Ii Samuelis 1
1 Factum est autem, postquam mortuus est Saul, ut David reverteretur a cæde Amalec, et maneret in Siceleg duos dies.
After the death of Saul, David returned from attacking the Amalekites. He stayed in Ziklag for two days.
2 In die autem tertia apparuit homo veniens de castris Saul veste conscissa, et pulvere conspersus caput. et ut venit ad David, cecidit super faciem suam, et adoravit.
Then on the third day a man arrived from Saul's camp. His clothes were torn and he had dust on his head. When he approached David, he bowed before him, and fell to the ground in respect.
3 Dixitque ad eum David: Unde venis? Qui ait ad eum: De castris Israel fugi.
“Where have you come from?” David asked him. “I got away from the Israelite camp,” he replied.
4 Et dixit ad eum David: Quod est verbum quod factum est? indica mihi. Qui ait: Fugit populus ex prælio, et multi corruentes e populo mortui sunt: sed et Saul et Ionathas filius eius interierunt.
“Tell me what happened,” David asked. “The army ran away from the battle,” the man replied. “Many of them died, and Saul and his son Jonathan also died.”
5 Dixitque David ad adolescentem, qui nunciabat ei: Unde scis quia mortuus est Saul, et Ionathas filius eius?
“How do you know Saul and Jonathan died?” David asked the man giving the report.
6 Et ait adolescens, qui nunciabat ei: Casu veni in montem Gelboe, et Saul incumbebat super hastam suam: porro currus et equites appropinquabant ei,
“I just happened to be there on Mount Gilboa,” he replied. “I saw Saul, leaning on his spear, with the enemy chariots and the charioteers advancing on him.
7 et conversus post tergum suum, vidensque me vocavit. Cui cum respondissem: Adsum:
He turned around and saw me. He called out and I replied, ‘I'm here to help!’
8 dixit mihi: Quisnam es tu? Et aio ad eum: Amalecites ego sum.
He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ I told him, ‘I'm an Amalekite.’
9 Et locutus est mihi: Sta super me, et interfice me: quoniam tenent me angustiæ, et adhuc tota anima mea in me est.
Then he told me, ‘Please come over here and kill me! I'm in terrible agony but life is still hanging on.’
10 Stansque super eum, occidi illum: sciebam enim quod vivere non poterat post ruinam: et tuli diadema quod erat in capite eius, et armillam de brachio illius, et attuli ad te dominum meum huc.
So I went over him and killed him, because I knew that wounded as he was he couldn't last long. I took the crown from his head and his bracelet from his arm, and I've brought them here to you, my lord.”
11 Apprehendens autem David vestimenta sua scidit, omnesque viri, qui erant cum eo,
David grabbed hold of his clothes and ripped them, as did his men.
12 et planxerunt, et fleverunt, et ieiunaverunt usque ad vesperam super Saul, et super Ionathan filium eius, et super populum Domini, et super domum Israel, eo quod corruissent gladio.
They mourned and cried and fasted until the evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord, the Israelites, that had been killed by the sword.
13 Dixitque David ad iuvenem qui nunciaverat ei: Unde es tu? Qui respondit: Filius hominis advenæ Amalecitæ ego sum.
David asked man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?” “I'm the son of a foreigner,” he replied “I'm an Amalekite.”
14 Et ait ad eum David: Quare non timuisti mittere manum tuam ut occideres christum Domini?
“Why weren't you worried about killing the Lord's anointed one?” David asked.
15 Vocansque David unum de pueris suis, ait: Accedens irrue in eum. Qui percussit illum, et mortuus est.
David called over one of his men and said, “Go ahead, kill him!” So the man cut the Amalekite down and killed him.
16 Et ait ad eum David: Sanguis tuus super caput tuum: os enim tuum locutum est adversum te, dicens: Ego interfeci christum Domini.
David had told the Amalekite, “Your death is your own fault because you testified against yourself when you said, ‘I killed the Lord's anointed one.’”
17 Planxit autem David planctum huiuscemodi super Saul, et super Ionathan filium eius,
Then David sang this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan.
18 (et præcepit ut docerent filios Iuda arcum, sicut scriptum est in Libro iustorum.) Et ait: Considera Israel pro his, qui mortui sunt super excelsa tua vulnerati.
He ordered it to be taught to the people of Judah. It is called “the Bow” and is recorded in the Book of the Just:
19 Inclyti, Israel, super montes tuos interfecti sunt: quo modo ceciderunt fortes?
“Israel, the glorious one lies dead on your mountains. How the mighty have fallen!
20 Nolite annunciare in Geth, neque annuncietis in compitis Ascalonis: ne forte lætentur filiæ Philisthiim, ne exultent filiæ incircumcisorum.
Don't announce it in the town of Gath, don't proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon, so that the Philistine women won't rejoice, so that the heathen women won't celebrate.
21 Montes Gelboe, nec ros, nec pluvia veniant super vos, neque sint agri primitiarum: quia ibi abiectus est clypeus fortium, clypeus Saul, quasi non esset unctus oleo.
Mountains of Gilboa, may no dew or rain fall on you! May you have no fields that produce offerings of grain. For it was there that the shield of the mighty was defiled; Saul's shield, no longer cared for with olive oil.
22 A sanguine interfectorum, ab adipe fortium, sagitta Ionathæ numquam rediit retrorsum, et gladius Saul non est reversus inanis.
Jonathan with his bow did not retreat from attacking the enemy; Saul with his sword did not return empty-handed from shedding blood.
23 Saul et Ionathas amabiles, et decori in vita sua, in morte quoque non sunt divisi: aquilis velociores, leonibus fortiores.
During their lives, Saul and Jonathan were much loved and very pleasant, and death did not divide them. They were faster than eagles, stronger than lions.
24 Filiæ Israel super Saul flete, qui vestiebat vos coccino in deliciis, qui præbebat ornamenta aurea cultui vestro.
Women of Israel, mourn for Saul, who gave you fine scarlet clothes decorated with gold ornaments.
25 Quo modo ceciderunt fortes in prælio? Ionathas in excelsis tuis occisus est?
How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies dead on your mountains.
26 Doleo super te frater mi Ionatha decore nimis, et amabilis super amorem mulierum. Sicut mater unicum amat filium suum, ita ego te diligebam.
I weep so much for you, my brother Jonathan! You were so very dear to me! Your love for me was so wonderful, greater than the love women have!
27 Quo modo ceciderunt robusti, et perierunt arma bellica?
How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war are gone!”
