Liber I Samuelis, 25

1. mortuus est autem Samuhel et congregatus est universus Israël et planxerunt eum et sepelierunt in domo sua in Rama consurgensque David descendit in desertum Pharan

1. And Samuel died, and all Israel was gathered together, and they mourned for him, and buried him in his house in Ramatha. And David rose and went down into the wilderness of Pharan.

2. erat autem vir quispiam in solitudine Maon et possessio ejus in Carmelo et homo ille magnus nimis erantque ei oves tria milia et mille capræ et accidit ut tonderetur grex ejus in Carmelo

2. Now there was a certain man in the wilderness of Maon, and his possessions were in Carmel, and the man was very great: and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and it happened that he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3. nomen autem viri illius erat Nabal et nomen uxoris ejus Abigail eratque mulier illa prudentissima et speciosa porro vir ejus durus et pessimus et malitiosus erat autem de genere Chaleb

3. Now the name of the man was Nabal: and the name of his wife was Abigail. And she was a prudent and very comely woman, but her husband was churlish, and very bad and ill natured: and he was of the house of Caleb.

4. cum ergo audisset David in deserto quod tonderet Nabal gregem suum

4. And when David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep,

5. misit decem juvenes et dixit eis ascendite in Carmelum et venietis ad Nabal et salutabitis eum ex nomine meo pacifice

5. He sent ten young men, and said to them: Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and salute him in my name with peace.

6. et dicetis sic fratribus meis et tibi pax et domui tuæ pax et omnibus quæcumque habes sit pax

6. And you shall say: Peace be to my brethren, and to thee, and peace to thy house, and peace to all that thou hast.

7. audivi quod tonderent pastores tui qui erant nobiscum in deserto numquam eis molesti fuimus nec aliquando defuit eis quicquam de grege omni tempore quo fuerunt nobiscum in Carmelo

7. I heard that thy shepherds that were with us in the desert were shearing: we never molested them, neither was there ought missing to them of the flock at any time, all the while they were with us in Carmel.

8. interroga pueros tuos et indicabunt tibi nunc ergo inveniant pueri gratiam in oculis tuis in die enim bona venimus quodcumque invenerit manus tua da servis tuis et filio tuo David

8. Ask thy servants, and they will tell thee. Now therefore let thy servants find favour in thy eyes: for we are come in a good day, whatsoever thy hand shall find give to thy servants, and to thy son David.

9. cumque venissent pueri David locuti sunt ad Nabal omnia verba hæc ex nomine David et siluerunt

9. And when David's servants came, they spoke to Nabal all these words in David's name: and then held their peace.

10. respondens autem Nabal pueris David ait quis est David et quis est filius Isai hodie increverunt servi qui fugiunt dominos suos

10. But Nabal answering the servants of David, said: Who is David? and what is the son of Isai? servants are multiplied now a days who flee from their masters.

11. tollam ergo panes meos et aquas meas et carnes pecorum quæ occidi tonsoribus meis et dabo viris quos nescio unde sint

11. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and the flesh of my cattle, which I have killed for my shearers, and give to men whom I know not whence they are?

12. regressi sunt itaque pueri David per viam suam et reversi venerunt et nuntiaverunt ei omnia verba quæ dixerat

12. So the servants of David went back their way, and returning came and told him all the words that he said.

13. tunc David ait viris suis accingatur unusquisque gladio suo et accincti sunt singuli gladio suo accinctusque est et David ense suo et secuti sunt David quasi quadringenti viri porro ducenti remanserunt ad sarcinas

13. Then David said to his young men: Let every man gird on his sword. And they girded on every man his sword. And David also girded on his sword: and there followed David about four hundred men: and two hundred remained with the baggage.

14. Abigail autem uxori Nabal nuntiavit unus de pueris dicens ecce misit David nuntios de deserto ut benedicerent domino nostro et aversus est eos

14. But one of the servants told Abigail the wife of Nabal, saying: Behold David sent messengers out of the wilderness, to salute our master: and he rejected them.

15. homines isti boni satis fuerunt nobis et non molesti nec quicquam aliquando periit omni tempore quo sumus conversati cum eis in deserto

15. These men were very good to us, and gave us no trouble: neither did we ever lose any thing all the time that we conversed with them in the desert.

16. pro muro erant nobis tam in nocte quam in die omnibus diebus quibus pavimus apud eos greges

16. They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.

17. quam ob rem considera et recogita quid facias quoniam conpleta est malitia adversum virum tuum et adversus domum tuam et ipse filius est Belial ita ut nemo ei possit loqui

17. Wherefore consider, and think what thou hast to do: for evil is determined against thy husband, and against thy house, and he is a son of Belial, so that no man can speak to him.

18. festinavit igitur Abigail et tulit ducentos panes et duos utres vini et quinque arietes coctos et quinque sata pulentæ et centum ligaturas uvæ passæ et ducentas massas caricarum et inposuit super asinos

18. Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves, and two vessels of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of dry figs, and laid them upon asses:

19. dixitque pueris suis præcedite me ecce ego post tergum sequar vos viro autem suo Nabal non indicavit

19. And she said to her servants: Go before me: behold I will follow after you: but she told not her husband Nabal.

20. cum ergo ascendisset asinum et descenderet ad radices montis David et viri ejus descendebant in occursum ejus quibus et illa occurrit

20. And when she had gotten upon an ass, and was coming down to the foot of the mountain, David and his men came down over against her, and she met them.

21. et ait David vere frustra servavi omnia quæ hujus erant in deserto et non periit quicquam de cunctis quæ ad eum pertinebant et reddidit mihi malum pro bono

21. And David said: Truly in vain have I kept all that belonged to this man in the wilderness, and nothing was lost of all that pertained unto him: and he hath returned me evil for good.

22. hæc faciat Deus inimicis David et hæc addat si reliquero de omnibus quæ ad eum pertinent usque mane mingentem ad parietem

22. May God do so and so, and add more to the foes of David, if I leave of all that belong to him till the morning, any that pisseth against the wall.

23. cum autem vidisset Abigail David festinavit et descendit de asino et procidit coram David super faciem suam et adoravit super terram

23. And when Abigail saw David she made haste and lighted off the ass, and fell before David, on her face, and adored upon the ground.

24. et cecidit ad pedes ejus et dixit in me sit domine mi hæc iniquitas loquatur obsecro ancilla tua in auribus tuis et audi verba famulæ tuæ

24. And she fell at his feet, and said: Upon me let this iniquity be, my lord: let thy handmaid speak, I beseech thee, in thy ears: and hear the words of thy servant.

25. ne ponat oro dominus meus rex cor suum super virum istum iniquum Nabal quia secundum nomen suum stultus est et est stultitia cum eo ego autem ancilla tua non vidi pueros tuos domine mi quos misisti

25. Let not my lord the king, I pray, regard this naughty man Nabal: for according to his name, he is a fool, and folly is with him: but I thy handmaid did not see thy servants, my lord, whom thou sentest.

26. nunc ergo domine mi vivit Dominus et vivit anima tua qui prohibuit te ne venires in sanguine et salvavit manum tuam tibi et nunc fiant sicut Nabal inimici tui et qui quærunt domino meo malum

26. Now therefore, my lord, the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, who hath withholden thee from coming to blood, and hath saved thy hand to thee: and now let thy enemies be as Nabal, and all they that seek evil to my lord.

27. quapropter suscipe benedictionem hanc quam adtulit ancilla tua tibi domino meo et da pueris qui sequuntur te dominum meum

27. Wherefore receive this blessing, which thy handmaid hath brought to thee, my lord: and give it to the young men that follow thee, my lord.

28. aufer iniquitatem famulæ tuæ faciens enim faciet tibi Dominus domino meo domum fidelem quia prœlia Domini domine mi tu prœliaris malitia ergo non inveniatur in te omnibus diebus vitæ tuæ

28. Forgive the iniquity of thy handmaid: for the Lord will surely make for my lord a faithful house, because thou, my lord, fightest the battles of the Lord: let not evil therefore be found in thee all the days of thy life.

29. si enim surrexerit aliquando homo persequens te et quærens animam tuam erit anima domini mei custodita quasi in fasciculo viventium apud Dominum Deum tuum porro anima inimicorum tuorum rotabitur quasi in impetu et circulo fundæ

29. For if a man at any time shall rise, and persecute thee, and seek thy life, the soul of my lord shall be kept, as in the bundle of the living, with the Lord thy God: but the souls of thy enemies shall be whirled, as with the violence and whirling of a sling.

30. cum ergo fecerit tibi Dominus domino meo omnia quæ locutus est bona de te et constituerit te ducem super Israël

30. And when the Lord shall have done to thee, my lord, all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have made thee prince over Israel,

31. non erit tibi hoc in singultum et in scrupulum cordis domino meo quod effuderis sanguinem innoxium aut ipse te ultus fueris et cum benefecerit Dominus domino meo recordaberis ancillæ tuæ

31. This shall not be an occasion of grief to thee, and a scruple of heart to my lord, that thou hast shed innocent blood, or hast revenged thyself: and when the Lord shall have done well by my lord, thou shalt remember thy handmaid.

32. et ait David ad Abigail benedictus Dominus Deus Israël qui misit te hodie in occursum meum et benedictum eloquium tuum

32. And David said to Abigail: Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me, and blessed be thy speech:

33. et benedicta tu quæ prohibuisti me hodie ne irem ad sanguinem et ulciscerer me manu mea

33. And blessed be thou, who hast kept me to day, from coming to blood, and revenging me with my own hand.

34. alioquin vivit Dominus Deus Israël qui prohibuit me malum facere tibi nisi cito venisses in occursum mihi non remansisset Nabal usque ad lucem matutinam mingens ad parietem

34. Otherwise as the Lord liveth the God of Israel, who hath withholden me from doing thee any evil: if thou hadst not quickly come to meet me, there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

35. suscepit ergo David de manu ejus omnia quæ adtulerat ei dixitque ei vade pacifice in domum tuam ecce audivi vocem tuam et honoravi faciem tuam

35. And David received at her hand all that she had brought him, and said to her: Go in peace into thy house, behold I have heard thy voice, and have honoured thy face.

36. venit autem Abigail ad Nabal et ecce erat ei convivium in domo ejus quasi convivium regis et cor Nabal jucundum erat enim ebrius nimis et non indicavit ei verbum pusillum aut grande usque in mane

36. And Abigail came to Nabal: and behold he had a feast in his house, like the feast of a king, and Nabal's heart was merry: for he was very drunk: and she told him nothing less or more until morning.

37. diluculo autem cum digessisset vinum Nabal indicavit ei uxor sua verba hæc et emortuum est cor ejus intrinsecus et factus est quasi lapis

37. But early in the morning when Nabal had digested his wine, his wife told him these words, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

38. cumque pertransissent decem dies percussit Dominus Nabal et mortuus est

38. And after ten days had passed, the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.

39. quod cum audisset David mortuum Nabal ait benedictus Dominus qui judicavit causam obprobrii mei de manu Nabal et servum suum custodivit a malo et malitiam Nabal reddidit Dominus in caput ejus misit ergo David et locutus est ad Abigail ut sumeret eam sibi in uxorem

39. And when David had heard that Nabal was dead, he said: Blessed be the Lord, who hath judged the cause of my reproach at the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil, and the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his head. The n David sent and treated with Abigail, that he might take her to himself for a wife.

40. et venerunt pueri David ad Abigail in Carmelum et locuti sunt ad eam dicentes David misit nos ad te ut accipiat te sibi in uxorem

40. And David's servants came to Abigail to Carmel, and spoke to her, saying: David hath sent us to thee, to take thee to himself for a wife.

41. quæ consurgens adoravit prona in terram et ait ecce famula tua sit in ancillam ut lavet pedes servorum domini mei

41. And she arose and bowed herself down with her face to the earth, and said: Behold, let thy servant be a handmaid, to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.

42. et festinavit et surrexit Abigail et ascendit super asinum et quinque puellæ jerunt cum ea pedisequæ ejus et secuta est nuntios David et facta est illi uxor

42. And Abigail arose, and made haste, and got upon an ass, and five damsels went with her, her waiting maids, and she followed the messengers of David, and became his wife.

43. sed et Ahinœm accepit David de Jezraël et fuit utraque uxor ejus

43. Moreover David took also Achinoam of Jezrahel: and they were both of them his wives.

44. Saul autem dedit Michol filiam suam uxorem David Falti filio Lais qui erat de Gallim

44. But Saul gave Michol his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti, the son of Lais, who was of Gallium.