־אִתּוֹ אֶת־קוֹלָם וַיִּבְכּוּ עַד אֲשֶׁר אֵין־בָּהֶם כֹּחַ לִבְכּֽוֹת׃ |
5 David’s two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, had also been taken away.
| וּשְׁתֵּי נְשֵֽׁי־דָוִד נִשְׁבּוּ אֲחִינֹעַם הַיִּזְרְעֵלִית וַאֲבִיגַיִל אֵשֶׁת נָבָל הַֽכַּרְמְלִֽי׃ |
6 David’s men were threatening to [kill him by] throwing stones at him, because they were very angry because their sons and daughters [had been taken away]. David was very distressed, but Yahweh his God gave him strength.
| וַתֵּצֶר לְדָוִד מְאֹד כִּֽי־אָמְרוּ הָעָם לְסָקְלוֹ כִּֽי־מָרָה נֶפֶשׁ כָּל־הָעָם אִישׁ עַל־בנו בָּנָיו וְעַל־בְּנֹתָיו וַיִּתְחַזֵּק דָּוִד בַּיהוָה אֱלֹהָֽיו׃ |
7 David [did not know what to do, so he] said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring to me the sacred vest.” So Abiathar brought it,
| וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל־אֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֵן בֶּן־אֲחִימֶלֶךְ הַגִּֽישָׁה־נָּא לִי הָאֵפֹד וַיַּגֵּשׁ אֶבְיָתָר אֶת־הָאֵפֹד אֶל־דָּוִֽד׃ |
8 and David asked Yahweh, “Should I [and my men] pursue the men [who took our families]? Will we [be able to] catch up to them?” Yahweh answered [by means of the stones in Abiathar’s sacred pouch], “Yes, pursue them. You will catch up to them, and you will be able to rescue [your families].”
| וַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִד בַּֽיהוָה לֵאמֹר אֶרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵי הַגְּדוּד־הַזֶּה הַֽאַשִּׂגֶנּוּ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ רְדֹף כִּֽי־הַשֵּׂג תַּשִּׂיג וְהַצֵּל תַּצִּֽיל׃ |
9 So David and the 600 men who were with him left, and they came to the Besor Ravine. Some of his men stayed there [with some of their supplies].
| וַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִד הוּא וְשֵׁשׁ־מֵאוֹת אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד־נַחַל הַבְּשׂוֹר וְהַנּֽוֹתָרִים עָמָֽדוּ׃ |
10 David and 400 men continued to pursue [the men who captured their families]. The other 200 men stayed there at the ravine, because they were so exhausted that they could not cross the ravine.
| וַיִּרְדֹּף דָּוִד הוּא וְאַרְבַּע־מֵאוֹת אִישׁ וַיַּֽעַמְדוּ מָאתַיִם אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר פִּגְּרוּ מֵעֲבֹר אֶת־נַחַל הַבְּשֽׂוֹר׃ |
11 [As David and the 400 men were going], they saw a man from Egypt in a field; so they took him to David. They gave the man some water to drink and some food to eat.
| וַֽיִּמְצְאוּ אִישׁ־מִצְרִי בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיִּקְחוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל־דָּוִד וַיִּתְּנוּ־לוֹ לֶחֶם וַיֹּאכַל וַיַּשְׁקֻהוּ מָֽיִם׃ |
12 They also gave him a piece of fig cake and two clusters/packs of raisins. The man had not had anything to eat or drink for three days and nights, but [after he ate and drank] he felt refreshed.
| וַיִּתְּנוּ־לוֹ פֶלַח דְּבֵלָה וּשְׁנֵי צִמֻּקִים וַיֹּאכַל וַתָּשָׁב רוּחוֹ אֵלָיו כִּי לֹֽא־אָכַל לֶחֶם וְלֹא־שָׁתָה מַיִם שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה לֵילֽוֹת׃ |
13 David asked him, “Who is your master? And where do you come from?” He replied, “I am from Egypt. I am a slave of a man from the Amalek people-group. Three days ago my master left me here, because I was sick [and I was not able to go with them].
| וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ דָוִד לְֽמִי־אַתָּה וְאֵי מִזֶּה אָתָּה וַיֹּאמֶר נַעַר מִצְרִי אָנֹכִי עֶבֶד לְאִישׁ עֲמָֽלֵקִי וַיַּעַזְבֵנִי אֲדֹנִי כִּי חָלִיתִי הַיּוֹם שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ |
14 We had raided the southern part of Judah where the Kereth people-group live, and some other towns in Judah, and the area south [of Hebron city] where the descendants of Caleb live. We also burned Ziklag [town].”
| אֲנַחְנוּ פָּשַׁטְנוּ נֶגֶב הַכְּרֵתִי וְעַל־אֲשֶׁר לִֽיהוּדָה וְעַל־נֶגֶב כָּלֵב וְאֶת־צִקְלַג שָׂרַפְנוּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃ |
15 David asked him, “Can you lead us to this group of raiders?” He replied, “Yes, [I will do that] if you ask God to listen while you promise that you will not kill me or give me back to my master. If you promise that, I will take you to them.”
| וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו דָּוִד הֲתוֹרִדֵנִי אֶל־הַגְּדוּד הַזֶּה וַיֹּאמֶר הִשָּׁבְעָה לִּי בֵֽאלֹהִים אִם־תְּמִיתֵנִי וְאִם־תַּסְגִּרֵנִי בְּיַד־אֲדֹנִי וְאוֹרִֽדְךָ אֶל־הַגְּדוּד הַזֶּֽה׃ |
16 [David agreed to do that, ] so the man from Egypt led David [and his men] to where the men from the Amalek people-group were. Those men were lying on the ground, eating and drinking and celebrating because of having captured many things from the Philistia and Judah areas.
| וַיֹּרִדֵהוּ וְהִנֵּה נְטֻשִׁים עַל־פְּנֵי כָל־הָאָרֶץ אֹכְלִים וְשֹׁתִים וְחֹגְגִים בְּכֹל הַשָּׁלָל הַגָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר לָקְחוּ מֵאֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים וּמֵאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָֽה׃ |
17 David [and his men] fought against them from sunset that day until the evening of the following day. Four hundred of them escaped and rode away on camels, but none of the others escaped.
| וַיַּכֵּם דָּוִד מֵהַנֶּשֶׁף וְעַד־הָעֶרֶב לְמָֽחֳרָתָם וְלֹֽא־נִמְלַט מֵהֶם אִישׁ כִּי אִם־אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִֽישׁ־נַעַר אֲשֶׁר־רָכְבוּ עַל־הַגְּמַלִּים וַיָּנֻֽסוּ׃ |
18 David rescued his two wives, and he and his men got back everything else that the men of the Amalek people-group had taken.
| וַיַּצֵּל דָּוִד אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר לָקְחוּ עֲמָלֵק וְאֶת־שְׁתֵּי נָשָׁיו הִצִּיל דָּוִֽד׃ |
19 Nothing was missing. They took all their people back [to Ziklag]—young people and old people, [their wives], their sons and their daughters. They also recovered all the other things that the men of the Amalek people-group had taken from Ziklag.
| וְלֹא נֶעְדַּר־לָהֶם מִן־הַקָּטֹן וְעַד־הַגָּדוֹל וְעַד־בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת וּמִשָּׁלָל וְעַד כָּל־אֲשֶׁר לָקְחוּ לָהֶם הַכֹּל הֵשִׁיב דָּוִֽד׃ |
20 They took with them the sheep and cattle that had been captured, and his men caused those animals to go in front of them, saying, “These are animals that we captured in the battle; they belong to David!”
| וַיִּקַּח דָּוִד אֶת־כָּל־הַצֹּאן וְהַבָּקָר נָהֲגוּ לִפְנֵי הַמִּקְנֶה הַהוּא וַיֹּאמְרוּ זֶה שְׁלַל דָּוִֽד׃ |
21 David and his men got back to where the other 200 men were waiting, the men who did not go with David because they were very exhausted. They had stayed at Besor Ravine. [When they saw David and his men coming], they went out to greet them. And David [greeted them and] said to them, “I hope that things are going well with you!”
| וַיָּבֹא דָוִד אֶל־מָאתַיִם הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶֽׁר־פִּגְּרוּ ׀ מִלֶּכֶת ׀ אַחֲרֵי דָוִד וַיֹּֽשִׁיבֻם בְּנַחַל הַבְּשׂוֹר וַיֵּֽצְאוּ לִקְרַאת דָּוִד וְלִקְרַאת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר־אִתּוֹ וַיִּגַּשׁ דָּוִד אֶת־הָעָם וַיִּשְׁאַל לָהֶם לְשָׁלֽוֹם׃ |
22 But some of the men who had gone with David, men who were evil and troublemakers, said, “These 200 men did not go with us. So we should not give to them any of the things that we recovered/captured. Each of them should take only his wife and children and go [back to their homes].”
| וַיַּעַן כָּל־אִֽישׁ־רָע וּבְלִיַּעַל מֵֽהָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ עִם־דָּוִד וַיֹּאמְרוּ יַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־הָלְכוּ עִמִּי לֹֽא־נִתֵּן לָהֶם מֵהַשָּׁלָל אֲשֶׁר הִצַּלְנוּ כִּֽי־אִם־אִישׁ אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָיו וְיִנְהֲגוּ וְיֵלֵֽכוּ׃ |
23 David replied, “No, my fellow Israelis, it would not be right to divide up like that the things that Yahweh has allowed us to capture. Yahweh has protected us and enabled us to defeat the enemies who attacked our town.
| וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לֹֽא־תַעֲשׂוּ כֵן אֶחָי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־נָתַן יְהוָה לָנוּ וַיִּשְׁמֹר אֹתָנוּ וַיִּתֵּן אֶֽת־הַגְּדוּד הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ בְּיָדֵֽנוּ׃ |
24 (Who will pay attention to you if you say things like that?/No one will pay attention to you if you say things like that.) [RHQ] The men who stayed here with our supplies will get the same amount that the men who went into the battle will get. They will all receive the same amount.”
| וּמִי יִשְׁמַע לָכֶם לַדָּבָר הַזֶּה כִּי כְּחֵלֶק ׀ הַיֹּרֵד בַּמִּלְחָמָה וּֽכְחֵלֶק הַיֹּשֵׁב עַל־הַכֵּלִים יַחְדָּו יַחֲלֹֽקוּ׃ |
25 David made that to be a law [DOU] for the Israeli people, and that is still a law in Israel.
| וַיְהִי מֵֽהַיּוֹם הַהוּא וָמָעְלָה וַיְשִׂמֶהָ לְחֹק וּלְמִשְׁפָּט לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ |
26 When David [and all the others] arrived in Ziklag, David sent to his friends who were leaders in Judah some of the things that they had captured from the Amalek people-group. He said to them, “Here is a present for you. These are things that we took from Yahweh’s enemies.”
| וַיָּבֹא דָוִד אֶל־צִקְלַג וַיְשַׁלַּח מֵֽהַשָּׁלָל לְזִקְנֵי יְהוּדָה לְרֵעֵהוּ לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה לָכֶם בְּרָכָה מִשְּׁלַל אֹיְבֵי יְהוָֽה׃ |
27 [Here is a list of the cities and towns to whose leaders David sent gifts: ] Bethel, Ramoth in the southern part of Judah, Jattir,
| לַאֲשֶׁר בְּבֵֽית־אֵל וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּרָמֽוֹת־נֶגֶב וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּיַתִּֽר׃ |
28 Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,
| וְלַאֲשֶׁר בַּעֲרֹעֵר וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּשִֽׂפְמוֹת וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּאֶשְׁתְּמֹֽעַ׃ |
29 Racal, the cities where the descendants of Jehrameel lived and the cities where the Ken people-group lived,
| וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּרָכָל וְלַֽאֲשֶׁר בְּעָרֵי הַיְּרַחְמְאֵלִי וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּעָרֵי הַקֵּינִֽי׃ |
30 Hormah, Bor-Ashan, Athach,
| וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּחָרְמָה וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּבוֹר־עָשָׁן וְלַאֲשֶׁר בַּעֲתָֽךְ׃ |
31 Hebron, and all the other places where David and his men had gone [when they were hiding from Saul].
| וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּחֶבְרוֹן וּֽלְכָל־הַמְּקֹמוֹת אֲשֶֽׁר־הִתְהַלֶּךְ־שָׁם דָּוִד הוּא וַאֲנָשָֽׁיו׃ |
