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].”
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 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.
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 “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].”
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 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]?”
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 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.
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 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]!”
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 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.”
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 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.”
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 told [his next oldest son] Shammah to step forward. He stepped forward, but Samuel said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”
葉瑟就叫沙瑪來，他又說：「這也不是不是上主所揀選的」。
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.”
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 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.”
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 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].”
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 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.
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 Yahweh’s Spirit left Saul. Instead [of his Spirit staying with Saul], Yahweh sent an evil spirit to Saul to terrify him [repeatedly].
上主的神離棄了撒烏耳，便有惡神從上主那裏騷擾他。
15 One of his servants said to him, “It is evident that an evil spirit sent by God is terrifying 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 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.”
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 Saul replied, “[Fine/Okay], find for me a man who can play [the harp] 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 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.”
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 So Saul sent this message to Jesse: “Send your son David to me, the one who takes care of sheep.”
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 [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].
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 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].
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 Then Saul sent [a messenger] to Jesse to tell him, “I am pleased with David. Please let him stay here and work for me.”
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 [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.
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。
