I Samuelis 23

1 Et annunciaverunt David, dicentes: Ecce Philisthiim oppugnant Ceilam, et diripiunt areas.

And they sent word to David, saying, The Philistines are fighting against Keilah and taking the grain from the grain-floors.

2 Consuluit ergo David Dominum, dicens: Num vadam, et percutiam Philisthaeos istos? Et ait Dominus ad David: Vade, et percuties Philisthaeos, et Ceilam salvabis.

So David, questioning the Lord, said, Am I to go and make an attack on these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, Go and make an attack on the Philistines so that Keilah may be kept from falling into their hands.

3 Et dixerunt viri, qui erant cum David, ad eum: Ecce nos hic in Iudaea consistentes timemus: quanto magis si ierimus in Ceilam adversum agmina Philisthinorum?

And David's men said to him, Even here in Judah we are full of fear: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?

4 Rursum ergo David consuluit Dominum. Qui respondens, ait ei: Surge, et vade in Ceilam: ego enim tradam Philisthaeos in manu tua.

Then David put the question to the Lord again, and the Lord answering said, Up! go down to Keilah; for I will give the Philistines into your hands.

5 Abiit ergo David, et viri eius in Ceilam, et pugnavit adversum Philisthaeos, et abegit iumenta eorum, et percussit eos plaga magna: et salvavit David habitatores Ceilae.

So David and his men went to Keilah, and had a fight with the Philistines, and took away their cattle, and put them to the sword with great destruction. So David was the saviour of the people of Keilah.

6 Porro eo tempore, quo fugiebat Abiathar filius Achimelech ad David in Ceilam, ephod secum habens descenderat.

Now when Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, went in flight to David, he came down to Keilah with the ephod in his hand.

7 Nunciatum est autem Sauli quod venisset David in Ceilam: et ait Saul: Tradidit eum Dominus in manus meas, conclususque est introgressus urbem, in qua portae et serae sunt.

And news was given to Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, Now God has given him into my hands; for by going into a walled town with locked doors, he has let himself be shut in.

8 Et praecepit Saul omni populo ut ad pugnam descenderet in Ceilam: et obsideret David, et viros eius.

And Saul sent for all the people to come to the fight, and go down to Keilah to make an attack on David and his men.

9 Quod cum David rescisset quia praepararet ei Saul clam malum, dixit ad Abiathar sacerdotem: Applica ephod.

And it was clear to David that Saul had evil designs against him, and he said to Abiathar the priest, Come here with the ephod.

10 Et ait David: Domine Deus Israel, audivit famam servus tuus, quod disponat Saul venire in Ceilam, ut evertat urbem propter me:

Then David said, O Lord, the God of Israel, news has been given to your servant that it is Saul's purpose to come to Keilah and send destruction on the town because of me.

11 Si tradent me viri Ceilae in manus eius? et si descendet Saul, sicut audivit servus tuus? Domine Deus Israel indica servo tuo. Et ait Dominus: Descendet.

And now, is it true, as they have said to me, that Saul is coming? O Lord, the God of Israel, give ear to your servant, and say if these things are so. And the Lord said, He is coming down.

12 Dixitque David: Si tradent me viri Ceilae, et viros qui sunt mecum, in manus Saul? et dixit Dominus: Tradent.

Then David said, Will the men of Keilah give me and my men up to Saul? and the Lord said, They will give you up.

13 Surrexit ergo David et viri eius quasi sexcenti, et egressi de Ceila, huc atque illuc vagabantur incerti: nunciatumque est Sauli quod fugisset David de Ceila, et salvatus esset: quam ob rem dissimulavit exire.

Then David and his men, about six hundred of them, went out of Keilah, and got away wherever they were able to go. And Saul, hearing that David had got away from Keilah, did not go there.

14 Morabatur autem David in deserto in locis firmissimis, mansitque in monte solitudinis Ziph, in monte opaco: quaerebat eum tamen Saul cunctis diebus: et non tradidit eum Dominus in manus eius.

And David kept in the waste land, in safe places, waiting in the hill-country in the waste land of Ziph. And Saul was searching for him every day, but God did not give him up into his hands.

15 Et vidit David quod egressus esset Saul ut quaereret animam eius. Porro David erat in deserto Ziph in silva.

And David was full of fear, in the knowledge that Saul had come out to take his life; and David was in the waste land of Ziph, in Horesh.

16 Et surrexit Ionathas filius Saul, et abiit ad David in silvam, et confortavit manus eius in Deo: dixitque ei:

And Saul's son Jonathan went to David in Horesh, and made his hands strong in God;

17 Ne timeas: neque enim inveniet te manus Saul patris mei, et tu regnabis super Israel, et ego ero tibi secundus, sed et Saul pater meus scit hoc.

And said to him, Have no fear, for Saul my father will not get you into his power; and you will be king of Israel, and I will be by your side, and my father Saul is certain of this.

18 Percussit ergo uterque foedus coram Domino: mansitque David in silva: Ionathas autem reversus est in domum suam.

And the two of them made an agreement before the Lord: and David went on living in Horesh, and Jonathan went back to his house.

19 Ascenderunt autem Ziphaei ad Saul in Gabaa, dicentes: Nonne ecce David latitat apud nos in locis tutissimis silvae, in Colle Hachila, quae est ad dexteram deserti?

Then the Ziphites came up to Gibeah to see Saul, and said, Is not David living secretly among us in the strong places in Horesh, in the hill of Hachilah to the south of the waste land?

20 Nunc ergo, sicut desideravit anima tua ut descenderes, descende: nostrum autem erit ut tradamus eum in manus regis.

So now, O king, have your soul's desire and come down, and we, for our part, will give him up into the king's hands.

21 Dixitque Saul: Benedicti vos a Domino, quia doluistis vicem meam.

And Saul said, The Lord's blessing will be yours, for you have had pity on me.

22 Abite ergo, oro, et diligentius praeparate, et curiosius agite, et considerate locum ubi sit pes eius, vel quis viderit eum ibi, recogitat enim de me, quod callide insidier ei.

Go now, and take more steps, and see where he is living: for they say that he is expert in deceit.

23 Considerate et videte omnia latibula eius, in quibus absconditur: et revertimini ad me ad rem certam, ut vadam vobiscum. quod si etiam in terram se obstruxerit, perscrutabor eum in cunctis millibus Iuda.

So take care to get knowledge of all the secret places where he is taking cover, and be certain to come back to me, and I will go with you: and without doubt, if he is anywhere in the land, I will get him, among all the families of Judah.

24 At illi surgentes abierunt in Ziph ante Saul: David autem et viri eius erant in deserto Maon, in campestribus ad dexteram Iesimon.

And they went back and came to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the waste land of Maon, in the dry land south of the waste land.

25 Ivit ergo Saul et socii eius ad quaerendum eum: et nunciatum est David, statimque descendit ad petram, et versabatur in deserto Maon. quod cum audisset Saul, persecutus est David in deserto Maon.

And Saul and his men went in search of him. And David had word of it, so he came down to the rock in the waste land of Maon. And Saul, hearing of this, went after David into the waste land of Maon.

26 Et ibat Saul ad latus montis ex parte una: David autem et viri eius erant in latere montis ex parte altera: porro David desperabat se posse evadere a facie Saul: itaque Saul, et viri eius in modum coronae cingebant David, et viros eius, ut caperent eos.

And Saul and his men went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men went on the other: and David's purpose was to get away as quickly as possible, for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men were making a circle round David and his men in order to take them.

27 Et nuncius venit ad Saul, dicens: Festina, et veni, quoniam infuderunt se Philisthiim super terram.

But a man came to Saul saying, Be quick and come; for the Philistines have made an attack on the land.

28 Reversus est ergo Saul desistens persequi David, et perrexit in occursum Philisthinorum. propter hoc vocaverunt locum illum, Petram dividentem.

So turning back from going after David, Saul went against the Philistines: so that place was named Sela-hammah-lekoth.

29 Ascendit ergo David inde: et habitavit in locis tutissimis Engaddi.

And from there, David went up and took cover in the safe place of En-gedi.