1 Samuel 23

1 Et on rapporta à David, en disant: Voici, les Philistins font la guerre à Kehila 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 Et David interrogea l’Éternel, disant: Irai-je, et frapperai-je ces Philistins? Et l’Éternel dit à David: Va, et tu frapperas les Philistins, et tu sauveras Kehila.

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 Et les hommes de David lui dirent: Voici, [même] ici en Juda, nous avons peur, et comment irions-nous à Kehila, contre les troupes rangées 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 Et David interrogea encore l’Éternel, et l’Éternel lui répondit et dit: Lève-toi, descends à Kehila; car je livrerai les Philistins en ta main.

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 Et David alla avec ses hommes à Kehila, et combattit contre les Philistins et emmena leurs troupeaux, et leur infligea une grande défaite. Et David sauva les habitants de Kehila.

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 Et il était arrivé que, lorsque Abiathar, fils d’Akhimélec, s’était enfui auprès de David à Kehila, il était descendu avec un éphod en sa main.

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 Et on rapporta à Saül que David était entré à Kehila. Et Saül dit: Dieu l’a rejeté [et livré] en ma main; car il s’est enfermé en entrant 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 pour la guerre, pour descendre à Kehila, afin 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 Et David sut que Saül méditait du mal contre lui, et il dit à Abiathar, le sacrificateur: 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: Éternel, Dieu d’Israël! ton serviteur a appris comme une chose certaine que Saül cherche à entrer dans Kehila, 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 hommes de Kehila me livreront-ils en sa main? Saül descendra-t-il, comme ton serviteur l’a entendu dire? Éternel, Dieu d’Israël! déclare-le, je te prie, à ton serviteur. Et l’Éternel dit: 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 hommes de Kehila me livreront-ils, moi et mes hommes, en la main de Saül? Et l’Éternel dit: 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 Et David se leva, et ses hommes, environ 600 hommes, et ils sortirent de Kehila et s’en allèrent où ils purent. Et on rapporta à Saül que David s’était échappé de Kehila, et il s’abstint d’entrer en campagne.

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 Et David habita au désert, dans des lieux forts, et il habita dans la montagne, au désert de Ziph. Et Saül le cherchait tous les jours; mais Dieu ne le livra pas en sa main.

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 Et David vit que Saül était sorti pour chercher sa vie; et David [se tenait] au désert de Ziph, dans un bois.

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 Jonathan, fils de Saül, se leva et alla vers David dans le bois, et fortifia sa main en Dieu;

But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him to continue to trust [God].

17 et il lui dit: Ne crains pas, car la main de Saül, mon père, ne te trouvera pas; et tu régneras sur Israël, et moi, je serai le second après toi; et Saül, mon père, le sait 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 Et ils firent, les deux, alliance devant l’Éternel; et David demeura dans le bois, et Jonathan s’en alla à sa maison.

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 Et les Ziphiens montèrent vers Saül, à Guibha, disant: David ne se tient-il pas caché auprès de nous, dans les lieux forts, dans le bois, sur la colline de Hakila, qui est au midi de Jeshimon?

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 Et maintenant, ô roi, puisque tout le désir de ton âme est de descendre, descends; et ce sera à nous de le livrer en la main 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 Et Saül dit: Bénis soyez-vous de par l’Éternel, 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 davantage, et sachez et voyez le lieu où est son pied, [et] qui l’y a vu, car on m’a dit qu’il est très 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 Et voyez et sachez toutes les cachettes où il se cache, et revenez vers moi avec quelque chose de certain, et j’irai avec vous; et il arrivera que, s’il est dans le pays, je le chercherai soigneusement 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 Et ils se levèrent et s’en allèrent à Ziph, devant Saül; mais David et ses hommes étaient au désert de Maon, dans la plaine, au midi de Jeshimon.

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 Et Saül et ses hommes allèrent pour le chercher; et on le rapporta à David, et il descendit le rocher, et habita au désert de Maon. Et Saül l’apprit, et il poursuivit David au 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 Et Saül allait de ce côté-ci de la montagne, et David et ses hommes de l’autre côté de la montagne; et David fuyait en hâte pour échapper à Saül, et Saül et ses hommes cherchaient à environner David et ses hommes, pour les prendre.

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 Et un messager vint à Saül, disant: Hâte-toi, et viens, car les Philistins se sont jetés sur 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 Et Saül cessa de poursuivre David, et il marcha à la rencontre des Philistins. C’est pourquoi on a appelé ce lieu-là Séla-Hammakhlekoth.

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 Et David monta de là, et habita dans les lieux forts d’En-Guédi.

David and his men also left the Maon Desert and went to places to hide safely at En-Gedi.