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].”
Et l’Éternel dit à Samuel: Jusques à quand mèneras-tu deuil sur Saül, vu que moi je l’ai rejeté pour qu’il ne soit pas roi sur Israël? Remplis ta corne d’huile, et va: je t’enverrai vers Isaï, le Bethléhémite; car j’ai vu parmi ses fils un roi pour moi.
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.
Et Samuel dit: Comment irai-je? Dès que Saül l’entendra, il me tuera. Et l’Éternel dit: Tu prendras avec toi une génisse, et tu diras: Je suis venu pour sacrifier à l’Éternel.
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].”
Et tu appelleras Isaï au sacrifice, et moi je te ferai savoir ce que tu auras à faire, et tu oindras pour moi celui que je te dirai.
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]?”
Et Samuel fit ce que l’Éternel avait dit, et vint à Bethléhem; et les anciens de la ville allèrent tremblants à sa rencontre, et dirent: Ta venue est-elle la paix?
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.
Et il dit: La paix. Je suis venu pour sacrifier à l’Éternel; sanctifiez-vous, et venez avec moi au sacrifice. Et il sanctifia Isaï et ses fils, et les appela au sacrifice.
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]!”
Et il arriva que, comme ils entraient, il vit Éliab, et il dit: Certainement l’oint de l’Éternel est devant lui.
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.”
Et l’Éternel dit à Samuel: Ne regarde pas son apparence, ni la hauteur de sa taille, car je l’ai rejeté; car [l’Éternel ne regarde] pas ce à quoi l’homme regarde, car l’homme regarde à l’apparence extérieure, et l’Éternel regarde au cœur.
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.”
Et Isaï appela Abinadab et le fit passer devant Samuel. Et il dit: L’Éternel n’a pas non plus choisi celui-ci.
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.”
Et Isaï fit passer Shamma. Et il dit: L’Éternel n’a pas non plus choisi celui-ci.
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.”
Et Isaï fit passer ses sept fils devant Samuel. Et Samuel dit à Isaï: L’Éternel n’a pas choisi ceux-ci.
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.”
Et Samuel dit à Isaï: Sont-ce là tous les jeunes gens? Et il dit: Il reste encore le plus jeune, et voici, il paît le menu bétail. Et Samuel dit à Isaï: Envoie, et fais-le amener; car nous ne nous placerons point autour [de la table], jusqu’à ce qu’il soit venu ici.
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].”
Et il envoya et le fit venir. Or il avait le teint rosé, avec de beaux yeux, et était beau de visage. Et l’Éternel dit: Lève-toi, oins-le; car c’est celui-là.
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.
Et Samuel prit la corne d’huile, et l’oignit au milieu de ses frères. Et l’Esprit de l’Éternel saisit David, depuis ce jour-là et dans la suite. Et Samuel se leva et s’en alla à Rama.
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].
Et l’Esprit de l’Éternel se retira d’avec Saül, et un mauvais esprit [envoyé] par l’Éternel le troublait.
15 One of his servants said to him, “It is evident that an evil spirit sent by God is terrifying you.
Et les serviteurs de Saül lui dirent: Tu vois qu’un mauvais esprit [envoyé] de Dieu te trouble.
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.”
Que notre seigneur veuille parler: tes serviteurs sont devant toi, ils chercheront un homme qui sache jouer de la harpe; et il arrivera que, quand le mauvais esprit [envoyé] de Dieu sera sur toi, il jouera de sa main et tu t’en trouveras bien.
17 Saul replied, “[Fine/Okay], find for me a man who can play [the harp] well, and bring him to me.”
Et Saül dit à ses serviteurs: Je vous prie, trouvez-moi un homme qui sache bien jouer, et amenez-le-moi.
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.”
Et l’un des jeunes hommes répondit et dit: Voici, j’ai vu un fils d’Isaï, le Bethléhémite, qui sait jouer, un homme fort et vaillant, et un homme de guerre, et qui a l’intelligence des choses, et un bel homme, et l’Éternel est avec lui.
19 So Saul sent this message to Jesse: “Send your son David to me, the one who takes care of sheep.”
Et Saül envoya des messagers à Isaï, et dit: Envoie-moi David, ton fils, qui est avec le menu bétail.
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].
Et Isaï prit un âne chargé de pain, et une outre de vin, et un chevreau, et les envoya à Saül par la main de David, son fils.
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].
Et David vint vers Saül, et il se tint devant lui; et [Saül] l’aima beaucoup, et il fut son porteur d’armes.
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.”
Et Saül envoya vers Isaï, disant: Que David, je te prie, se tienne devant moi; car il a trouvé grâce à mes yeux.
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.
Et il arrivait que, quand l’esprit [envoyé] de Dieu était sur Saül, David prenait la harpe et en jouait de sa main; et Saül était soulagé et se trouvait bien, et le mauvais esprit se retirait de dessus lui.
