| 撒慕爾紀上 |
1 Samuel |
| 1上主對撒慕爾說：「我既然廢棄了撒烏耳，不要他作以色列的君王，你為他要悲傷到幾時呢？把你的角盛滿油，我派你到白冷人葉瑟那裏去，因為在他的兒子中，我已為我選定了一位君王。」 |
1 The LORD said to Samuel: "How long will you grieve for Saul, whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons." |
| 2撒慕爾回答說：「我怎能去？若撒烏耳聽說了，必要殺我。」上主回答說：「你手裏牽一頭小母牛說：我為祭獻上主而來。 |
2But Samuel replied: "How can I go? Saul will hear of it and kill me." To this the LORD answered: "Take a heifer along and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' |
| 3你應請葉瑟參與祭獻，我要告訴你當作的事，你要為我所指給你的人傅油。」 |
3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will tell you what to do; you are to anoint for me the one I point out to you." |
| 4撒慕爾遂依照上主吩咐他的作了。及至到了白冷，城內的長老都戰慄前來迎接他說：「你駕臨這裏平安嗎？」 |
4Samuel did as the LORD had commanded him. When he entered Bethlehem, the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired, "Is your visit peaceful, O seer?" |
| 5他回答說：「平安，我是為祭獻上主而來的，你們應聖潔自己，來同我一起獻祭。」他聖潔了葉瑟和他的兒子，請他們來參與祭獻。 |
5He replied: "Yes! I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. So cleanse yourselves and join me today for the banquet." He also had Jesse and his sons cleanse themselves and invited them to the sacrifice. |
| 6他們一來到，他見了厄里雅布，心裏想：這一定是立在上主前的受傅者。 |
6As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is here before him." |
| 7但上主對撒慕爾說：「你不要注意他的容貌和他高大的身材，我拒絕要他，因為天主的看法與人不同：人看外貌，上主卻看人心。」 |
7But the LORD said to Samuel: "Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart." |
| 8葉瑟叫阿彼納達布來，領他到撒慕爾面前；但是他說：「這也不是上主所揀選的。」 |
8Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel, who said, "The Lord has not chosen him." |
| 9葉瑟就叫沙瑪來；他又說：「這也不是上主所揀選的。」 |
9Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." |
| 10葉瑟就叫他的七個兒子都到撒慕爾面前來，撒慕爾對葉瑟說：「上主沒有揀選這些人。」 |
10In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any one of these." |
| 11撒慕爾於是問葉瑟說：「孩子們全到了嗎？」他回答說：「還有一個最小的，他正在放羊。」撒慕爾對葉瑟說：「快派人帶他來，因為他不來，我們決不入席。」 |
11Then Samuel asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" Jesse replied, "There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep." Samuel said to Jesse, "Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here." |
| 12他於是派人把他帶來，他是一個有血色，眉清目秀，外貌英俊的少年。上主說：「起來，給他傅油，就是這一位。」 |
12Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, "There-anoint him, for this is he!" |
| 13撒慕爾拿起油角來，在他兄弟們中給他傅了油。從那天起，上主的神便降臨於達味。事後，撒慕爾起身回了辣瑪。 |
13Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David. When Samuel took his leave, he went to Ramah. |
| 14上主的神離棄了撒烏耳，便有惡神從上主那裏來擾亂他。 |
14 The spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and he was tormented by an evil spirit sent by the LORD. |
| 15撒烏耳的臣僕對他說：「看，由天主那裏來的惡神時來擾亂你。 |
15So the servants of Saul said to him: "Please! An evil spirit from God is tormenting you. |
| 16只要我主吩咐一聲，你跟前的臣僕便會去找一個善於彈琴的人來，當惡神由天主那裏降在你身上時，叫他彈奏，你必感到舒服。」 |
16If your lordship will order it, we, your servants here in attendance on you, will look for a man skilled in playing the harp. When the evil spirit from God comes over you, he will play and you will feel better." |
| 17撒烏耳就對他的臣僕說：「好，你們給我找一個善於彈奏的人，引來見我。」 |
17Saul then told his servants, "Find me a skillful harpist and bring him to me." |
| 18有個僕人立刻提議說：「我見過白冷人葉瑟的一個兒子會彈奏，這人又驍勇善戰，擅於辭令，身材英俊，上主又與他同在。」 |
18 A servant spoke up to say: "I have observed that one of the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem is a skillful harpist. He is also a stalwart soldier, besides being an able speaker, and handsome. Moreover, the LORD is with him." |
| 19撒烏耳遂派使者到葉瑟那裏說：「將你【那放羊】的兒子達味送到我這裏來！」 |
19Accordingly, Saul dispatched messengers to ask Jesse to send him his son David, who was with the flock. |
| 20葉瑟便取了十個餅，一皮囊酒，一隻小山羊，叫他的兒子達味送給撒烏耳。 |
20Then Jesse took five loaves of bread, a skin of wine, and a kid, and sent them to Saul by his son David. |
| 21達味於是來到撒烏耳前，侍立在他左右；撒烏耳很愛他，叫他作自己的持戟侍衛。 |
21Thus David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul became very fond of him, made him his armor-bearer, |
| 22撒烏耳派人到葉瑟那裏說：「讓達味侍立在我左右，因為他得了我的歡心。」 |
22and sent Jesse the message, "Allow David to remain in my service, for he meets with my approval." |
| 23每當惡神由天主那裏降在撒烏耳身上時，達味就拿起琴來彈奏，撒烏耳就覺得爽快舒服，惡神也就離開了他。 |
23Whenever the spirit from God seized Saul, David would take the harp and play, and Saul would be relieved and feel better, for the evil spirit would leave him. |
