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 unto Samuel: 'How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; 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 can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me.' And the LORD said: 'Take a heifer with thee, and 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 call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto Me him whom I name unto 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?

And Samuel did that which the LORD spoke, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said: 'Comest thou peaceably?'

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: 'Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.' And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

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

And it came to pass, when they were come, that he beheld Eliab, and said: 'Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him.'

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

But the LORD said unto Samuel: 'Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for it is not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.'

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

Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said: 'Neither hath the LORD chosen this.'

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

Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said: '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.

And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse: 'The LORD hath not chosen 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 unto Jesse: 'Are here all thy children?' And he said: 'There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.' And Samuel said unto Jesse: '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, et unge eum, ipse est enim.

And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of beautiful eyes, and goodly to look upon. And the LORD said: 'Arise, 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 mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

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

Now the spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrified him.

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

And Saul's servants said unto him: 'Behold now, an evil spirit from God terrifieth thee.

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

Let our lord now command thy servants, that are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp; and it shall be, when the evil spirit from God cometh upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.'

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

And Saul said unto his servants: 'Provide me now a 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.

Then answered one of the young men, and said: 'Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valour, and a man of war, and prudent in affairs, 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.

Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said: 'Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep.'

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

And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto 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 greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.

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

And Saul sent to Jesse, saying: 'Let David, I pray thee, 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.

And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; so Saul found relief, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.