Liber I Samuelis, 30

1. Cumque venissent David et viri eius in Siceleg die tertia, Amalecitae impetum fecerant contra Nageb et contra Siceleg et percusserant Siceleg et succenderant eam igni;

1. Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amal'ekites had made a raid upon the Negeb and upon Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag, and burned it with fire,

2. et captivas duxerant mulieres et omnes in ea a minimo usque ad magnum et non interfecerant quemquam, sed secum duxerant et pergebant in itinere suo.

2. and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great; they killed no one, but carried them off, and went their way.

3. Cum ergo venisset David et viri eius ad civitatem et invenissent eam succensam igni et uxores suas et filios suos et filias ductas esse captivas,

3. And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.

4. levaverunt David et populus, qui erat cum eo, voces suas et planxerunt, donec deficerent in eis lacrimae.

4. Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept, until they had no more strength to weep.

5. Siquidem et duae uxores David captivae ductae fuerant, Achinoam Iezrahelites et Abigail uxor Nabal de Carmel.

5. David's two wives also had been taken captive, Ahin'o-am of Jezreel, and Ab'igail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

6. Et angustiatus est David valde; volebat enim eum populus lapidare, quia amara erat anima uniuscuiusque viri super filiis suis et filiabus. Confortatus est autem David in Domino Deo suo

6. And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

7. et ait ad Abiathar sacerdotem filium Achimelech: “Applica ad me ephod”. Et applicuit Abiathar ephod ad David.

7. And David said to Abi'athar the priest, the son of Ahim'elech, "Bring me the ephod." So Abi'athar brought the ephod to David.

8. Et consuluit David Dominum dicens: “Persequar latrunculos hos et comprehendam eos an non?”. Dixitque ei: “Persequere; absque dubio enim comprehendes eos et excuties praedam”.

8. And David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?" He answered him, "Pursue; for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue."

9. Abiit ergo David ipse et sescenti viri, qui erant cum eo, et venerunt usque ad torrentem Besor, et lassi quidam substiterunt.

9. So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind.

10. Persecutus est autem David ipse et quadringenti viri; et reliqui substiterunt: ducenti, qui lassi transire non poterant torrentem Besor.

10. But David went on with the pursuit, he and four hundred men; two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.

11. Et invenerunt virum Aegyptium in agro et adduxerunt eum ad David; dederuntque ei panem, et comedit, et dederunt ei aquam bibere,

11. They found an Egyptian in the open country, and brought him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, they gave him water to drink,

12. sed et dederunt ei fragmen massae caricarum et duas ligaturas uvae passae. Quae cum comedisset, reversus est spiritus eius; non enim comederat panem neque biberat aquam tribus diebus et tribus noctibus.

12. and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived; for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.

13. Dixit itaque ei David: “Cuius es tu vel unde?”. Qui ait ei: “Puer Aegyptius ego sum servus viri Amalecitae; dereliquit autem me dominus meus, quia aegrotare coepi nudiustertius.

13. And David said to him, "To whom do you belong? And where are you from?" He said, "I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amal'ekite; and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago.

14. Siquidem nos erupimus contra Nageb Cherethi et contra Nageb Iudae et Nageb Chaleb et Siceleg succendimus igni”.

14. We had made a raid upon the Negeb of the Cher'ethites and upon that which belongs to Judah and upon the Negeb of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire."

15. Dixitque ei David: “Potes me ducere ad istum cuneum?”. Qui ait: “Iura mihi per Deum quod non occidas me et non tradas me in manu domini mei, et ducam te ad cuneum istum”. Et iuravit ei David.

15. And David said to him, "Will you take me down to this band?" And he said, "Swear to me by God, that you will not kill me, or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band."

16. Qui cum duxisset eum, ecce illi discumbebant super faciem universae terrae comedentes et bibentes et festum celebrantes pro cuncta praeda et spoliis, quae ceperant de terra Philisthim et de terra Iudae.

16. And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.

17. Et percussit eos David die altera a diluculo usque ad vesperam, et non evasit ex eis quisquam, nisi quadringenti viri adulescentes, qui ascenderant camelos et fugerant.

17. And David smote them from twilight until the evening of the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled.

18. Eruit ergo David omnia, quae ceperant Amalecitae, et duas uxores suas eruit.

18. David recovered all that the Amal'ekites had taken; and David rescued his two wives.

19. Nec defuit quidquam a parvo usque ad magnum tam de filiis quam de filiabus et de spoliis, et, quaecumque rapuerant, omnia reduxit David.

19. Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David brought back all.

20. Cepit ergo David universos greges et armenta, et minaverunt ante faciem eius possessionem hanc dixeruntque: “Haec est praeda David”.

20. David also captured all the flocks and herds; and the people drove those cattle before him, and said, "This is David's spoil."

21. Venit autem David ad ducentos viros, qui lassi substiterant nec sequi potuerant David, et residere eos iusserat in torrente Besor. Qui egressi sunt obviam David et populo, qui erat cum eo. Accedens autem David ad populum salutavit eos pacifice.

21. Then David came to the two hundred men, who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor; and they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him; and when David drew near to the people he saluted them.

22. Respondensque omnis vir pessimus et iniquus de viris, qui ierant cum David, dixit: “Quia non venerunt nobiscum, non dabimus eis quidquam de praeda, quam eruimus; sed sufficiat unicuique uxor sua et filii; quos cum acceperint, recedant”.

22. Then all the wicked and base fellows among the men who had gone with David said, "Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil which we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart."

23. Dixit autem David: “Non sic facietis, fratres mei, de his, quae tradidit Dominus nobis, et custodivit nos et dedit latrunculos, qui eruperant adversum nos, in manu nostra;

23. But David said, "You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us; he has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us.

24. nec audiet vos quisquam super sermone hoc; aequa enim pars erit descendentis ad proelium et remanentis ad sarcinas, et similiter divident”.

24. Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike."

25. Et factum est hoc ex die illa et deinceps constitutum ut praeceptum et quasi lex in Israel usque ad diem hanc.

25. And from that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

26. Venit ergo David in Siceleg et misit dona de praeda senioribus Iudae proximis suis dicens: “Accipite benedictionem de praeda hostium Domini”;

26. When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, "Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD";

27. his, qui erant in Bethul et qui in Ramathnageb et qui in Iether

27. it was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir,

28. et qui in Aroer et qui in Sephamoth et qui in Esthemo

28. in Aro'er, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemo'a,

29. et qui in Carmel et qui in urbibus Ierameeli et qui in urbibus Ceni

29. in Racal, in the cities of the Jerah'meelites, in the cities of the Ken'ites,

30. et qui in Horma et qui in Borasan et qui in Athach

30. in Hormah, in Borash'an, in A'thach,

31. et qui in Hebron et reliquis locis, in quibus commoratus fuerat David ipse et viri eius.

31. in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.