I Samuelis 23
1 Et annunciaverunt David, dicentes: Ecce Philisthiim oppugnant Ceilam, et diripiunt areas.
One day someone told David, “You need to know that the Philistia army is attacking Keilah [town] and they are stealing grain from where men are threshing it.”
2 Consuluit ergo David Dominum, dicens: Num vadam, et percutiam Philisthaeos istos? Et ait Dominus ad David: Vade, et percuties Philisthaeos, et Ceilam salvabis.
David asked Yahweh, “Should my men and I go to fight against those men from the Philistia people-group?” Yahweh answered, “Yes, go. Attack them, and rescue the people of Keilah.”
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?
But David’s men said to him, “We are afraid [that Saul will attack us] here in Judah. We will be more afraid if we go to Keilah where the Philistia army is!”
4 Rursum ergo David consuluit Dominum. Qui respondens, ait ei: Surge, et vade in Ceilam: ego enim tradam Philisthaeos in manu tua.
So David asked Yahweh again [if they should go to Keilah]. Yahweh answered, “Yes, go down to Keilah. I will help you to defeat the men of the Philistia people-group.”
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. They fought against the men of the Philistia people-group and captured many of their cattle. David and his men killed many of the Philistia men and rescued the people of Keilah.
6 Porro eo tempore, quo fugiebat Abiathar filius Achimelech ad David in Ceilam, ephod secum habens descenderat.
Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to be with David at Keilah, and he brought the sacred vest with him [to use it to determine what God wanted to be done].
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.
Soon Saul found out that David was at Keilah. So he said, “That is good! God is enabling me to capture him! He has trapped himself in that town, because it has high walls with gates around it.”
8 Et praecepit Saul omni populo ut ad pugnam descenderet in Ceilam: et obsideret David, et viros eius.
So Saul summoned his army, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.
9 Quod cum David rescisset quia praepararet ei Saul clam malum, dixit ad Abiathar sacerdotem: Applica ephod.
But David found out that Saul was planning [for his army] to attack him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring [here] the sacred vest.”
10 Et ait David: Domine Deus Israel, audivit famam servus tuus, quod disponat Saul venire in Ceilam, ut evertat urbem propter me:
[So when Abiathar brought it, ] David prayed, “Yahweh, God of us Israelis, I have heard that Saul is planning to come here [with his army] and destroy Keilah because I am here.
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.
Will Saul come down [here to Keilah], as people reported to me? Will the leaders of Keilah enable Saul to capture me? Yahweh, God of us Israelis, please tell me!” Yahweh answered, “Yes, Saul will come down.”
12 Dixitque David: Si tradent me viri Ceilae, et viros qui sunt mecum, in manus Saul? et dixit Dominus: Tradent.
Then David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah enable Saul’s army to capture me and my men [if we stay here]?” [By means of the stones in the sacred vest], Yahweh replied, “Yes, they will.”
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.
So David and his 600 men left Keilah. They continued to move from one place to another, [wherever they thought that Saul would not find them]. And when Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he 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.
David and his men stayed in hiding places in the desert and in the hills of Ziph Desert. Every day Saul [sent men to] search for David, but Yahweh did not allow them to capture David.
15 Et vidit David quod egressus esset Saul ut quaereret animam eius. Porro David erat in deserto Ziph in silva.
While David and his men were at [a place named] Horesh in Ziph desert, he found out that Saul was coming there to kill him.
16 Et surrexit Ionathas filius Saul, et abiit ad David in silvam, et confortavit manus eius in Deo: dixitque ei:
But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him to continue to trust [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.
Jonathan told him, “Do not be afraid, because my father will not be able to harm [IDM] you. [Some day] you will be the king of Israel, and I will be the second [most important man in Israel]. My father Saul also knows that.”
18 Percussit ergo uterque foedus coram Domino: mansitque David in silva: Ionathas autem reversus est in domum suam.
Then the two of them repeated their solemn promise that Yahweh [had heard them make previously, that they would always be loyal to each other]. Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.
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?
Some people from Ziph went to Saul when he was at Gibeah, and they told him, “David [and his men] are hiding in our land [RHQ]! They are hiding in places at Horesh on Hakilah Hill, south of [a place named] Jeshimon.
20 Nunc ergo, sicut desideravit anima tua ut descenderes, descende: nostrum autem erit ut tradamus eum in manus regis.
So, O king, come down there any time that you want to. It is our duty to capture him and turn him over to you.”
21 Dixitque Saul: Benedicti vos a Domino, quia doluistis vicem meam.
Saul replied, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will bless you [for telling that to 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 back and find out more about him. Find out exactly where he is staying, and find out who has seen him there. People tell me that he is very clever, [so we need to be clever also to be able to capture him].
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.
Find out all the places where he and his men hide. Then come back and tell me everything that you have found out. Then I will [take my army and] go there with you. If David is in any of the clans/caves of Judah, we will search for him [and find him]!”
24 At illi surgentes abierunt in Ziph ante Saul: David autem et viri eius erant in deserto Maon, in campestribus ad dexteram Iesimon.
So those people went back to Ziph before Saul went there. At that time David and his men were in Maon Desert, south of Jeshimon.
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.
Saul and his soldiers went to search for David, but David heard about that. So he and his men went further [south] to a rocky hill/peak in the Maon Desert. When Saul heard about that, he and his men followed David and his men to the Maon Desert.
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.
Saul and his soldiers were walking along one side of the hill/peak, and David and his men were on the other side. David and his men were hurrying to escape from Saul’s soldiers, because Saul and his soldiers were coming much closer.
27 Et nuncius venit ad Saul, dicens: Festina, et veni, quoniam infuderunt se Philisthiim super terram.
But then a messenger came to Saul and said to him, “Come quickly! The Philistia army is attacking the people in our land!”
28 Reversus est ergo Saul desistens persequi David, et perrexit in occursum Philisthinorum. propter hoc vocaverunt locum illum, Petram dividentem.
So Saul stopped pursuing David, and he [and his soldiers] went to fight against the Philistia army. That is the reason that people call that place ‘Escape Rock’.
29 Ascendit ergo David inde: et habitavit in locis tutissimis Engaddi.
David and his men also left the Maon Desert and went to places to hide safely at En-Gedi.
