I Samuelis 19
1 Locutus est autem Saul ad Jonathan filium suum, et ad omnes servos suos, ut occiderent David. Porro Jonathas filius Saul diligebat David valde:
Then Saul instructed his son Jonathan and all his officials to kill David. But Jonathan really liked David,
2 et indicavit Jonathas David, dicens: Quærit Saul pater meus occidere te: quapropter observa te, quæso, mane: et manebis clam, et absconderis.
so he warned him, “My father Saul is trying to kill you. So be careful tomorrow morning—find a place to hide and stay hidden.
3 Ego autem egrediens stabo juxta patrem meum in agro, ubicumque fueris: et ego loquar de te ad patrem meum, et quodcumque videro, nuntiabo tibi.
I'll go out with my father and stand in the field near to where you are hiding. I'll talk to him about you and see what I can find out, then I'll let you know.”
4 Locutus est ergo Jonathas de David bona ad Saul patrem suum: dixitque ad eum: Ne pecces rex in servum tuum David, quia non peccavit tibi, et opera ejus bona sunt tibi valde.
Then Jonathan spoke positively about David to his father Saul, and told him, “The king should not do anything bad to his servant David because he's not done anything bad to you—he has always served you well.
5 Et posuit animam suam in manu sua, et percussit Philisthæum, et fecit Dominus salutem magnam universo Israëli: vidisti, et lætatus es. Quare ergo peccas in sanguine innoxio, interficiens David, qui est absque culpa?
He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine, and the Lord brought about great salvation for the whole of Israel. You saw it and you were delighted, so why would you sin and spill innocent blood by killing David without having any reason?”
6 Quod cum audisset Saul, placatus voce Jonathæ, juravit: Vivit Dominus, quia non occidetur.
Saul accepted what Jonathan had to say, and promised with an oath: “I swear on the life of the Lord, he won't be put to death.”
7 Vocavit itaque Jonathas David, et indicavit ei omnia verba hæc: et introduxit Jonathas David ad Saul, et fuit ante eum sicut fuerat heri et nudiustertius.
Later Jonathan called David and told him all that had been said. Then he took him to Saul, and David worked for Saul as he had before.
8 Motum est autem rursum bellum: et egressus David, pugnavit adversum Philisthiim: percussitque eos plaga magna, et fugerunt a facie ejus.
War broke out once again, and David went to fight the Philistines. He attacked them so forcefully that they ran away in defeat.
9 Et factus est spiritus Domini malus in Saul: sedebat autem in domo sua, et tenebat lanceam: porro David psallebat manu sua.
A while later an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul while he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. As David played the lyre,
10 Nisusque est Saul configere David lancea in pariete, et declinavit David a facie Saul: lancea autem casso vulnere perlata est in parietem, et David fugit, et salvatus est nocte illa.
Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear. David managed to dodge the spear which embedded itself in the wall. Then David escaped and ran away into the night.
11 Misit ergo Saul satellites suos in domum David, ut custodirent eum, et interficeretur mane. Quod cum annuntiasset David Michol uxor sua, dicens: Nisi salvaveris te nocte hac, cras morieris:
Saul sent some messengers to David's house to keep watch and kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, “If you don't get away tonight, tomorrow you'll be killed.”
12 deposuit eum per fenestram. Porro ille abiit et aufugit, atque salvatus est.
Michal lowered David down from a window, and he ran off, managing to escape.
13 Tulit autem Michol statuam, et posuit eam super lectum, et pellem pilosam caprarum posuit ad caput ejus, et operuit eam vestimentis.
Then she took a home idol and laid it in the bed, put a goat hair wig on its head, and covered it with bedclothes.
14 Misit autem Saul apparitores, qui raperent David: et responsum est quod ægrotaret.
When Saul sent the messengers to arrest David, Michal told them, “He's sick.”
15 Rursumque misit Saul nuntios ut viderent David, dicens: Afferte eum ad me in lecto, ut occidatur.
Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him to me in the bed so I can kill him.”
16 Cumque venissent nuntii, inventum est simulacrum super lectum, et pellis caprarum ad caput ejus.
But when the messengers went into the bedroom, there was the idol in the bed with the goat hair wig on its head.
17 Dixitque Saul ad Michol: Quare sic illusisti mihi, et dimisisti inimicum meum ut fugeret? Et respondit Michol ad Saul: Quia ipse locutus est mihi: Dimitte me, alioquin interficiam te.
“Why did you trick me like this—helping my enemy get away so he could escape?” Saul asked Michal. “He told me, ‘Get out of my way! I don't want to have to kill you!’” Michal replied.
18 David autem fugiens salvatus est, et venit ad Samuel in Ramatha, et nuntiavit ei omnia quæ fecerat sibi Saul: et abierunt ipse et Samuel, et morati sunt in Najoth.
This is how David got away and escaped. He went to Samuel at Ramah and explained to him everything that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to stay in Naioth.
19 Nuntiatum est autem Sauli a dicentibus: Ecce David in Najoth in Ramatha.
When Saul got to hear that David was at Naioth in Ramah,
20 Misit ergo Saul lictores, ut raperent David: qui cum vidissent cuneum prophetarum vaticinantium, et Samuelem stantem super eos, factus est etiam spiritus Domini in illis, et prophetare cœperunt etiam ipsi.
he sent messengers to arrest him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying with Samuel leading out, the Spirit of God came on Saul's messengers and they started prophesying too.
21 Quod cum nuntiatum esset Sauli, misit et alios nuntios: prophetaverunt autem et illi. Et rursum misit Saul tertios nuntios: qui et ipsi prophetaverunt. Et iratus iracundia Saul,
Saul was told what had happened, so he sent more messengers, and they started prophesying as well.
22 abiit etiam ipse in Ramatha, et venit usque ad cisternam magnam quæ est in Socho, et interrogavit, et dixit: In quo loco sunt Samuel et David? Dictumque est ei: Ecce in Najoth sunt in Ramatha.
For the third time Saul sent messengers, and they also started prophesying.
23 Et abiit in Najoth in Ramatha, et factus est etiam super eum spiritus Domini, et ambulabat ingrediens, et prophetabat usque dum veniret in Najoth in Ramatha.
In the end Saul went himself to Ramah and arrived at the large cistern at Secu. “Where are Samuel and David?” he asked. “At Naioth in Ramah,” someone told him. So Saul went on to Naioth at Ramah, but the Spirit of God even came on him, and he was prophesying as he walked along until he arrived in Naioth.
24 Et expoliavit etiam ipse se vestimentis suis, et prophetavit cum ceteris coram Samuele, et cecidit nudus tota die illa et nocte. Unde et exivit proverbium: Num et Saul inter prophetas?
Then Saul also took off his clothes and he too prophesied in Samuel's presence. Then he fell down and lay there naked all that day and all that night. That's why it is said, “Is Saul one of the prophets too?”
