I Samuelis 18
1 Et factum est cum complesset loqui ad Saul, anima Jonathæ conglutinata est animæ David, et dilexit eum Jonathas quasi animam suam.
After David finished talking with Saul, [he met Saul’s son, Jonathan.] Jonathan [immediately] liked David; in fact, he began to love/like him as much as he loved/liked himself.
2 Tulitque eum Saul in die illa, et non concessit ei ut reverteretur in domum patris sui.
From that day, Saul kept David with him, and did not let him return home.
3 Inierunt autem David et Jonathas fœdus: diligebat enim eum quasi animam suam.
Because Jonathan loved David so much, he made a solemn agreement with David. [They promised each other that they would always be loyal friends].
4 Nam expoliavit se Jonathas tunica qua erat indutus, et dedit eam David, et reliqua vestimenta sua, usque ad gladium et arcum suum, et usque ad balteum.
Jonathan took off his own outer robe and gave it to David. He also gave David his soldier’s tunic, his sword, his bow [and arrows], and his belt.
5 Egrediebatur quoque David ad omnia quæcumque misisset eum Saul, et prudenter se agebat: posuitque eum Saul super viros belli, et acceptus erat in oculis universi populi, maximeque in conspectu famulorum Saul.
[David went wherever Saul sent him. And] whatever Saul told him to do, David did it very successfully. As a result, Saul appointed David to be a commander in the army. All the officers and other men in the army (approved of/were very pleased with) that.
6 Porro cum reverteretur percusso Philisthæo David, egressæ sunt mulieres de universis urbibus Israël, cantantes, chorosque ducentes in occursum Saul regis, in tympanis lætitiæ, et in sistris.
But, when the men in the army were returning home after David had killed Goliath, the women came out from many [HYP] towns in Israel to meet/greet King Saul. They were singing and dancing very joyfully, playing tambourines and lyres.
7 Et præcinebant mulieres, ludentes, atque dicentes: Percussit Saul mille, et David decem millia.
As they danced, they sang this song to each other: “Saul has killed 1,000 [enemy soldiers], But David has killed 10,000 [of them].”
8 Iratus est autem Saul nimis, et displicuit in oculis ejus sermo iste: dixitque: Dederunt David decem millia, et mihi mille dederunt: quid ei superest, nisi solum regnum?
[When] Saul [heard them singing that, he] did not like it. He became very angry. He said [to himself], “They are saying that David [killed] 10,000 men, but that I [have killed] only 1,000. Soon they will want to make him their king!” [RHQ]
9 Non rectis ergo oculis Saul aspiciebat David a die illa et deinceps.
From that time, Saul watched David very closely because he was suspicious [that David would try to become king].
10 Post diem autem alteram, invasit spiritus Dei malus Saul, et prophetabat in medio domus suæ: David autem psallebat manu sua, sicut per singulos dies. Tenebatque Saul lanceam,
The next day, an evil spirit sent by God suddenly took control of Saul. He began to act like a madman, inside his house. David was playing the lyre for him, as he did every day. Saul was holding a spear in his hand,
11 et misit eam, putans quod configere posset David cum pariete: et declinavit David a facie ejus secundo.
and he hurled it [at David], saying to himself, “I will fasten David to the wall with the spear!” He did that two times, but David jumped aside [both times].
12 Et timuit Saul David, eo quod Dominus esset cum eo, et a se recessisset.
Because [it became evident that] Yahweh had abandoned Saul but [that] he was helping David, Saul was afraid of David.
13 Amovit ergo eum Saul a se, et fecit eum tribunum super mille viros: et egrediebatur, et intrabat in conspectu populi.
So he appointed David as a commander of 1,000 soldiers and sent David away from him, [hoping that David would be killed in a battle]. But when David led his soldiers [in their battles],
14 In omnibus quoque viis suis David prudenter agebat, et Dominus erat cum eo.
he always had great success, because Yahweh was helping him.
15 Vidit itaque Saul quod prudens esset nimis, et cœpit cavere eum.
When Saul heard that David [and his soldiers were] very successful, he became more afraid of David.
16 Omnis autem Israël et Juda diligebat David: ipse enim ingrediebatur et egrediebatur ante eos.
But all the people of Israel and of Judah loved David, because he led the soldiers very successfully [in the battles].
17 Dixitque Saul ad David: Ecce filia mea major Merob: ipsam dabo tibi uxorem: tantummodo esto vir fortis, et præliare bella Domini. Saul autem reputabat, dicens: Non sit manus mea in eum, sed sit super eum manus Philisthinorum.
One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my oldest daughter, Merab, to be your wife. I will do that if you serve me bravely by fighting battles for Yahweh [against the Philistines]”. He said that because he thought, “I will not try to get rid of David by myself. I will allow the Philistines to do that.”
18 Ait autem David ad Saul: Quis ego sum, aut quæ est vita mea, aut cognatio patris mei in Israël, ut fiam gener regis?
But David said to Saul, “I am not [RHQ] a very important person, and my family is not very important, and my clan is not a very important Israeli clan. So I do not deserve to become your son-in-law.” [RHQ]
19 Factum est autem tempus cum deberet dari Merob filia Saul David, data est Hadrieli Molathitæ uxor.
So, when it was time for Merab to be given to David to become his wife, instead, Saul gave her to a man named Adriel, from Meholah [town].
20 Dilexit autem David Michol filia Saul altera. Et nuntiatum est Saul, et placuit ei.
But Saul’s other daughter, Michal, fell in love with David. When they told Saul about that, he was pleased.
21 Dixitque Saul: Dabo eam illi, ut fiat ei in scandalum, et sit super eum manus Philisthinorum. Dixitque Saul ad David: In duabus rebus gener meus eris hodie.
He thought, “I will let Michal marry him, in order that she may trap him, and the Philistines will be able to kill him.” So he said to David, [“You can marry Michal],” and by saying that, he indicated for the second time that David would become his son-in-law.
22 Et mandavit Saul servis suis: Loquimini ad David clam me, dicentes: Ecce places regi, et omnes servi ejus diligunt te: nunc ergo esto gener regis.
Saul told his servants, “Talk to David privately, and say to him, ‘Listen, the king is pleased with you, and all of us his servants love you. So now [we think that] you should [marry Michal and] become the king’s son-in-law.’”
23 Et locuti sunt servi Saul in auribus David omnia verba hæc. Et ait David: Num parum videtur vobis, generum esse regis? ego autem sum vir pauper et tenuis.
So they told that to David. But David said, “It would be a great honor [RHQ] to become the king’s son-in-law. But [I do not think that I should do that, because] I am only a poor and insignificant man.”
24 Et renuntiaverunt servi Saul dicentes: Hujuscemodi verba locutus est David.
When the servants told Saul what David had said,
25 Dixit autem Saul: Sic loquimini ad David: Non habet rex sponsalia necesse, nisi tantum centum præputia Philisthinorum, ut fiat ultio de inimicis regis. Porro Saul cogitabat tradere David in manus Philisthinorum.
Saul replied, “Go and say to David, ‘[In order for] the king [to allow you to marry Michal, he] wants [you to kill] 100 Philistines [and cut off] their foreskins [and bring the foreskins to him to prove that you have killed them]. In that way he will get revenge on his enemies.’” But what Saul wanted was that the Philistines would kill David [while David was trying to kill them].
26 Cumque renuntiassent servi ejus David verba quæ dixerat Saul, placuit sermo in oculis David, ut fieret gener regis.
When the servants told that to David, he was very pleased that he could become the king’s son-in-law [by doing that. The king had said how many days he would allow for David to do that]. But before that time ended,
27 Et post paucos dies surgens David, abiit cum viris qui sub eo erant. Et percussit ex Philisthiim ducentos viros, et attulit eorum præputia et annumeravit ea regi, ut esset gener ejus. Dedit itaque Saul ei Michol filiam suam uxorem.
David and his men went and killed, [not 100, but] 200 Philistines! He brought their foreskins to Saul, and counted them [while Saul was watching], in order to prove that he had [done what the king required so that he could become Saul’s son-in-law. So then Saul was obligated] to allow David to marry his daughter Michal.
28 Et vidit Saul, et intellexit quod Dominus esset cum David. Michol autem filia Saul diligebat eum.
But when Saul realized that Yahweh was helping David, and that his daughter loved David,
29 Et Saul magis cœpit timere David: factusque est Saul inimicus David cunctis diebus.
he became more afraid of David. So, as long as Saul lived, he was David’s enemy.
30 Et egressi sunt principes Philisthinorum. A principio autem egressionis eorum, prudentius se gerebat David quam omnes servi Saul, et celebre factum est nomen ejus nimis.
The Philistine armies repeatedly came to fight the Israelis, but every time they fought, David and his soldiers were more successful than any of Saul’s other army commanders. As a result, David became very famous.
