< 撒母耳記上 16 >
1 耶和華對撒母耳說:「我既厭棄掃羅作以色列的王,你為他悲傷要到幾時呢?你將膏油盛滿了角,我差遣你往伯利恆人耶西那裏去;因為我在他眾子之內,預定一個作王的。」
And the Lord said to Samuel. How It long wilt thou mourn for Saul, whom I have rejected from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and come, that I may send thee to Isai the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
2 撒母耳說:「我怎能去呢?掃羅若聽見,必要殺我。」耶和華說:「你可以帶一隻牛犢去,就說:『我來是要向耶和華獻祭。』
And Samuel said: How shall I go? for Saul will hear of it, and he will kill me. And the Lord said: Thou shalt take with thee a calf of the herd, and thou shalt say: I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.
3 你要請耶西來吃祭肉,我就指示你所當行的事。我所指給你的人,你要膏他。」
And thou shalt call Isai to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou art to do, and thou shalt anoint him whom I shall shew to thee.
4 撒母耳就照耶和華的話去行。到了伯利恆,那城裏的長老都戰戰兢兢地出來迎接他,問他說:「你是為平安來的嗎?」
Then Samuel did as the Lord had said to him. And he came to Bethlehem, and the ancients of the city wondered, and meeting him, they said: Is thy coming hither peaceable?
5 他說:「為平安來的,我是給耶和華獻祭。你們當自潔,來與我同吃祭肉。」撒母耳就使耶西和他眾子自潔,請他們來吃祭肉。
And he said: It is peaceable: I am come to offer sacrifice to the Lord, be ye sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Isai and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 他們來的時候,撒母耳看見以利押,就心裏說,耶和華的受膏者必定在他面前。
And when they were come in, he saw Eliab, and said: Is the Lord’s anointed before him?
7 耶和華卻對撒母耳說:「不要看他的外貌和他身材高大,我不揀選他。因為,耶和華不像人看人:人是看外貌;耶和華是看內心。」
And the Lord said to Samuel: Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature: because I have rejected him, nor do I judge according to the look of man: for man seeth those things that appear, but the Lord beholdeth the heart.
8 耶西叫亞比拿達從撒母耳面前經過,撒母耳說:「耶和華也不揀選他。」
And Isai called Abinadab, and brought him before Samuel. And he said: Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
9 耶西又叫沙瑪從撒母耳面前經過,撒母耳說:「耶和華也不揀選他。」
And Isai brought Samma, and he said of him: Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
10 耶西叫他七個兒子都從撒母耳面前經過,撒母耳說:「這都不是耶和華所揀選的。」
Isai therefore brought his seven sons before Samuel: and Samuel said to Isai: The Lord hath not chosen any one of these.
11 撒母耳對耶西說:「你的兒子都在這裏嗎?」他回答說:「還有個小的,現在放羊。」撒母耳對耶西說:「你打發人去叫他來;他若不來,我們必不坐席。」
And Samuel said to Isai: Are here all thy sons? He answered: There remaineth yet a young one, who keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said to Isai: Send, and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12 耶西就打發人去叫了他來。他面色光紅,雙目清秀,容貌俊美。耶和華說:「這就是他,你起來膏他。」
He sent therefore and brought him Now he was ruddy and beautiful to behold, and of a comely face. And the Lord said: Arise, and anoint him, for this is he.
13 撒母耳就用角裏的膏油,在他諸兄中膏了他。從這日起,耶和華的靈就大大感動大衛。撒母耳起身回拉瑪去了。
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward: and Samuel rose up, and went to Ramatha.
14 耶和華的靈離開掃羅,有惡魔從耶和華那裏來擾亂他。
But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.
15 掃羅的臣僕對他說:「現在有惡魔從上帝那裏來擾亂你。
And the servants of Saul said to him: Behold now an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.
16 我們的主可以吩咐面前的臣僕,找一個善於彈琴的來,等上帝那裏來的惡魔臨到你身上的時候,使他用手彈琴,你就好了。」
Let our lord give orders, and thy servants who are before thee will seek out a man skillful in playing on the harp, that when the evil spirit from the Lord is upon thee, he may play with his hand, and thou mayest bear it more easily.
17 掃羅對臣僕說:「你們可以為我找一個善於彈琴的,帶到我這裏來。」
And Saul said to his servants: Provide me then some man that can play well, and bring him to me.
18 其中有一個少年人說:「我曾見伯利恆人耶西的一個兒子善於彈琴,是大有勇敢的戰士,說話合宜,容貌俊美,耶和華也與他同在。」
And one of the servants answering, said: Behold I have seen a son of Isai the Bethlehemite, a skillful player, and one of great strength, and a man fit for war, and prudent in his words, and a comely person: and the Lord is with him.
19 於是掃羅差遣使者去見耶西,說:「請你打發你放羊的兒子大衛到我這裏來。」
Then Saul sent messengers to Isai, saying: Send me David thy son, who is in the pastures.
20 耶西就把幾個餅和一皮袋酒,並一隻山羊羔,都馱在驢上,交給他兒子大衛,送與掃羅。
And Isai took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid of the flock, and sent them by the hand of David his son to Saul.
21 大衛到了掃羅那裏,就侍立在掃羅面前。掃羅甚喜愛他,他就作了掃羅拿兵器的人。
And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him exceedingly, and made him his armourbearer.
22 掃羅差遣人去見耶西,說:「求你容大衛侍立在我面前,因為他在我眼前蒙了恩。」
And Saul sent to Isai, saying: Let David stand before me: for he hath found favour in my sight.
23 從上帝那裏來的惡魔臨到掃羅身上的時候,大衛就拿琴,用手而彈,掃羅便舒暢爽快,惡魔離了他。
So whensoever the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, David took his harp, and played with his hand, and Saul was refreshed, and was better, for the evil spirit departed from him.