The War against the Amalekites
1 Two days later David and his men arrived back at Ziklag. The Amalekites had raided southern Judah and attacked Ziklag. They had burned down the town 2 and captured all the women; they had not killed anyone, but had taken everyone with them when they left. 3 When David and his men arrived, they found that the town had been burned down and that their wives, sons, and daughters had been carried away. 4 David and his men started crying and did not stop until they were completely exhausted. 5 Even David's two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, had been taken away.
6 David was now in great trouble, because his men were all very bitter about losing their children, and they were threatening to stone him; but the Lord his God gave him courage. 7 David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod,” and Abiathar brought it to him. 8 David asked the Lord, “Shall I go after those raiders? And will I catch them?”
He answered, “Go after them; you will catch them and rescue the captives.”
9 So David and his six hundred men started out, and when they arrived at Besor Brook, some of them stayed there. 10 David continued on his way with four hundred men; the other two hundred men were too tired to cross the brook and so stayed behind. 11 The men with David found a young Egyptian out in the country and brought him to David. They gave him some food and water, 12 some dried figs, and two bunches of raisins. After he had eaten, his strength returned; he had not had anything to eat or drink for three full days. 13 David asked him, “Who is your master, and where are you from?”
“I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite,” he answered. “My master left me behind three days ago because I got sick. 14 We had raided the territory of the Cherethites in the southern part of Judah and the territory of the clan of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag.”
15 “Will you lead me to those raiders?” David asked him.
He answered, “I will if you promise me in God's name that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master.” 16 And he led David to them.
The raiders were scattered all over the place, eating, drinking, and celebrating because of the enormous amount of loot they had captured from Philistia and Judah. 17 At dawn the next day David attacked them and fought until evening. Except for four hundred young men who mounted camels and got away, none of them escaped. 18 David rescued everyone and everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives; 19 nothing at all was missing. David got back all his men's sons and daughters, and all the loot the Amalekites had taken. 20 He also recovered all the flocks and herds; his men drove all the livestock in front of them and said, “This belongs to David!”
21 Then David went back to the two hundred men who had been too weak to go with him and had stayed behind at Besor Brook. They came forward to meet David and his men, and David went up to them and greeted them warmly. 22 But some mean and worthless men who had gone with David said, “They didn't go with us, and so we won't give them any of the loot. They can take their wives and children and go away.”
23 But David answered, “My brothers, you can't do this with what the Lord has given us! He kept us safe and gave us victory over the raiders. 24 No one can agree with what you say! All must share alike: whoever stays behind with the supplies gets the same share as the one who goes into battle.” 25 David made this a rule, and it has been followed in Israel ever since.
26 When David returned to Ziklag, he sent part of the loot to his friends, the leaders of Judah, with the message, “Here is a present for you from the loot we took from the Lord's enemies.” 27 He sent it to the people in Bethel, to the people in Ramah in the southern part of Judah, and to the people in the towns of Jattir, 28 Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, 29 and Racal; to the clan of Jerahmeel, to the Kenites, 30 and to the people in the towns of Hormah, Borashan, Athach, 31 and Hebron. He sent it to all the places where he and his men had roamed.
David ta taataa Ovaamaleki ava va xwika po Siklag
1 Nefiku etitatu David novalumenhu vaye eshi ve uya kuSiklag, Ovaamaleki va li va homona oshilongo shokoumbuwanhu waSiklag, ndele va teya Siklag ndele ve shi xwika po. 2 Ndele venya va twala ovakainhu naaveshe ava va li mo nokutya, ouhanana novakulunhu ngaashi eenghwate. Inava dipaa nande umwe, ndelenee ve va kufa ndele va twikila ondjila yavo. 3 David novalumenhu vaye eshi ve uya moshilando, osho sha li po sha xwikwa po nomundilo, ndele ovana vavo ovamati noukadona va twalwa ngaashi eenghwatwe. 4 Opo nee David novakwaita vaye ava va li puye va yelula ondaka yavo ndele tava lili fiyo va loloka okulila. 5 Novalikadi vavali vaDavid, Ahinoam wokuJisreel naAbigail, omwalikadi waNabal, Omukarmel, ova twalwa yo ngaashi eenghwatwe. 6 Ndele David okwa li moudjuu muhapu, osheshi ovakwaita va popya kutya na dipawe nomamanya. Osheshi eemwenyo dovakwaita aveshe da li di udite ouyehame, keshe umwe molwovana ovamati vaye noukadona vaye. Ndelenee David okwe lipameka mOmwene Kalunga kaye. 7 Ndele David ta ti komupristeli Abjatar yaAhimelek: “Etele nge oshikutu shokomapepe.” Opo nee Abjatar a etela David oshikutu shokomapepe. 8 Ndele David okwa pula kOmwene ndele ta ti: “Ame ohandi ka shikula tuu ongudu oyo? Ohandi ke i hanga tuu?” Ndele Ye ta ti kuye: “I shikula, osheshi to ke i hanga shili ndele to ka xupifa mo venya.” 9 Opo nee David a fikama pamwe novalumenhu vaye omafele ahamano, ava va li puye. Ndele eshi ve uya kokamulonga Besor, ava va loloka, va fyaala po. 10 Osheshi David a shikula venya novalumenhu omafele ane, fimbo ovalumenhu omafele avali va kala konima, ava va li va loloka, va nyengwa okutauluka okamulonga Besor.
11 Opo nee va mona moixwa Omuegipiti umwe, ou ve mu eta kuDavid, ndele ve mu pa omingome a lye nomeva a nwe. 12 Ve mu pa vali oshikambi sheenghwiyu noikuki ivali yeeviinyu. Ndele ye eshi a lya omwenyo waye wa mona eenghono. Osheshi momafiku atatu nomaufiku atatu ina lya omungome ndele ina nwa omeva. 13 Ndele David te mu pula: “Oove lyelye? Ndele wa dja peni?” Ndele ye ta ti: “Aame omumati Omuegipiti, omupika womulumenhu Omuamalek. Nomwene wange okwa fiya nge po eshi nda kwatwa koudu; paife pa pita omafiku atatu. 14 Fye twa homona oshilongo shOvakereti kombinga yokoumbuwanhu noshilongo shokoumbuwanhu waJuda noshilongo shokoumbuwanhu waKaleb, ndele twa xwika po Siklag nomundilo.” 15 Ndele David te mu pula ta ti: “Ove to twala nge tuu kongudu oyo?” Ye ta ti: “Anene nge puKalunga nokutya, ito dipaa nge ndele ito yandje nge momake omwene wange. Opo nee ame ohandi ke ku twala kongudu oyo.” 16 Ndele ye eshi e mu twala ko, venya va li ve lihanena akushe moluhaela, va li tava li ndele tava nu, ndele tava dana oshivilo molwoixuulwa aishe inene ve i kufa moshilongo shOvafilisti nomoshilongo shaJuda.
17 Ndele David okwe va taataa okudja koshiwiwili shonguloshi fiyo onguloshi yefiku la shikula, inapa xupifwa nande umwe ponho yovamati omafele ane, ava va londa eengamelo ndele va ya onhapo. 18 Osho ngaha David a xupifa aveshe ovo Ovaamaleki va kufile. Novalikadi vaye vavali yo David e va xupifa. 19 Muvo inamu yongolwa nande umwe, okahanana ile omukulunhu, ovana ovamati ile oukadona ile shimwe shomoixuulwa, nande shimwe shomwaashishe venya va ile nasho. David okwa alula ashishe. 20 Ndele David okwa kufa oimuna aishe neengobe. Vo ove i pitifa komesho yoimuna ikwao ndele tava ti: “Oyo oixuulwa yaDavid.” 21 David eshi e uya kovalumenhu omafele avali venya va li va loloka inava shiiva okushikula David, ava va fiwa po pokamulonga kaBesor, vo ova fikama va ka shakeneke David novakwaita vaye, ava va li puye. Ndele David novakwaita vaye va ehena popepi ndele ve va kunda. 22 Opo nee ovanhu vai aveshe novakolokoshi vomovalumenhu ovo va ile pamwe naDavid, va hovela okupopya, tava ti: Shaashi nye inamu enda pamwe nafye, fye itatu ke mu pa sha shomoixuulwa oyo twe i kwata. Ndelenee vo, keshe umwe, nava pewe omwalikadi waye novana vaye, ndele nava ye nondjila yavo. 23 Ndelenee David okwa tya: “Ovakwetu, inamu ninga ngaha noinima oyo Omwene e tu pa. Ye okwe tu amena ndele okwa yandja momake etu ongudu oyo ye tu homona. 24 Ndele olyelye ngeno te mu udu moshinima eshi? Osheshi ngaashi oshitukulwa shaau ta i kolwoodi, nosho yo oshitukulwa shaau ta kala ponghuta. Nai tukulwe i fike pamwe.” 25 Osho sha kala okudja efiku linya nokomesho. Heeno, ye e shi pameka ngaashi onghedimhango nelombwelo laIsrael fiyo onena eli.
26 David eshi e uya kuSiklag, okwa kufa imwe yomoixuulwa nokwe i tuma kovakulunhu vaJuda, kovakwanepata vaye, ndele ta ti: “Oyo oshali yeni yomoixuulwa yovatondadi vOmwene.” 27 Okwe i tumina ovanhu vomuBetel, ovanhu vomuRamot moshilongo shokoumbuwanhu waJuda, nokovanhu vomuJattir, 28 Aroer, Sifmot, Estemoa, 29 Ragal, Ovajerahmeel naava vomomikunda daKehi 30 Horma, Bor-Asan, novomuAtak, 31 vomuHebron nokeenhele adishe David novalumenhu vaye va endele ko.
