I Samuelis 16

1 Dixitque Dominus ad Samuelem: Usquequo tu luges Saul, cum ego proiecerim eum ne regnet super Israel? imple cornu tuum oleo, et veni, ut mittam te ad Isai Bethlehemitem: providi enim in filiis eius mihi regem.

And the Lord said to Samuel. How It long wilt thou mourn for Saul, whom I have rejected from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and come, that I may send thee to Isai the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

2 Et ait Samuel: Quo modo vadam? audiet enim Saul, et interficiet me. Et ait Dominus: Vitulum de armento tolles in manu tua, et dices: Ad immolandum Domino veni.

And Samuel said: How shall I go? for Saul will hear of it, and he will kill me. And the Lord said: Thou shalt take with thee a calf of the herd, and thou shalt say: I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.

3 Et vocabis Isai ad victimam, et ego ostendam tibi quid facias, et unges quemcumque monstravero tibi.

And thou shalt call Isai to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou art to do, and thou shalt anoint him whom I shall shew to thee.

4 Fecit ergo Samuel, sicut locutus est ei Dominus. Venitque in Bethlehem, et admirati sunt seniores civitatis, occurrentes ei, dixeruntque: Pacificusne est ingressus tuus?

Then Samuel did as the Lord had said to him. And he came to Bethlehem, and the ancients of the city wondered, and meeting him, they said: Is thy coming hither peaceable?

5 Et ait: Pacificus: ad immolandum Domino veni, sanctificamini, et venite mecum ut immolem. Sanctificavit ergo Isai et filios eius, et vocavit eos ad sacrificium.

And he said: It is peaceable: I am come to offer sacrifice to the Lord, be ye sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Isai and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

6 Cumque ingressi essent, vidit Eliab, et ait: Num coram Domino est Christus eius?

And when they were come in, he saw Eliab, and said: Is the Lord’s anointed before him?

7 Et dixit Dominus ad Samuelem: Ne respicias vultum eius, neque altitudinem staturæ eius: quoniam abieci eum, nec iuxta intuitum hominis ego iudico: homo enim videt ea quæ parent, Dominus autem intuetur cor.

And the Lord said to Samuel: Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature: because I have rejected him, nor do I judge according to the look of man: for man seeth those things that appear, but the Lord beholdeth the heart.

8 Et vocavit Isai Abinadab, et adduxit eum coram Samuele. Qui dixit: Nec hunc elegit Dominus.

And Isai called Abinadab, and brought him before Samuel. And he said: Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

9 Adduxit autem Isai Samma, de quo ait: Etiam hunc non elegit Dominus.

And Isai brought Samma, and he said of him: Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

10 Adduxit itaque Isai septem filios suos coram Samuele: et ait Samuel ad Isai: Non elegit Dominus ex istis.

Isai therefore brought his seven sons before Samuel: and Samuel said to Isai: The Lord hath not chosen any one of these.

11 Dixitque Samuel ad Isai: Numquid iam completi sunt filii? Qui respondit: Adhuc reliquus est parvulus, et pascit oves. Et ait Samuel ad Isai: Mitte, et adduc eum: nec enim discumbemus prius quam huc ille veniat.

And Samuel said to Isai: Are here all thy sons? He answered: There remaineth yet a young one, who keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said to Isai: Send, and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hither.

12 Misit ergo, et adduxit eum. Erat autem rufus, et pulcher aspectu, decoraque facie. et ait Dominus: Surge, unge eum, ipse est enim.

He sent therefore and brought him Now he was ruddy and beautiful to behold, and of a comely face. And the Lord said: Arise, and anoint him, for this is he.

13 Tulit ergo Samuel cornu olei, et unxit eum in medio fratrum eius: et directus est Spiritus Domini a die illa in David, et deinceps: surgensque Samuel abiit in Ramatha.

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward: and Samuel rose up, and went to Ramatha.

14 Spiritus autem Domini recessit a Saul et exagitabat eum spiritus nequam, a Domino.

But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.

15 Dixeruntque servi Saul ad eum: Ecce spiritus Dei malus exagitat te.

And the servants of Saul said to him: Behold now an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

16 Iubeat dominus noster, et servi tui, qui coram te sunt, quærent hominem scientem psallere cithara, ut quando arripuerit te spiritus Domini malus, psallat manu sua, et levius feras.

Let our lord give orders, and thy servants who are before thee will seek out a man skillful in playing on the harp, that when the evil spirit from the Lord is upon thee, he may play with his hand, and thou mayest bear it more easily.

17 Et ait Saul ad servos suos: Providete ergo mihi aliquem bene psallentem, et adducite eum ad me.

And Saul said to his servants: Provide me then some man that can play well, and bring him to me.

18 Et respondens unus de pueris, ait: Ecce vidi filium Isai Bethlehemitem scientem psallere, et fortissimum robore, et virum bellicosum, et prudentem in verbis, et virum pulchrum: et Dominus est cum eo.

And one of the servants answering, said: Behold I have seen a son of Isai the Bethlehemite, a skillful player, and one of great strength, and a man fit for war, and prudent in his words, and a comely person: and the Lord is with him.

19 Misit ergo Saul nuncios ad Isai, dicens: Mitte ad me David filium tuum, qui est in pascuis.

Then Saul sent messengers to Isai, saying: Send me David thy son, who is in the pastures.

20 Tulit itaque Isai asinum plenum panibus, et lagenam vini, et hœdum de capris unum, et misit per manum David filii sui Sauli.

And Isai took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid of the flock, and sent them by the hand of David his son to Saul.

21 Et venit David ad Saul, et stetit coram eo: at ille dilexit eum nimis, et factus est eius armiger.

And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him exceedingly, and made him his armourbearer.

22 Misitque Saul ad Isai, dicens: Stet David in conspectu meo: invenit enim gratiam in oculis meis.

And Saul sent to Isai, saying: Let David stand before me: for he hath found favour in my sight.

23 Igitur quandocumque spiritus Domini malus arripiebat Saul, David tollebat citharam, et percutiebat manu sua, et refocillabatur Saul, et levius habebat. recedebat enim ab eo spiritus malus.

So whensoever the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, David took his harp, and played with his hand, and Saul was refreshed, and was better, for the evil spirit departed from him.