撒母耳記上 16
1 上主對撒慕爾說：「我既然廢棄廢棄了撒烏耳，不要他作以色列的君王，你為他要悲傷到幾時呢﹖把你的角盛滿油，我派你到白冷人葉瑟那裏去，因為在他的兒子中，我已為我選定了一位君王」。
The Lord asked Samuel, “How long are you going to continue to mourn over Saul because I have rejected him as king of Israel? Fill your flask with olive oil and go. I'm sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen a king for myself from among his sons.”
2 撒慕爾回答說：「怎能去﹖撒烏耳聽說了，必要殺我」。上主回答說：「你手裏牽一頭小母牛說：我為祭獻上主而來。
“How can I go and do that?” Samuel asked. “Saul will hear about it and kill me!” The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I've come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
3 你請葉瑟參與祭獻，我要告訴你當作的事，你要為我指要你的人傅油」。
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you have to do. Anoint for me the one I tell you to.”
4 撒慕爾遂依照上主吩咐他的作了。及至到白冷，城內的長老都戰憟前來迎接他說：「你駕臨這裏平安嗎﹖」
Samuel did what the Lord had told him to and went to Bethlehem. When the town elders met him, they were afraid and asked him, “Do you come in peace?”
5 他回答說：「平安，我是為祭獻上主而來的，你們應聖潔自己，來同我一同獻祭」。他聖潔了葉瑟和他的兒子，請他們來參與祭獻。
“Yes, I come in peace,” he replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He purified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 他們一來到，他見了厄里雅布，心裏想：這一定是立在上主前的受傅者。
When they arrived and Samuel saw Eliab, he said to himself, “This has got to be the Lord's anointed!”
7 但上主對撒慕爾說：「你不要注意他的容貌和他高大的身材，我拒絕要他，因為天主的看法人不同：人看外貌，上主卻看人心。
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don't look at his outward appearance or how tall he is because I have rejected him, for the Lord does not look as human beings do. Human beings only see with their eyes what's on the outside, but the Lord looks at the way people think deep inside.”
8 葉瑟叫阿彼納達布來，領他到撒慕爾面前；但是他說：「這也不是不是上主所揀選的」。
Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him come before Samuel, who said, “The Lord hasn't chosen this one either.”
9 葉瑟就叫沙瑪來，他又說：「這也不是不是上主所揀選的」。
Then Jesse had Shammah come forward. But Samuel said, “The Lord hasn't chosen this one either.”
10 葉瑟就叫他的七個兒子都到撒慕爾面前來，旦2對葉瑟說：「上主沒有揀選這些人」。
Jesse had seven of his sons come before Samuel, but Samuel told him, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”
11 撒慕爾於是問葉瑟說：「孩子們全到了嗎﹖」他回答說：「還有一個最小的，他正在放羊」。撒慕爾葉瑟說：「快派人帶他來，因為他不來，我們決不入席」。
So he asked Jesse, “Don't you have any more sons?” “Well, there's still the youngest,” Jesse replied, “but he is out looking after the sheep.” “Send for him and bring him here because we will not sit down and eat until he gets here,” Samuel told Jesse.
12 於是派人把他帶來，他是一個有血色，眉清目秀，外貌英的少年。上主說：「起來，給他傅油，就是這一位」。
So Jesse sent for him and brought him in. He had a red complexion with beautiful eyes, and looked handsome. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him, for he's the one.”
13 撒慕爾拿起油角來，在他兄弟們中給他傅了油。從那天起，上主的神便降臨於達味。事後，撒慕爾起身回了辣瑪。
Samuel took the flask of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came on David in power from that day on. Then Samuel left and returned to Ramah.
14 上主的神離棄了撒烏耳，便有惡神從上主那裏騷擾他。
The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.
15 撒烏耳的臣僕對他說：「看，由天主那裏來的惡神來騷擾你。
Saul's servants told him, “It's definitely an evil spirit from God that's tormenting you.
16 只要我主吩咐一聲，你跟前的臣僕便會去找一個善於彈琴的人來，當惡神由天主那裏手到你身上時，叫他彈奏，你必感到舒服」。
Give us your servants here the order to find someone who is good at playing the harp so that when the evil spirit from God comes on you, he can play and you'll feel much better.”
17 撒烏耳就對他的臣僕說：「好，你們給我找一個彈於彈奏的人，引來見我」。
Saul gave the order to his servants, “Find me someone who is good at playing the harp and bring him to me.”
18 有個僕人立刻提議，說：「我見過白冷人葉瑟的一個兒子會彈奏，這人又驍勇善戰，擅於辭令，身材英俊，上主又與他同在」。
One of the servants replied, “I know a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who is good at playing the harp. He is a brave man, a good fighter, well-spoken and handsome, and the Lord is with him.”
19 撒烏耳遂派使者到葉瑟那裏說：「將你『那放羊』的兒子達味送到這裏來! 」葉瑟便了十個餅，一皮囊酒，一隻小山羊，叫他的兒子達味送給撒烏耳。
Saul sent messengers to Jesse, telling him, “Send me your son David who takes care of the sheep.”
20 達味於是來到撒烏耳前，侍立在他左右；撒烏耳很愛他，叫他作自己的持戟侍衛。
So Jesse loaded a donkey with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.
21 達味於是來到撒烏耳前，侍立在他左右；撒烏耳很愛他，叫他作自己的持戟侍衛。
David came to Saul and began working for him. Saul thought a great deal of him, and David became his armor-bearer.
22 撒烏耳於是派人到葉瑟那裏說：「讓達味侍立在我左右，因為他得了我的歡心」。
Saul sent a message to Jesse, saying, “Please allow David to continue working for me because I am pleased with him.”
23 每當惡神由天主降到撒烏耳身上時，達味就拿起琴來彈奏，撒烏耳就覺得爽快舒服，惡神也就離開了他。
So whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take his harp and play, and Saul would gain relief and feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
