1And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Tziklag on the third day, that the Amaleki had made a raid upon the South, and upon Tziklag, and had smitten Tziklag, and burned it with fire; 2and had taken captive the women and all that were therein, both small and great; they slew not any, but carried them off, and went their way. 3And when David and his men came to the city, 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, Akhino’am the Yizreilite, and Aviga’il the wife of Naval the Karmeli. 6And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David strengthened himself in יהוה his Elohim.
7And David said to Eivyatar the kohen, Ben Akhimelekh, “I pray, bring the efod here to me.” And Eivyatar brought the efod to David. 8And David inquired of יהוה , saying, “Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue; for you shall surely overtake them, and shall 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 stayed behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor. 11And they found a Mitzri in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and 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 came back to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drank any water, three days and three nights.
13And David said unto him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” And he said, “I am a young Mitzri, servant to an Amaleki; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick. 14We made a raid upon the South of the Kereti, and upon that which belongs to Yehudah, and upon the South of Kalev; and we burned Tziklag with fire.” 15And David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this troop?” And he said, “Swear unto me by Elohim, that you will neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop.” 16And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the ground, eating and drinking, and feasting, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the P’lishtim, and out of the land of Yehudah. 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, who rode upon camels and fled. 18And David recovered all that the Amaleki had taken; 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 brought back all.
20And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other cattle, and said, “This is David’s spoil.” 21And David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made 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.
22Then answered all the wicked men and base fellows, of those that went with David, and said, “Because they went not with us, we will not give them aught of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.”
23Then said David, “You shall not do so, my brethren, with that which יהוה has given unto us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand. 24And who will hearken unto you in this matter? For as is the share of him that goes down to the battle, so shall be the share of him that tarries by the baggage; they shall share alike.”
25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Yisra’el unto this day.
26And when David came to Tziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the z’kenim of Yehudah, even to his friends, saying, “Behold, a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of יהוה “; to27 them that were in Beit El, and to them that were in Ramot of the South, and to them that were in Yetir; 28and to them that were in Aro’er, and to them that were in Sifmot, and to them that were in Eshtemo’a; 29and to them that were in Rakhal, and to them that were in the cities of the Yerakhmeli, and to them that were in the cities of the Keini; 30and to them that were in Khormah, and to them that were in Bor Ashan, and to them that were in Atakh; 31and to them that were in Khevron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.
אוַיְהִי בְּבֹא דָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו צִקְלַג בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי; וַעֲמָלֵקִי פָשְׁטוּ אֶל נֶגֶב וְאֶל צִקְלַג וַיַּכּוּ אֶת צִקְלַג וַיִּשְׂרְפוּ אֹתָהּ בָּאֵשׁ. בוַיִּשְׁבּוּ אֶת הַנָּשִׁים אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ מִקָּטֹן וְעַד גָּדוֹל לֹא הֵמִיתוּ אִישׁ; וַיִּנְהֲגוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ לְדַרְכָּם. גוַיָּבֹא דָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו אֶל הָעִיר וְהִנֵּה שְׂרוּפָה בָּאֵשׁ; וּנְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם וּבְנֹתֵיהֶם נִשְׁבּוּ. דוַיִּשָּׂא דָוִד וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ אֶת קוֹלָם וַיִּבְכּוּ: עַד אֲשֶׁר אֵין בָּהֶם כֹּחַ לִבְכּוֹת. הוּשְׁתֵּי נְשֵׁי דָוִד נִשְׁבּוּ אֲחִינֹעַם הַיִּזְרְעֵלִית וַאֲבִיגַיִל אֵשֶׁת נָבָל הַכַּרְמְלִי. ווַתֵּצֶר לְדָוִד מְאֹד כִּי אָמְרוּ הָעָם לְסָקְלוֹ כִּי מָרָה נֶפֶשׁ כָּל הָעָם אִישׁ עַל בָּנָו וְעַל בְּנֹתָיו; וַיִּתְחַזֵּק דָּוִד בַּיהוה אֱלֹהָיו.
זוַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל אֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֵן בֶּן אֲחִימֶלֶךְ הַגִּישָׁה נָּא לִי הָאֵפוֹד; וַיַּגֵּשׁ אֶבְיָתָר אֶת הָאֵפוֹד אֶל דָּוִד. חוַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִד בַּיהוה לֵאמֹר אֶרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵי הַגְּדוּד הַזֶּה הַאַשִּׂגֶנּוּ; וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ רְדֹף כִּי הַשֵּׂג תַּשִּׂיג וְהַצֵּל תַּצִּיל.
טוַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִד הוּא וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד נַחַל הַבְּשׂוֹר; וְהַנּוֹתָרִים עָמָדוּ. יוַיִּרְדֹּף דָּוִד הוּא וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ; וַיַּעַמְדוּ מָאתַיִם אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר פִּגְּרוּ מֵעֲבֹר אֶת נַחַל הַבְּשׂוֹר. יאוַיִּמְצְאוּ אִישׁ מִצְרִי בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיִּקְחוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל דָּוִד; וַיִּתְּנוּ לוֹ לֶחֶם וַיֹּאכַל וַיַּשְׁקֻהוּ מָיִם. יבוַיִּתְּנוּ לוֹ פֶלַח דְּבֵלָה וּשְׁנֵי צִמֻּקִים וַיֹּאכַל וַתָּשָׁב רוּחוֹ אֵלָיו: כִּי לֹא אָכַל לֶחֶם וְלֹא שָׁתָה מַיִם שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה לֵילוֹת.
יגוַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ דָוִד לְמִי אַתָּה וְאֵי מִזֶּה אָתָּה; וַיֹּאמֶר נַעַר מִצְרִי אָנֹכִי עֶבֶד לְאִישׁ עֲמָלֵקִי וַיַּעַזְבֵנִי אֲדֹנִי כִּי חָלִיתִי הַיּוֹם שְׁלֹשָׁה. ידאֲנַחְנוּ פָּשַׁטְנוּ נֶגֶב הַכְּרֵתִי וְעַל אֲשֶׁר לִיהוּדָה וְעַל נֶגֶב כָּלֵב; וְאֶת צִקְלַג שָׂרַפְנוּ בָאֵשׁ. טווַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו דָּוִד הֲתוֹרִדֵנִי אֶל הַגְּדוּד הַזֶּה; וַיֹּאמֶר הִשָּׁבְעָה לִּי בֵאלֹהִים אִם תְּמִיתֵנִי וְאִם תַּסְגִּרֵנִי בְּיַד אֲדֹנִי וְאוֹרִדְךָ אֶל הַגְּדוּד הַזֶּה. טזוַיֹּרִדֵהוּ וְהִנֵּה נְטֻשִׁים עַל פְּנֵי כָל הָאָרֶץ; אֹכְלִים וְשֹׁתִים וְחֹגְגִים בְּכֹל הַשָּׁלָל הַגָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר לָקְחוּ מֵאֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים וּמֵאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה. יזוַיַּכֵּם דָּוִד מֵהַנֶּשֶׁף וְעַד הָעֶרֶב לְמָחֳרָתָם; וְלֹא נִמְלַט מֵהֶם אִישׁ כִּי אִם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ נַעַר אֲשֶׁר רָכְבוּ עַל הַגְּמַלִּים וַיָּנֻסוּ. יחוַיַּצֵּל דָּוִד אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לָקְחוּ עֲמָלֵק; וְאֶת שְׁתֵּי נָשָׁיו הִצִּיל דָּוִד. יטוְלֹא נֶעְדַּר לָהֶם מִן הַקָּטֹן וְעַד הַגָּדוֹל וְעַד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת וּמִשָּׁלָל וְעַד כָּל אֲשֶׁר לָקְחוּ לָהֶם: הַכֹּל הֵשִׁיב דָּוִד.
כוַיִּקַּח דָּוִד אֶת כָּל הַצֹּאן וְהַבָּקָר; נָהֲגוּ לִפְנֵי הַמִּקְנֶה הַהוּא וַיֹּאמְרוּ זֶה שְׁלַל דָּוִד. כאוַיָּבֹא דָוִד אֶל מָאתַיִם הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר פִּגְּרוּ מִלֶּכֶת אַחֲרֵי דָוִד וַיֹּשִׁיבֻם בְּנַחַל הַבְּשׂוֹר וַיֵּצְאוּ לִקְרַאת דָּוִד וְלִקְרַאת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ; וַיִּגַּשׁ דָּוִד אֶת הָעָם וַיִּשְׁאַל לָהֶם לְשָׁלוֹם.
כבוַיַּעַן כָּל אִישׁ רָע וּבְלִיַּעַל מֵהָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ עִם דָּוִד וַיֹּאמְרוּ יַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָלְכוּ עִמִּי לֹא נִתֵּן לָהֶם מֵהַשָּׁלָל אֲשֶׁר הִצַּלְנוּ: כִּי אִם אִישׁ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת בָּנָיו וְיִנְהֲגוּ וְיֵלֵכוּ.
כגוַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ כֵן אֶחָי: אֵת אֲשֶׁר נָתַן יהוה לָנוּ וַיִּשְׁמֹר אֹתָנוּ וַיִּתֵּן אֶת הַגְּדוּד הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ בְּיָדֵנוּ. כדוּמִי יִשְׁמַע לָכֶם לַדָּבָר הַזֶּה: כִּי כְּחֵלֶק הַיֹּרֵד בַּמִּלְחָמָה וּכְחֵלֶק הַיֹּשֵׁב עַל הַכֵּלִים יַחְדָּו יַחֲלֹקוּ.
כהוַיְהִי מֵהַיּוֹם הַהוּא וָמָעְלָה; וַיְשִׂמֶהָ לְחֹק וּלְמִשְׁפָּט לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה.
כווַיָּבֹא דָוִד אֶל צִקְלַג וַיְשַׁלַּח מֵהַשָּׁלָל לְזִקְנֵי יְהוּדָה לְרֵעֵהוּ לֵאמֹר: הִנֵּה לָכֶם בְּרָכָה מִשְּׁלַל אֹיְבֵי יהוה . כזלַאֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית אֵל וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּרָמוֹת נֶגֶב וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּיַתִּר. כחוְלַאֲשֶׁר בַּעֲרֹעֵר וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּשִׂפְמוֹת וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּאֶשְׁתְּמֹעַ. כטוְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּרָכָל וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּעָרֵי הַיְּרַחְמְאֵלִי וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּעָרֵי הַקֵּינִי. לוְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּחָרְמָה וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּבוֹר עָשָׁן וְלַאֲשֶׁר בַּעֲתָךְ. לאוְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּחֶבְרוֹן; וּלְכָל הַמְּקֹמוֹת אֲשֶׁר הִתְהַלֶּךְ שָׁם דָּוִד הוּא וַאֲנָשָׁיו.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 