I Samuelis 17
1 Congregantes autem Philisthiim agmina sua in prælium, convenerunt in Socho Judæ: et castrametati sunt inter Socho et Azeca in finibus Dommim.
The Philistines gathered their army [to fight the Israeli army]. They gathered together near Socoh, in the area where the descendants of Judah lived. They set up their tents at Ephes-Dammim, which is between Socoh and Azekah.
2 Porro Saul et filii Israël congregati venerunt in Vallem terebinthi, et direxerunt aciem ad pugnandum contra Philisthiim.
Saul gathered the Israeli army near Elah Valley, and they set up their tents. Then they all took their places, ready to fight the Philistines.
3 Et Philisthiim stabant super montem ex parte hac, et Israël stabat supra montem ex altera parte: vallisque erat inter eos.
So the Philistine and Israeli armies faced each other. They were on two hills, with a valley between them.
4 Et egressus est vir spurius de castris Philisthinorum nomine Goliath, de Geth, altitudinis sex cubitorum et palmi:
Then Goliath, from Gath [city], came out from the Philistine camp. He was a champion warrior/soldier. He was (over 9 feet/3 meters) tall.
5 et cassis ærea super caput ejus, et lorica squamata induebatur. Porro pondus loricæ ejus, quinque millia siclorum æris erat:
He wore a helmet made of bronze [to protect his head], and he wore a coat made of metal plates [to protect his body]. The coat weighed (125 pounds/56 kg.).
6 et ocreas æreas habebat in cruribus, et clypeus æreus tegebat humeros ejus.
He wore bronze guards/protectors on his legs. He had a long bronze dagger fastened on his back.
7 Hastile autem hastæ ejus erat quasi liciatorium texentium: ipsum autem ferrum hastæ ejus sexcentos siclos habebat ferri: et armiger ejus antecedebat eum.
He also had a big spear. It had a cord on it to enable him to throw it better (OR, which was as thick as a weaver’s beam). The tip of the spear was made of iron and weighed (15 pounds/almost 7 kg.). A soldier carrying a huge shield walked in front of him.
8 Stansque clamabat adversum phalangas Israël, et dicebat eis: Quare venistis parati ad prælium? numquid ego non sum Philisthæus, et vos servi Saul? eligite ex vobis virum, et descendat ad singulare certamen.
Goliath stood there and shouted to the Israeli army, “Why are you all lined up for battle? I am the great Philistine [soldier], and I think [RHQ] you are [merely] Saul’s slaves. Choose one man to fight for all of you, and send him down here to me!
9 Si quiverit pugnare mecum, et percusserit me, erimus vobis servi: si autem ego prævaluero, et percussero eum, vos servi eritis, et servietis nobis.
If he fights with me and kills me, then my fellow Philistines will all be your slaves. But if I defeat him and kill him, then you Israelis will all be our slaves.
10 Et aiebat Philisthæus: Ego exprobravi agminibus Israël hodie: date mihi virum, et ineat mecum singulare certamen.
I defy/challenge you men of the Israeli army. Send me a man who will fight with me!”
11 Audiens autem Saul et omnes Israëlitæ sermones Philisthæi hujuscemodi, stupebant, et metuebant nimis.
When Saul and all the Israeli soldiers heard that, they were extremely terrified [DOU].
12 David autem erat filius viri Ephrathæi, de quo supra dictum est, de Bethlehem Juda, cui nomen erat Isai, qui habebat octo filios, et erat vir in diebus Saul senex, et grandævus inter viros.
David was the son of Jesse. Jesse was from the clan of Ephrath. He lived in Bethlehem, in the area where the descendants of Judah lived. Jesse had eight sons. When Saul [was king], Jesse had already become a very old man [DOU].
13 Abierunt autem tres filii ejus majores post Saul in prælium: et nomina trium filiorum ejus qui perrexerunt ad bellum, Eliab primogenitus, et secundus Abinadab, tertiusque Samma.
Jesse’s three oldest sons, Eliab and Abinadab and Shammah, had gone with Saul to fight [the Philistines].
14 David autem erat minimus. Tribus ergo majoribus secutis Saulem,
David was Jesse’s youngest son. While his three oldest brothers were with Saul,
15 abiit David, et reversus est a Saul ut pasceret gregem patris sui in Bethlehem.
David went back and forth: Sometimes he went to Saul’s camp, and sometimes he stayed in Bethlehem to take care of his father’s sheep.
16 Procedebat vero Philisthæus mane et vespere, et stabat quadraginta diebus.
For 40 days Goliath came out from the Philistine camp and stood there [taunting the Israeli army/telling the Israelis to choose one man to fight with him]. He did it twice each day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
17 Dixit autem Isai ad David filium suum: Accipe fratribus tuis ephi polentæ, et decem panes istos, et curre in castra ad fratres tuos,
[One day], Jesse said to David, “Here is a sack of roasted grain and ten loaves of bread. Take these quickly to your [older] brothers.
18 et decem formellas casei has deferes ad tribunum: et fratres tuos visitabis, si recte agant: et cum quibus ordinati sunt, disce.
And here are ten large chunks of cheese. Take them to their commander. And see how things are going with your [older] brothers. Then [if they are okay, ] bring back something to show they are all right.”
19 Saul autem, et illi, et omnes filii Israël, in Valle terebinthi pugnabant adversum Philisthiim.
His brothers were with Saul and all the other Israeli soldiers, camped alongside Elah Valley, [preparing to] fight the Philistines.
20 Surrexit itaque David mane, et commendavit gregem custodi: et onustus abiit, sicut præceperat ei Isai. Et venit ad locum Magala, et ad exercitum, qui egressus ad pugnam vociferatus erat in certamine.
So David arranged for another shepherd to take care of the sheep. Early the next morning he took the food and went to the Israeli camp, as Jesse told him to do. He arrived there just as the Israeli soldiers were forming their ranks and going out to the battlefield. As they went, they were shouting a war cry.
21 Direxerat enim aciem Israël, sed et Philisthiim ex adverso fuerant præparati.
The Philistine army and the Israeli army stood [on the hillsides], facing each other, ready for the battle.
22 Derelinquens ergo David vasa quæ attulerat sub manu custodis ad sarcinas, cucurrit ad locum certaminis, et interrogabat si omnia recte agerentur erga fratres suos.
David gave the food to the man who was taking care of the war equipment. [He told him to take care of the food that he brought], and then he went and greeted his older brothers.
23 Cumque adhuc ille loqueretur eis, apparuit vir ille spurius ascendens, Goliath nomine, Philisthæus de Geth, de castris Philisthinorum: et loquente eo hæc eadem verba audivit David.
While he was talking with them, he saw Goliath coming out from among the Philistine soldiers, shouting [to the Israelis], challenging them [to send a man to fight him]. David heard what Goliath was saying.
24 Omnes autem Israëlitæ, cum vidissent virum, fugerunt a facie ejus, timentes eum valde.
When all the Israeli soldiers saw Goliath, they were terrified and started to ran away.
25 Et dixit unus quispiam de Israël: Num vidistis virum hunc, qui ascendit? ad exprobrandum enim Israëli ascendit. Virum ergo qui percusserit eum, ditabit rex divitiis magnis, et filiam suam dabit ei, et domum patris ejus faciet absque tributo in Israël.
They were saying to each other, “Look at him coming up toward us! And listen to him as he defies us Israelis! The king says that he will give a big reward to whoever kills this man. He also says that he will give his daughter to that man for him to marry her, and that he will no longer require that man’s family to pay taxes.”
26 Et ait David ad viros qui stabant secum, dicens: Quid dabitur viro qui percusserit Philisthæum hunc, et tulerit opprobrium de Israël? quis enim est hic Philisthæus incircumcisus, qui exprobravit acies Dei viventis?
David talked to some of the men who were standing near him. He said, “What will be given to whoever kills this Philistine and frees us Israelis from this shame/disgrace? And who [does] this heathen Philistine [think he] is, defying/ridiculing the army that serves the all-powerful God?”
27 Referebat autem ei populus eumdem sermonem, dicens: Hæc dabuntur viro qui percusserit eum.
They told him the same thing that the other men had said, about what the king would do for anyone who killed Goliath.
28 Quod cum audisset Eliab frater ejus major, loquente eo cum aliis, iratus est contra David, et ait: Quare venisti, et quare dereliquisti pauculas oves illas in deserto? Ego novi superbiam tuam, et nequitiam cordis tui: quia ut videres prælium, descendisti.
But when David’s oldest brother Eliab heard David talking to the men, he was angry. He said to David, “Why have you come down here? Is someone taking care of those few sheep that you left in the desert? I know you are just a (smart-aleck/brat)! You just want to watch the battle!”
29 Et dixit David: Quid feci? numquid non verbum est?
David replied, “Have I done something wrong? I was merely asking a question!”
30 Et declinavit paululum ab eo ad alium: dixitque eumdem sermonem. Et respondit ei populus verbum sicut prius.
Then he walked over to another man and asked him the same question, but the man gave him the same answer. Each time he asked someone, he received the same answer.
31 Audita sunt autem verba quæ locutus est David, et annuntiata in conspectu Saul.
Finally, someone told king Saul what David had asked, and Saul sent someone to bring David to him.
32 Ad quem cum fuisset adductus, locutus est ei: Non concidat cor cujusquam in eo: ego servus tuus vadam, et pugnabo adversus Philisthæum.
David told king Saul, “No one should (worry/become a coward) because of that Philistine man. I will go and fight with him!”
33 Et ait Saul ad David: Non vales resistere Philisthæo isti, nec pugnare adversus eum, quia puer es: hic autem vir bellator est ab adolescentia sua.
Saul said to David, “You are only a young man, and he has been a very capable soldier all his life. So you are not able to go and fight with him!”
34 Dixitque David ad Saul: Pascebat servus tuus patris sui gregem, et veniebat leo vel ursus, et tollebat arietem de medio gregis:
David replied, “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep [for many years]. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried away a lamb,
35 et persequebar eos, et percutiebam, eruebamque de ore eorum: et illi consurgebant adversum me, et apprehendebam mentum eorum, et suffocabam, interficiebamque eos.
I went after the lion or the bear and attacked it and rescued the lamb from the wild animal’s mouth. Then I grabbed the animal by its jaw/throat and struck it and killed it.
36 Nam et leonem et ursum interfeci ego servus tuus: erit igitur et Philisthæus hic incircumcisus quasi unus ex eis. Nunc vadam, et auferam opprobrium populi: quoniam quis est iste Philisthæus incircumcisus, qui ausus est maledicere exercitui Dei viventis?
I have killed both lions and bears. And [I will do] the same to this heathen Philistine, because he has defied/ridiculed the army of the all-powerful God!
37 Et ait David: Dominus qui eripuit me de manu leonis, et de manu ursi, ipse me liberabit de manu Philisthæi hujus. Dixit autem Saul ad David: Vade, et Dominus tecum sit.
Yahweh has rescued me from paws of lions and bears, and he will rescue me from this Philistine!” Then Saul said to David, “All right, go [and fight him], and [I hope/desire] that Yahweh will help you!”
38 Et induit Saul David vestimentis suis, et imposuit galeam æream super caput ejus, et vestivit eum lorica.
Then Saul gave to David his own clothes that he always wore in battles, and he gave him a bronze helmet and a coat made of metal plates.
39 Accinctus ergo David gladio ejus super vestem suam, cœpit tentare si armatus posset incedere: non enim habebat consuetudinem. Dixitque David ad Saul: Non possum sic incedere, quia non usum habeo. Et deposuit ea,
David [put these things on. Then he] fastened his sword over them, and tried to walk. But he could not walk, because he was not accustomed to wearing those things. So David said to Saul, “I cannot fight wearing all these things, because I am not accustomed to [wearing] them!” So he took them off.
40 et tulit baculum suum, quem semper habebat in manibus: et elegit sibi quinque limpidissimos lapides de torrente, et misit eos in peram pastoralem quam habebat secum, et fundam manu tulit: et processit adversum Philisthæum.
Then he took his walking/shepherd’s stick, and he picked up five smooth stones from the brook/stream. He put them in the pouch of his shoulder-bag. Then he put his sling in his hand and started walking toward Goliath.
41 Ibat autem Philisthæus incedens, et appropinquans adversum David, et armiger ejus ante eum.
Goliath walked toward David, with the soldier who was carrying his shield walking in front of him. When he got near David,
42 Cumque inspexisset Philisthæus, et vidisset David, despexit eum. Erat enim adolescens, rufus, et pulcher aspectu.
he looked at David closely. He saw that David had a handsome face and healthy body, but that he was only a young man. So he sneered at David.
43 Et dixit Philisthæus ad David: Numquid ego canis sum, quod tu venis ad me cum baculo? Et maledixit Philisthæus David in diis suis:
He said to David, “Are you coming to me with a stick because [you think that] I am a dog?” Then he called out to his gods to harm David.
44 dixitque ad David: Veni ad me, et dabo carnes tuas volatilibus cæli et bestiis terræ.
He said to David, “Come here to me, and I will [kill you and] give your dead body to the birds and wild animals to eat!”
45 Dixit autem David ad Philisthæum: Tu venis ad me cum gladio, et hasta, et clypeo: ego autem venio ad te in nomine Domini exercituum, Dei agminum Israël quibus exprobrasti
David replied, “You are coming to me with a sword and a dagger and a spear. But I am coming to you (in the name/with the authority) of almighty Yahweh. He is the God whom the army of Israel [worships], and he is the God whom you have defied/ridiculed.
46 hodie, et dabit te Dominus in manu mea, et percutiam te, et auferam caput tuum a te: et dabo cadavera castrorum Philisthiim hodie volatilibus cæli, et bestiis terræ, ut sciat omnis terra quia est Deus in Israël,
Today Yahweh will enable me to defeat you. I will strike you down and cut off your head. And [we Israelis will kill] many Philistine [soldiers and] give their bodies to the birds and wild animals to eat. And everyone in the world will [hear about it and] know that we Israeli people worship an [all-powerful] God.
47 et noverit universa ecclesia hæc, quia non in gladio nec in hasta salvat Dominus: ipsius enim est bellum, et tradet vos in manus nostras.
And everyone here will know that Yahweh can rescue people without a sword or a spear. Yahweh always wins his battles, and he will enable us to defeat all of you [Philistines].”
48 Cum ergo surrexisset Philisthæus, et veniret, et appropinquaret contra David, festinavit David et cucurrit ad pugnam ex adverso Philisthæi.
As Goliath came closer to attack David, David ran quickly toward him.
49 Et misit manum suam in peram, tulitque unum lapidem, et funda jecit, et circumducens percussit Philisthæum in fronte: et infixus est lapis in fronte ejus, et cecidit in faciem suam super terram.
He put his hand into his shoulder-bag and took out one stone. He [put it in his sling and] hurled it toward Goliath. The stone hit Goliath on the forehead and penetrated his skull, and he fell face down onto the ground.
50 Prævaluitque David adversum Philisthæum in funda et lapide, percussumque Philisthæum interfecit. Cumque gladium non haberet in manu David,
Then David ran and stood over Goliath. He pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath and killed him with it, and then cut off his head. In that way David defeated the Philistine without having his own sword. He used [only] a sling and a stone! When the other Philistines saw that their great warrior was dead, they ran away.
51 cucurrit, et stetit super Philisthæum, et tulit gladium ejus, et eduxit eum de vagina sua: et interfecit eum, præciditque caput ejus. Videntes autem Philisthiim quod mortuus esset fortissimus eorum, fugerunt.
52 Et consurgentes viri Israël et Juda vociferati sunt, et persecuti sunt Philisthæos usque dum venirent in vallem, et usque ad portas Accaron: cecideruntque vulnerati de Philisthiim in via Saraim, et usque ad Geth, et usque ad Accaron.
The Israeli men shouted and ran after them. They pursued them all the way to Gath and to the gates of Ekron [city]. They struck them as they went, with the result that dead/wounded Philistines were lying on the road all the way from Shaaraim to Gath and Ekron [towns].
53 Et revertentes filii Israël postquam persecuti fuerant Philisthæos, invaserunt castra eorum.
When the Israelis returned from chasing the Philistines, they (plundered/took everything from) the Philistine camp.
54 Assumens autem David caput Philisthæi, attulit illud in Jerusalem: arma vero ejus posuit in tabernaculo suo.
David later took the head of Goliath to Jerusalem, but he kept Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.
55 Eo autem tempore quo viderat Saul David egredientem contra Philisthæum, ait ad Abner principem militiæ: De qua stirpe descendit hic adolescens, Abner? Dixitque Abner: Vivit anima tua, rex, si novi.
As Saul watched David going toward Goliath, he said to Abner, the commanded of his army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?” Abner replied, “(As sure as you are alive/Truly) [IDM], I do not know.”
56 Et ait rex: Interroga tu, cujus filius sit iste puer.
Then the king said, “Find out whose son he is!”
57 Cumque regressus esset David, percusso Philisthæo, tulit eum Abner, et introduxit coram Saule, caput Philisthæi habentem in manu.
[Later, ] as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner took him to Saul. David was carrying Goliath’s head.
58 Et ait ad eum Saul: De qua progenie es, o adolescens? Dixitque David: Filius servi tui Isai Bethlehemitæ ego sum.
Saul asked him, “Young man, whose son are you?” David replied, “[Sir, perhaps you have forgotten that] I am the son of your servant Jesse, who has served you faithfully, who lives in Bethlehem.”
