Liber I Samuelis, 30

1. cumque venissent David et viri ejus in Siceleg die tertia Amalechitæ impetum fecerant ex parte australi in Siceleg et percusserant Siceleg et succenderant eam igni

1. Now when David and his men were come to Siceleg on the third day, the Amalecites had made an invasion on the south side upon Siceleg, and had smitten Siceleg, and burnt it with fire.

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

2. And had taken the women captives that were in it, both little and great: and they had not killed any person, but had carried them with them, and went on their way.

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

3. So when David and his men came to the city, and found it burnt with fire, and that their wives and their sons, and their daughters were taken captives,

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

4. David and the people that were with him, lifted up their voices, and wept till they had no more tears.

5. siquidem et duæ uxores David captivæ ductæ fuerant Ahinœm Jezrahelites et Abigail uxor Nabal Carmeli

5. For the two wives also of David were taken captives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

6. et contristatus est David valde volebat enim eum populus lapidare quia amara erat anima uniuscujusque viri super filiis suis et filiabus confortatus est autem David in Domino Deo suo

6. And David was greatly afflicted: for the people had a mind to stone him, for the soul of every man was bitterly grieved for his sons, and daughters: but David took courage in the Lord his God.

7. et ait ad Abiathar sacerdotem filium Ahimelech adplica ad me ephod et adplicuit Abiathar ephod ad David

7. And he said to Abiathar the priest the son of Achimelech: Bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

8. et consuluit David Dominum dicens persequar an non latrunculos hos et conprehendam eos dixitque ei persequere absque dubio enim conprehendes eos et excuties prædam

8. And David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I pursue after these robbers, and shall I overtake them, or not? And the Lord said to him: Pursue after them: for thou shalt surely overtake them and recover the prey.

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 went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and they came to the torrent Besor: and some being weary stayed there.

10. persecutus est autem David ipse et quadringenti viri substiterant enim ducenti qui lassi transire non poterant torrentem Besor

10. But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred stayed, who being weary could not go over the torrent Besor.

11. et invenerunt virum ægyptium in agro et adduxerunt eum ad David dederuntque ei panem ut comederet et ut biberet aquam

11. And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David: and they gave him bread to eat, and water to drink,

12. sed et fragmen massæ caricarum et duas ligaturas uvæ passæ quæ cum comedisset reversus est spiritus ejus et refocilatus est non enim comederat panem neque biberat aquam tribus diebus et tribus noctibus

12. As also a piece of a cake of figs, and two bunches of raisins. And when he had eaten them his spirit returned, and he was refreshed: for he had not eaten bread, nor drunk water three days, and three nights.

13. dixit itaque ei David cujus es tu vel unde quo pergis qui ait ei puer ægyptius ego sum servus viri amalechitæ dereliquit autem me dominus meus quia ægrotare cœpi nudius tertius

13. And David said to him: To whom dost thou belong? or whence dost thou come? and whither art thou going? He said: I am a young man of Egypt, the servant of an Amalecite, and my master left me, because I began to be sick three days ago.

14. siquidem nos erupimus ad australem partem Cerethi et contra Judam et ad meridiem Chaleb et Siceleg succendimus igni

14. For we made an invasion on the south side of Cerethi, and upon Juda, and upon the south of Caleb, and we burnt Siceleg with fire.

15. dixitque ei David potes me ducere ad istum cuneum qui ait jura mihi per Deum quod non occidas me et non tradas me in manu domini mei et ducam te ad cuneum istum

15. And David said to him: Canst thou bring me to this company? And he said: Swear to me by God, that thou wilt not kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee to this company. And David swore to him.

16. qui cum duxisset eum ecce illi discumbebant super faciem universæ terræ comedentes et bibentes et quasi festum celebrantes diem pro cuncta præda et spoliis quæ ceperant de terra Philisthim et de terra Juda

16. And when he had brought him, behold they were lying spread upon all the ground, eating and drinking, and as it were keeping a festival day, for all the prey, and the spoils which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Juda.

17. et percussit eos David a vespere usque ad vesperam alterius diei et non evasit ex eis quisquam nisi quadringenti viri adulescentes qui ascenderant camelos et fugerant

17. And David slew them from the evening unto the evening of the next day, and there escaped not a man of them, but four hundred young men, who had gotten upon camels, and fled.

18. eruit ergo David omnia quæ tulerant Amalechitæ et duas uxores suas eruit

18. So David recovered all that the Amalecites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.

19. nec defuit quicquam a parvo usque ad magnum tam de filiis quam de filiabus et de spoliis et quæcumque rapuerant omnia reduxit David

19. And there was nothing missing small or great, neither of their sons or their daughters, nor of the spoils, and whatsoever they had taken: David recovered all.

20. et tulit universos greges et armenta et minavit ante faciem suam dixeruntque hæc est præda David

20. And he took all the flocks and the herds, and made them go before him: and they said: This is the prey of David.

21. venit autem David ad ducentos viros qui lassi substiterant nec sequi potuerant David et residere eos jusserat in torrente Besor qui egressi sunt obviam David et populo qui erat cum eo accedens autem David ad populum salutavit eos pacifice

21. And David came to the two hundred men, who being weary had stayed, and were not able to follow David, and he had ordered them to abide at the torrent Besor: and they came out to meet David, and the people that were with him. And David coming to the people saluted them peaceably.

22. respondensque omnis vir pessimus et iniquus de viris qui jerant cum David dixit quia non venerunt nobiscum non dabimus eis quicquam de præda quam eruimus sed sufficiat unicuique uxor sua et filii quos cum acceperint recedant

22. Then all the wicked and unjust men that had gone with David answering, said: Because they came not with us, we will not give them any thing of the prey which we have recovered: but let every man take his wife and his children, and be contented with them, and go his way.

23. dixit autem David non sic facietis fratres mei de his quæ 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 brethren, with these things, which the Lord hath given us, who hath kept us, and hath delivered the robbers that invaded us into our hands.

24. nec audiet vos quisquam super sermone hoc æqua enim pars erit descendentis ad prœlium et remanentis ad sarcinas et similiter divident

24. And no man shall hearken to you in this matter. But equal shall be the portion of him that went down to battle and of him that abode at the baggage, and they shall divide alike.

25. et factum est hoc ex die illa et deinceps constitutum et præfinitum et quasi lex in Israël usque ad diem hanc

25. And this hath been done from that day forward, and since was made a statute, and an ordinance, and as a law in Israel.

26. venit ergo David in Siceleg et misit dona de præda senioribus Juda proximis suis dicens accipite benedictionem de præda hostium Domini

26. Then David came to Siceleg, and sent presents of the prey to the ancients of Juda his neighbours, saying: Receive a blessing of the prey of the enemies of the Lord.

27. his qui erant in Bethel et qui in Ramoth ad meridiem et qui in Jether

27. To them that were in Bethel, and that were in Ramoth to the south, and to them that were in Jether,

28. et qui in Arœr et qui in Sefamoth et qui in Esthama

28. And to them that were in Aroer and that were in Sephamoth, and that were in Esthamo,

29. et qui in Rachal et qui in urbibus Jerameli et qui in urbibus Ceni

29. And that were in Rachal, and that were in the cities of Jerameel, and that were in the cities of Ceni,

30. et qui in Arama et qui in lacu Asan et qui in Athac

30. And that were in Arama, and that were in the lake Asan, and that were in Athach,

31. et qui in Hebron et reliquis qui erant in his locis in quibus commoratus fuerat David ipse et viri ejus

31. And that were in Hebron, and to the rest that were in those places, in which David had abode with his men.