1 Samuel 16

1 Le Seigneur dit à Samuel: "Jusqu’à quand t’affligeras-tu au sujet de Saül, alors que je l’ai jugé indigne de régner sur Israël? Remplis ton cornet d’huile, et va, envoyé par moi, chez Jessé le Bethléémite, car c’est un de ses fils que je me suis choisi pour roi."

And the Lord said to Samuel, How long will you go on sorrowing for Saul, seeing that I have put him from his place as king over Israel? Take oil in your vessel and go; I will send you to Jesse, the Beth-lehemite: for I have got a king for myself among his sons.

2 "Et comment irais-je? dit Samuel. Si Saül l’apprend, il me fera mourir." Le Seigneur répondit: "Emmène avec toi une génisse, et tu diras que tu es venu sacrifier à l’Eternel.

And Samuel said, How is it possible for me to go? If Saul gets news of it he will put me to death. And the Lord said, Take a young cow with you and say, I have come to make an offering to the Lord.

3 Tu inviteras Jessé au festin de la victime; je t’apprendrai alors ce que tu dois faire, et, en mon nom, tu sacreras roi celui que je t’indiquerai."

And send for Jesse to be present at the offering, and I will make clear to you what you are to do: and you are to put the holy oil on him whose name I give you.

4 Samuel fit ce qu’avait dit l’Eternel, et se rendit à Bethléem; les anciens de la ville se précipitèrent à sa rencontre, disant: "Salut à ton arrivée!"

And Samuel did as the Lord said and came to Beth-lehem. And the responsible men of the town came out to him in fear and said, Do you come in peace?

5 "Salut! Répondit-il; je suis venu sacrifier à l’Eternel: préparez-vous à venir célébrer le sacrifice avec moi." Il invita également Jessé et ses fils à se mettre en état d’y prendre part.

And he said, In peace: I have come to make an offering to the Lord: make yourselves clean and come with me to make the offering. And he made Jesse and his sons clean, and sent for them to be present at the offering.

6 A leur arrivée, il remarqua Eliab et se dit: "L’Élu de l’Eternel est certainement là devant lui."

Now when they came, looking at Eliab, he said, Clearly the man of the Lord's selection is before him.

7 Mais Dieu dit à Samuel: "Ne considère point sa mine ni sa haute taille, celui-là je le repousse. Ce que voit l’homme ne compte pas: l’homme ne voit que l’extérieur, Dieu regarde le cœur."

But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not take note of his face or how tall he is, because I will not have him: for the Lord's view is not man's; man takes note of the outer form, but the Lord sees the heart.

8 Alors Jessé appela Abinadab et le fit passer devant Samuel, qui dit: "Celui-ci non plus, Dieu ne l’a choisi."

Then Jesse sent for Abinadab and made him come before Samuel. And he said, The Lord has not taken this one.

9 Et Jessé fit avancer Chamma, mais il dit: "Celui-ci non plus, Dieu ne l’a choisi."

Then Jesse made Shammah come before him. And he said, The Lord has not taken this one.

10 Jessé présenta ainsi ses sept fils devant Samuel, et Samuel lui dit: "Ce ne sont pas ceux-là que Dieu a choisis.

And Jesse made his seven sons come before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not taken any of these.

11 Mais, demanda Samuel à Jessé, sont-ce là tous tes garçons? Il reste encore le plus jeune, répondit-il; il est au pâturage avec les brebis. Envoie-le chercher, dit Samuel à Jessé; car nous ne nous mettrons pas à table qu’il ne soit ici."

Then Samuel said to Jesse, Are all your children here? And he said, There is still the youngest, and he is looking after the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and make him come here: for we will not take our seats till he is here.

12 On le fit donc venir. Or, il avait le teint vermeil, avec cela de beaux yeux et bonne mine… Et Dieu dit à Samuel: "Va, oins-le, c’est lui!"

So he sent and made him come in. Now he had red hair and beautiful eyes and pleasing looks. And the Lord said, Come, put the oil on him, for this is he.

13 Et Samuel prit le cornet à l’huile, et il l’oignit au milieu de ses frères; et depuis ce jour-là, l’esprit divin ne cessa d’animer David. Alors Samuel s’en alla, et retourna à Rama.

Then Samuel took the bottle of oil, and put the oil on him there among his brothers: and from that day the spirit of the Lord came on David with power. So Samuel went back to Ramah.

14 Or, l’esprit divin avait abandonné Saül, et il était en proie à un mauvais esprit suscité par le Seigneur.

Now the spirit of the Lord had gone from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord was troubling him.

15 Les serviteurs de Saül lui dirent: "Hélas! Un mauvais esprit de Dieu te tourmente.

And Saul's servants said to him, See now, an evil spirit from God is troubling you.

16 Daigne ordonner, Seigneur, que tes serviteurs qui t’entourent se mettent en quête d’un habile joueur de harpe, afin qu’il en joue quand Dieu t’enverra ce mauvais esprit, et cela te fera du bien."

Now give orders to your servants who are here before you to go in search of a man who is an expert player on a corded instrument: and it will be that when the evil spirit from God is on you, he will make music for you on his instrument, and you will get well.

17 Saül dit à ses serviteurs: "Découvrez-moi donc un habile joueur d’instrument et me l’amenez."

And Saul said to his servants, Then get me a man who is an expert player, and make him come to me.

18 L’Un des serviteurs prit la parole et dit: "J’Ai remarqué un fils de Jessé le Bethléémite, musicien habile, guerrier vaillant, entendu en toute chose, d’une belle apparence, et Dieu est avec lui."

Then one of the servants in answer said, I have seen a son of Jesse, the Beth-lehemite, who is expert at playing, and a strong man and a man of war; and he is wise in his words, and pleasing in looks, and the Lord is with him.

19 Et Saül envoya des messagers à Jessé en lui mandant: "Envoie-moi David, ton fils, qui garde les brebis."

So Saul sent his servants to Jesse and said, Send me your son David who is with the sheep.

20 Jessé chargea un âne de pain, avec une outre de vin et un jeune chevreau, qu’il envoya par son fils David à Saül.

And Jesse took five cakes of bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them to Saul by David.

21 David, arrivé chez Saül, se présenta devant lui, lui plut fort, et devint son écuyer.

And David came to Saul, waiting before him: and he became very dear to Saul, who made him his servant, giving him the care of his arms.

22 Saül fit dire à Jessé: "Je désire que David reste à mon service, car il m’a plu."

And Saul sent to Jesse saying, Let David be with me, for he is pleasing to me.

23 Depuis, lorsque l’esprit venu de Dieu s’emparait de Saül, David prenait sa harpe, en jouait avec les doigts; Saül en éprouvait du soulagement et du bien-être, et le mauvais esprit le quittait.

And whenever the evil spirit from God came on Saul, David took his instrument and made music: so new life came to Saul, and he got well, and the evil spirit went away from him.