1 Samuel 16

1 Finally, Yahweh said to Samuel, “I have decided that I will not allow Saul to continue to be the king. So you should not [RHQ] keep feeling sad [about what he has done]. Put some olive oil in a small container and go to Bethlehem [to anoint someone with the oil, and appoint him to be king]. I am sending you there to a man named Jesse, because I have chosen one of his sons to be the king [of Israel].”

١ وَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لِصَمُوئِيلَ: «إِلَى مَتَى تَظَلُّ تَنُوحُ عَلَى شَاوُلَ وَأَنَا قَدْ رَفَضْتُهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَلِكاً عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ؟ امْلأْ قَرْنَكَ بِالزَّيْتِ وَتَعَالَ أُرْسِلْكَ إِلَى يَسَّى الْمُقِيمِ فِي بَيْتِ لَحْمٍ، لأَنِّي قَدِ اخْتَرْتُ أَحَدَ أَبْنَائِهِ لِيَكُونَ مَلِكاً».

2 But Samuel said, “I am afraid [RHQ] to do that! If Saul hears about it, he will kill me!” Yahweh said, “Take a (heifer/young female cow) with you, and say to people that you have come to [kill it and] offer it as a sacrifice to me.

٢ فَقَالَ صَمُوئِيلُ: «كَيْفَ أَذْهَبُ؟ إِنْ بَلَغَ شَاوُلَ الأَمْرُ يَقْتُلْنِي». فَأَجَابَهُ الرَّبُّ: «خُذْ مَعَكَ عِجْلَةً وَقُلْ قَدْ جِئْتُ لأَذْبَحَ لِلرَّبِّ.

3 “Invite Jesse to come to the sacrifice. [When he comes, ] I will show you what you should do. And I will show you which of his sons [I have chosen to be the king]. Then you should anoint that one [with the olive oil to be the king].”

٣ وَادْعُ يَسَّى لِحُضُورِ تَقْدِيمِ الذَّبِيحَةِ وَأَنَا أُلَقِّنُكَ مَاذَا تَصْنَعُ، فَتَمْسَحُ لِي مَنْ أَقُولُ لَكَ عَنْهُ».

4 Samuel did what Yahweh told him to do. He went to Bethlehem. When the town leaders came to him, they trembled, [because they were worried that Samuel had come to rebuke them about something]. One of them asked him, “Have you come [to speak] peacefully [to us]?”

٤ فَفَعَلَ صَمُوئِيلُ بِمُوْجِبِ مَا تَكَلَّمَ بِهِ الرَّبُّ. وَذَهَبَ إِلَى بَيْتِ لَحْمٍ. فَاضْطَرَبَ شُيُوخُ الْمَدِينَةِ لَدَى اسْتِقْبَالِهِ وَقَالُوا لَهُ: «هَلْ لِلسَّلامِ حَضَرْتَ؟»

5 Samuel replied, “Yes. I have come peacefully, to make a sacrifice to Yahweh. [Perform the rituals to] make yourselves acceptable to Yahweh, and then come with me to where they will offer the sacrifice.” Then Samuel performed the ritual to make Jesse and his sons acceptable to God, and he also invited them to the sacrifice.

٥ فَأَجَابَ: «نَعَمْ، لِلسَّلامِ. لَقَدْ حَضَرْتُ لأُقَرِّبَ لِلرَّبِّ. طَهِّرُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَتَعَالَوْا مَعِي إِلَى الذَّبِيحَةِ». وَقَدَّسَ يَسَّى أَبْنَاءَهُ وَدَعَاهُمْ لِلذَّبِيحَةِ.

6 When they arrived there, Samuel looked at [Jesse’s oldest son] Eliab, and thought, “Surely this is the one whom Yahweh has appointed [to be king]!”

٦ وَعِنْدَمَا أَقْبَلُوا وَشَاهَدَ صَمُوئِيلُ أَلِيآبَ بْنَ يَسَّى قَالَ: «إِنَّ هَذَا هُوَ مُخْتَارُ الرَّبِّ».

7 But Yahweh said to Samuel, “No, he is not the one whom I have chosen. Don’t pay attention to his being handsome and very tall, because I have not chosen him. I do not evaluate people as people do. You people evaluate people by their appearance, but I evaluate people by what is in their inner beings.”

٧ فَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لِصَمُوئِيلَ: «لا تُلْقِ بَالاً إِلَى وَسَامَتِهِ وَطُولِ قَامَتِهِ إِذ لَيْسَ هَذَا مَنِ اخْتَرْتُهُ، فَنَظْرَةُ الرَّبِّ تَخْتَلِفُ عَنْ نَظْرَةِ الإِنْسَانِ، لأَنَّ الإِنْسَانَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْمَظْهَرِ الْخَارِجِيِّ وَأَمَّا الرَّبُّ فَإِنَّهُ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْقَلْبِ».

8 Then Jesse told [his next oldest son] Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. [But when he did that], Samuel said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”

٨ وَدَعَا يَسَّى ابْنَهُ أَبِينَادَابَ وَأَجَازَهُ أَمَامَ صَمُوئِيلَ، فَقَالَ: «وَهَذَا أَيْضاً لَمْ يَخْتَرْهُ الرَّبُّ».

9 Then Jesse told [his next oldest son] Shammah to step forward. He stepped forward, but Samuel said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”

٩ ثُمَّ قَدَّمَ يَسَّى شَمَّةَ، فَقَالَ صَمُوئِيلُ: «وَهَذَا أَيْضاً لَمْ يَخْتَرْهُ الرَّبُّ».

10 Similarly, Jesse told his other four sons to walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen any of these sons of yours.”

١٠ وَعِنْدَمَا انْتَهَى يَسَّى مِنْ تَقْدِيمِ أَبْنَائِهِ السَّبْعَةِ، قَالَ صَمُوئِيلُ لِيَسَّى: «إِنَّ الرَّبَّ لَمْ يَخْتَرْ وَاحِداً مِنْ هَؤُلاءِ».

11 Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Do you have any other sons?” Jesse replied, “My youngest son [is not here]; he is out [in the fields] taking care of the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send someone to bring him here! We will not sit down [to eat] until he gets here.”

١١ ثُمَّ اسْتَطْرَدَ: «هَلْ لَكَ أَبْنَاءٌ آخَرُونَ؟» فَأَجَابَ يَسَّى: «بَقِيَ بَعْدُ أَصْغَرُهُمْ وَهُوَ يَرْعَى الْغَنَمَ». فَقَالَ صَمُوئِيلُ لِيَسَّى: «أَرْسِلْ مَنْ يَأْتِي بِهِ لأَنَّنَا لَنْ نَتَّكِئَ حَتَّى يَصِلَ إِلَى هُنَا».

12 So Jesse sent [someone] to bring [David there. And when David arrived, Samuel saw that] he was handsome and healthy, and had bright eyes. Then Yahweh said, “This is the one [whom I have chosen]; anoint him [to be king].”

١٢ فَبَعَثَ يَسَّى مَنِ اسْتَدْعَاهُ، وَكَانَ فَتىً أَشْقَرَ، أَخَّاذَ الْعَيْنَيْنِ وَسِيمَ الطَّلْعَةِ. فَقَالَ الرَّبُّ: «قُمِ امْسَحْهُ، لأَنَّ هَذَا هُوَ مَنِ اخْتَرْتُهُ».

13 So as David [stood there] in front of his older brothers, Samuel took the container of oil that he had brought and poured some of it on David’s head [to set him apart to serve God. After they all ate, Samuel left] and returned to Ramah. But Yahweh’s Spirit came on David powerfully, and stayed with David for the rest of his life.

١٣ فَتَنَاوَلَ صَمُوئِيلُ قَرْنَ الزَّيْتِ وَمَسَحَهُ أَمَامَ إِخْوَتِهِ. وَمُنْذُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ فَصَاعِداً حَلَّ رُوحُ الرَّبِّ عَلَى دَاوُدَ. ثُمَّ رَجَعَ صَمُوئِيلُ إِلَى الرَّامَةِ.

14 But Yahweh’s Spirit left Saul. Instead [of his Spirit staying with Saul], Yahweh sent an evil spirit to Saul to terrify him [repeatedly].

١٤ وَفَارَقَ رُوحُ الرَّبِّ شَاوُلَ وَهَاجَمَهُ مِنْ عِنْدِ الرَّبِّ رُوحٌ رَدِيءٌ يُعَذِّبُهُ.

15 One of his servants said to him, “It is evident that an evil spirit sent by God is terrifying you.

١٥ فَقَالَ لَهُ رِجَالُهُ: «إِنَّ رُوحاً رَدِيئاً يُعَذِّبُكَ مِنْ عِنْدِ الرَّبِّ.

16 So [we suggest that you] allow us, your servants here, to search for a man who plays the harp well. He can play the harp whenever the evil spirit bothers you. Then [you will calm down and] you will be okay again.”

١٦ فَلْيَأْمُرْ سَيِّدُنَا خُدَّامَهُ الْمَاثِلِينَ أَمَامَهُ أَنْ يَبْحَثُوا لَهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ مَاهِرٍ فِي الْعَزْفِ عَلَى الْعُودِ، فَيَعْزِفُ أَمَامَكَ كُلَّمَا هَاجَمَكَ الرُّوحُ الرَّدِيءُ مِنْ عِنْدِ الرَّبِّ فَتَطِيبُ نَفْسُكَ».

17 Saul replied, “[Fine/Okay], find for me a man who can play [the harp] well, and bring him to me.”

١٧ فَطَلَبَ شَاوُلُ مِنْ خُدَّامِهِ أَنْ يَبْحَثُوا لَهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ مَاهِرٍ فِي الْعَزْفِ وَيُحْضِرُوهُ إِلَيْهِ.

18 One of his servants said to him, “A man named Jesse, in Bethlehem [town], has a son who plays the harp very well. Furthermore, he is a brave man, and is a capable soldier. He is handsome and he always speaks wisely. And Yahweh always protects him.”

١٨ فَقَالَ وَاحِدٌ مِنَ الْغِلْمَانِ: «لَقَدْ شَاهَدْتُ ابْناً لِيَسَّى البَيْتَلَحْمِيِّ مَاهِراً فِي الْعَزْفِ وَهُوَ بَطَلٌ جَبَّارٌ وَرَجُلُ حَرْبٍ، فَصِيحُ اللِّسَانِ وَبَهِيُّ الطَّلْعَةِ وَالرَّبُّ مَعَهُ».

19 So Saul sent this message to Jesse: “Send your son David to me, the one who takes care of sheep.”

١٩ فَأَوْفَدَ شَاوُلُ رُسُلاً إِلَى يَسَّى قَائِلاً: «أَرْسِلْ إِلَيَّ دَاوُدَ ابْنَكَ الَّذِي يَرْعَى الْغَنَمَ».

20 [So after they went to] Jesse [and told him that, he agreed. He] got a young goat, a container of wine, a donkey on which he put some loaves of bread, and gave them to David to take to Saul [as a present].

٢٠ فَأَعَدَّ يَسَّى حِمَاراً حَمَّلَهُ خُبْزاً وَزِقَّ خَمْرٍ وَجَدْيَ مِعْزَى، وَأَرْسَلَهَا مَعَ دَاوُدَ إِلَى شَاوُلَ.

21 Then David went to Saul and started to work for him. Saul liked David very much, and he became the man who carried Saul’s weapons [when Saul went to fight in battles].

٢١ فَمَثُلَ دَاوُدُ أَمَامَ شَاوُلَ فَأَحَبَّهُ وَجَعَلَهُ حَامِلَ سِلاحِهِ.

22 Then Saul sent [a messenger] to Jesse to tell him, “I am pleased with David. Please let him stay here and work for me.”

٢٢ وَأَرْسَلَ شَاوُلُ إِلَى يَسَّى يَقُولُ: «دَعْ دَاوُدَ يَبْقَى فِي خِدْمَتِي لأَنَّهُ قَدْ حَظِيَ بِإِعْجَابِي».

23 [Jesse agreed, and after that], whenever the evil spirit whom God sent tormented Saul, David played the harp. Then Saul would become calm, and the evil spirit would leave him.

٢٣ وَحَدَثَ عِنْدَمَا هَاجَمَ الرُّوحُ الرَّدِيءُ الْمُرْسَلُ مِنْ قِبَلِ الرَّبِّ شَاوُلَ، أَنَّ دَاوُدَ تَنَاوَلَ الْعُودَ وَعَزَفَ عَلَيْهِ، فَكَانَ الْهُدُوءُ يَسْتَوْلِي عَلَى شَاوُلَ وَتَطِيبُ نَفْسُهُ وَيُفَارِقُهُ الرُّوحُ الرَّدِيءُ.