1 Samuel 23
1 On vint dire à David: « Voici que les Philistins attaquent Céïla et pillent les aires. »
One day someone told David, “You need to know that the Philistia army is attacking Keilah [town] and they are stealing grain from where men are threshing it.”
2 David consulta Yahweh, en disant: « Irai-je et battrai-je ces Philistins? » Et Yahweh répondit à David: « Va, tu battras les Philistins et tu délivreras Céïla. »
David asked Yahweh, “Should my men and I go to fight against those men from the Philistia people-group?” Yahweh answered, “Yes, go. Attack them, and rescue the people of Keilah.”
3 Mais les hommes de David lui dirent: « Voici que, en Juda, nous sommes dans la crainte; combien plus si nous allons à Céïla contre les troupes des Philistins? »
But David’s men said to him, “We are afraid [that Saul will attack us] here in Judah. We will be more afraid if we go to Keilah where the Philistia army is!”
4 David consulta de nouveau Yahweh, et Yahweh lui répondit en ces termes: « Lève-toi, descends à Céïla, car je livre les Philistins entre tes mains. »
So David asked Yahweh again [if they should go to Keilah]. Yahweh answered, “Yes, go down to Keilah. I will help you to defeat the men of the Philistia people-group.”
5 David alla donc avec ses hommes à Céïla, et attaqua les Philistins; il emmena leur bétail et leur fit éprouver une grande défaite. C’est ainsi que David délivra les habitants de Céïla.
So David and his men went to Keilah. They fought against the men of the Philistia people-group and captured many of their cattle. David and his men killed many of the Philistia men and rescued the people of Keilah.
6 Or quand Abiathar, fils d’Achimélech, s’enfuit vers David à Céïla, il descendit ayant en main l’éphod.
Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to be with David at Keilah, and he brought the sacred vest with him [to use it to determine what God wanted to be done].
7 On annonça à Saül que David était allé à Céïla, et Saül dit: « Dieu le livre entre mes mains, car il s’est enfermé en venant dans une ville qui a des portes et des barres. »
Soon Saul found out that David was at Keilah. So he said, “That is good! God is enabling me to capture him! He has trapped himself in that town, because it has high walls with gates around it.”
8 Et Saül convoqua tout le peuple à la guerre, afin de descendre à Céïla et d’assiéger David et ses hommes.
So Saul summoned his army, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.
9 Mais David, ayant su que Saül préparait le mal contre lui, dit au prêtre Abiathar: « Apporte l’éphod. »
But David found out that Saul was planning [for his army] to attack him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring [here] the sacred vest.”
10 Et David dit: « Yahweh, Dieu d’Israël, votre serviteur a appris que Saül cherche à venir à Céïla, pour détruire la ville à cause de moi.
[So when Abiathar brought it, ] David prayed, “Yahweh, God of us Israelis, I have heard that Saul is planning to come here [with his army] and destroy Keilah because I am here.
11 Les habitants de Céïla me livreront-ils entre ses mains? Saül descendra-t-il, comme votre serviteur l’a entendu dire? Yahweh, Dieu d’Israël, daignez le révéler à votre serviteur. » Yahweh répondit: « Il descendra. »
Will Saul come down [here to Keilah], as people reported to me? Will the leaders of Keilah enable Saul to capture me? Yahweh, God of us Israelis, please tell me!” Yahweh answered, “Yes, Saul will come down.”
12 Et David dit: « Les habitants de Céïla me livreront-ils, moi et mes hommes, entre les mains de Saül? » Yahweh répondit: « Ils te livreront. »
Then David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah enable Saul’s army to capture me and my men [if we stay here]?” [By means of the stones in the sacred vest], Yahweh replied, “Yes, they will.”
13 Alors David se leva avec ses gens au nombre d’environ six cents hommes; ils sortirent de Céïla, et ils allaient et venaient à l’aventure. Informé que David s’était enfui de Céïla, Saül suspendit sa marche.
So David and his 600 men left Keilah. They continued to move from one place to another, [wherever they thought that Saul would not find them]. And when Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
14 David demeura au désert, dans les lieux forts, et il resta dans la montagne au désert de Ziph. Saül le cherchait tous les jours, mais Dieu ne le livra pas entre ses mains.
David and his men stayed in hiding places in the desert and in the hills of Ziph Desert. Every day Saul [sent men to] search for David, but Yahweh did not allow them to capture David.
15 David sut que Saül s’était mis en campagne pour lui ôter la vie: David se tenait au désert de Ziph, dans la forêt;
While David and his men were at [a place named] Horesh in Ziph desert, he found out that Saul was coming there to kill him.
16 et Jonathas, fils de Saül, se leva et alla vers David dans la forêt. Il fortifia sa main en Dieu et lui dit:
But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him to continue to trust [God].
17 « Ne crains rien, car la main de Saül, mon père, ne t’atteindra pas. Toi, tu régneras sur Israël, et moi, je serai le second après toi; Saül, mon père, le sait bien aussi. »
Jonathan told him, “Do not be afraid, because my father will not be able to harm [IDM] you. [Some day] you will be the king of Israel, and I will be the second [most important man in Israel]. My father Saul also knows that.”
18 Ils firent tous deux alliance devant Yahweh; et David resta dans la forêt, et Jonathas retourna chez lui.
Then the two of them repeated their solemn promise that Yahweh [had heard them make previously, that they would always be loyal to each other]. Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.
19 Les Ziphiens montèrent vers Saül à Gabaa, et dirent: « David est caché parmi nous dans des lieux forts, dans la forêt, sur la colline de Hachila, qui est au midi de la lande.
Some people from Ziph went to Saul when he was at Gibeah, and they told him, “David [and his men] are hiding in our land [RHQ]! They are hiding in places at Horesh on Hakilah Hill, south of [a place named] Jeshimon.
20 Descends donc, ô roi, comme toute ton âme le désire; c’est à nous de le livrer entre les mains du roi. »
So, O king, come down there any time that you want to. It is our duty to capture him and turn him over to you.”
21 Saül dit: « Soyez bénis de Yahweh, de ce que vous avez eu pitié de moi!
Saul replied, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will bless you [for telling that to me].
22 Allez, je vous prie, assurez-vous encore, sachez et voyez en quel lieu il porte ses pas et qui l’a vu là; car il est, m’a-t-on dit, fort rusé.
Go back and find out more about him. Find out exactly where he is staying, and find out who has seen him there. People tell me that he is very clever, [so we need to be clever also to be able to capture him].
23 Voyez et sachez toutes les retraites où il se cache; puis revenez vers moi avec des renseignements certains, et j’irai avec vous. S’il est dans le pays, je le chercherai parmi tous les milliers de Juda. »
Find out all the places where he and his men hide. Then come back and tell me everything that you have found out. Then I will [take my army and] go there with you. If David is in any of the clans/caves of Judah, we will search for him [and find him]!”
24 Ils se levèrent donc et allèrent à Ziph, avant Saül. Mais David et ses hommes s’étaient retirés au désert de Maon, dans la plaine, au midi de la lande.
So those people went back to Ziph before Saul went there. At that time David and his men were in Maon Desert, south of Jeshimon.
25 Saül partit avec ses hommes à la recherche de David. David, l’ayant appris, descendit au rocher et resta dans le désert de Maon. Saül en fut informé et poursuivit David dans le désert de Maon;
Saul and his soldiers went to search for David, but David heard about that. So he and his men went further [south] to a rocky hill/peak in the Maon Desert. When Saul heard about that, he and his men followed David and his men to the Maon Desert.
26 Saül marchait d’un côté de la montagne, et David avec ses hommes de l’autre côté de la montagne; David se hâtait pour échapper à Saül, tandis que Saül et ses hommes cernaient David et ses hommes pour s’emparer d’eux.
Saul and his soldiers were walking along one side of the hill/peak, and David and his men were on the other side. David and his men were hurrying to escape from Saul’s soldiers, because Saul and his soldiers were coming much closer.
27 Un messager vint vers Saül en disant: « Hâte-toi de venir, car les Philistins ont fait invasion dans le pays. »
But then a messenger came to Saul and said to him, “Come quickly! The Philistia army is attacking the people in our land!”
28 Saül cessa de poursuivre David, et s’en alla à la rencontre des Philistins. C’est pourquoi on appela ce lieu Séla-Hammachleqoth.
So Saul stopped pursuing David, and he [and his soldiers] went to fight against the Philistia army. That is the reason that people call that place ‘Escape Rock’.
29 David monta de là et s’établit dans les lieux forts d’Engaddi.
David and his men also left the Maon Desert and went to places to hide safely at En-Gedi.
