< 1 Samuel 16 >

1 And the Lord said to Samuel: “How long will you mourn for Saul, though I have rejected him, so that he would not reign over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and approach, so that I may send you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have provided a king from among his sons for myself.”
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」。
2 And Samuel said: “How shall I go? For Saul will hear of it, and he will put me to death.” And the Lord said: “You shall take, by your hand, a calf from the herd. And you shall say, ‘I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord.’
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。
3 And you shall call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will reveal to you what you should do. And you shall anoint whomever I will indicate to you.”
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」。
4 Therefore, Samuel did just as the Lord told him. And he went to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city wondered. And meeting him, they said, “Is your arrival peaceful?”
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﹖」
5 And he said: “It is peaceful. I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord. Be sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice.
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。
6 And when they had entered, he saw Eliab, and he said, “Could he be the Christ in the sight of the Lord?”
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。
7 And the Lord said to Samuel: “You should not look with favor on his face, nor on the height of his stature. For I have rejected him. Neither do I judge by the appearance of a man. For man sees those things that are apparent, but the Lord beholds the heart.”
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。
8 And Jesse called Abinadab, and he brought him before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”
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」。
9 Then Jesse brought Shammah. And he said about him, “And the Lord has not chosen this one.”
葉瑟就叫沙瑪來,他又說:「這也不是不是上主所揀選的」。
10 And so Jesse brought his seven sons before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”
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」。
11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Could the sons now be completed?” But he responded, “There still remains a little one, and he pastures the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse: “Send and bring him. For we shall not recline to eat, until he arrives here.”
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」。
12 Therefore, he sent and brought him. Now he was ruddy, and beautiful to behold, and with a stately face. And the Lord said, “Rise up, anoint him! For it is he.”
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」。
13 Therefore, Samuel took the horn of oil, and he anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord was guiding David from that day and thereafter. And Samuel rose up, and he went away to Ramah.
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。
14 But the Spirit of the Lord withdrew from Saul, and a wicked spirit from the Lord disturbed him.
上主的神離棄了撒烏耳,便有惡神從上主那裏騷擾他。
15 And the servants of Saul said to him: “Behold, an evil spirit from God disturbs you.
撒烏耳的臣僕對他說:「看,由天主那裏來的惡神來騷擾你。
16 May our lord order, and your servants, who are before you, will seek a man skillful in playing a stringed instrument, so that when the evil spirit from the Lord assails you, he may play with his hand, and you may bear it more easily.”
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」。
17 And Saul said to his servants, “Then provide for me someone who can play well, and bring him to me.”
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」。
18 And one of the servants, responding, said: “Behold, I have seen the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, a skillful player, and very strong and robust, a man fit for war, and prudent in words, a handsome man. And the Lord is with him.”
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」。
19 Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, “Send to me your son David, who is in the pastures.”
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。
20 And so, Jesse took a donkey laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid from one of the goats, and he sent them, by the hand of his son David, to Saul.
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。
21 And David went to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him exceedingly, and he made him his armor bearer.
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。
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying: “Let David remain before my sight. For he has found favor in my eyes.”
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」。
23 And so, whenever the evil spirit from the Lord assailed Saul, David took up his stringed instrument, and he struck it with his hand, and Saul was refreshed and uplifted. For the evil spirit withdrew from him.
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。

< 1 Samuel 16 >