1 و َبَعدَ أنْ طارَدَ شاوُلُ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ، قِيلَ لِشاوُلَ: «داوُدُ فِي مِنْطَقَةِ البَرِّيَّةِ قُربَ عَينِ جَدْيِ.»

Now when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, saying, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.”

2 ف اختارَ شاوُلُ ثَلاثَةَ آلافِ رَجُلٍ مِنْ جَمِيعِ أنحاءِ إسْرائِيلَ وَبَدَأ يَبحَثُ عَنْ داوُدَ وَرِجالِهِ. فَفَتَّشَ عَنهُمْ قُرْبَ مِنْطَقَةِ عَيْنِ جَديٍ.

Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

3 و َوَصَلَ شاوُلُ إلَى بَعضِ حَظائِرِ الغَنَمِ إلَى جانِبِ الطَّرِيقِ. وَكانَ هُناكَ كَهفٌ، فَدَخَلَهُ لِكَي يَقْضِيَ حاجَتَهُ. وَكانَ داوُدُ وَرِجالُهُ عَلَى مَسافَةِ بَعِيدَةٍ مِنهُ فِي عُمقِ ذَلِكَ الكَهفِ.

He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave.

4 ف َقالَ رِجالُ داوُدَ لَهُ: «هَذا هُوَ اليَومُ الَّذِي كَلَّمَكَ عَنْهُ اللهُ عِندَما قالَ: ‹سَأنصُرُكَ عَلَى عَدُوِّكَ، حِينَئِذٍ، تَفعَلُ بِهِ كُلَّ ما تُرِيدُ.›» فَزَحَفَ داوُدُ مُقتَرِباً أكثَرَ فَأكثَرَ مِنْ شاوُلَ، وَقَطَعَ طَرَفَ ثَوبِ شاوُلَ، وَلَمْ يَنتَبِه شاوُلُ إلَى ما حَدَثَ.

The men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’” Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly.

5 و َفِيما بَعْدُ، نَدِمَ داوُدُ مِنْ أعماقِهِ لانَّهُ قَطَعَ طَرَفَ ثَوبِ شاوُلَ.

It came about afterward that David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe.

6 ف َقالَ لِرِجالِهِ: «لا يَسمَحُ اللهُ بِأنْ أفعَلَ أمْراً كَهَذا بِمَولايَ الَّذِي مَسَحَهُ اللهُ. فَلا أمُدُّ يَدِي عَلَيْهِ، لأنَّ اللهَ مَسَحَهُ.»

So he said to his men, “ Far be it from me because of the Lord that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.”

7 و َوَبَّخَ داوُدُ رِجالَهُ، وَلَمْ يَسْمَحْ لَهُمْ بِأنْ يُؤذُوا شاوُلَ. وَغادَرَ شاوُلُ الكَهفَ وَمَضَى في طَرِيقِهِ.

David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way.

8 و َفِيما بَعْدُ، خَرَجَ داوُدُ مِنَ الكَهفِ وَنادَى عَلَى شاوُلَ: «مَولايَ المَلِكُ!» فَنَظَرَ شاوُلُ خَلفَهُ. فانحَنَى داوُدُ وَوَجهُهُ إلَى الأرْضِ احتِراماً لَهُ.

Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.

9 و َقالَ لِشاوُلَ: «لِماذا تَستَمِعُ إلَى النّاس الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ لَكَ: ‹داوُدُ يُخَطِّطُ لإيذائِكَ؟›

David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’?

10 ف َها أنتَ تَرَى بِعَينَيكَ أنَّ هَذا افتِراءٌ عَلَيَّ. فَقَدْ وَضَعَكَ اللهُ فِي مُتَناوَلِ يَدِي هَذا اليَومَ فِي الكَهفِ. لَكِنِّي لَمْ أشَأْ أنْ أقتُلَكَ. فَكُنتُ رَحِيماً مَعَكَ، إذْ قُلْتُ لِنَفسِي: ‹لَنْ أُؤذِيَ مَولايَ الَّذِي مَسَحَهُ اللهُ.›

Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’

11 ا نظُرْ إلَى قِطعَةِ القُماشِ الَّتِي فِي يَدِي. هَذِهِ قَطَعْتُها مِنْ طَرَفِ ثَوبِكَ. فَكانَ بِمَقدُورِيَ أنْ أقتُلَكَ، لَكِنِّي لَمْ أفعَلْ. فَلَيتَكَ تُدرِكُ أنِّي لا أنوِي لَكَ شَرّاً. وَأنا لَمْ أُسِئْ إلَيكَ، بَلْ أنتَ الَّذِي تُطارِدُنِي وَتَسعَى إلَى قَتلِي.

Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it.

12 ل ِيَكُنِ اللهُ هُوَ القاضِي فِي هَذِهِ المَسألَةِ. رُبَّما يُعاقِبُكَ هُوَ عَلَى إساءَتِكَ لِي، أمّا أنا فَلَنْ أمُدَّ عَلَيكَ يَدِي.

May the Lord judge between you and me, and may the Lord avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you.

13 ي َقُولُ مَثَلٌ قَدِيمٌ: ‹يَنبُعُ الشَّرُّ مِنَ الشِّرِّيرِ!› «وَأنا لَمْ أفعَلْ بِكَ سُوءاً وَلَنْ أفعَلَ.

As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘ Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you.

14 ف َمَنْ تُطارِدُ وَأنتَ مَلِكُ إسْرائِيلَ العَظِيمِ؟ هَلْ خَرَجَتَ وَراءَ كَلْبٍ مَيِّتٍ أوْ بَرغُوثٍ؟

After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea?

15 ل ِيَكُنِ اللهُ القاضِيَ بَينِي وَبَينَكَ. وَأنا واثِقٌ أنَّهُ سَيَدعَمُنِي وَيُظهِرُ بَراءَتِي. وَهُوَ سَيُخَلِّصُنِي مِنْكَ.»

The Lord therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.”

16 و َلَمّا أنهَى داوُدُ كَلامَهُ، قالَ شاوُلُ: «أهَذا صَوتُكَ يا ابنِي داوُدَ؟» ثُمَّ بَدَأ شاوُلُ يَبكِي بِصَوتٍ مُرتَفِعٍ.

When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “ Is this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept.

17 و َقالَ لِداوُدَ: «أنتَ عَلَى حَقٍّ، وَأنا عَلَى باطِلٍ. كُنتَ طَيِّباً مَعِي، مَعَ أنِّي كُنتُ سَيِّئاً مَعَكَ.

He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you.

18 و َأنتَ قُلْتَ ذَلِكَ بِنَفسِكَ عِندَما أخبَرْتَنِي عَنِ الأُمُورِ الحَسَنَةِ الَّتِي فَعَلْتَها. فَقَدْ أوقَعَنِي اللهُ بَينَ يَدَيكَ، لَكِنَّكَ لَمْ تَقتُلْنِي.

You have declared today that you have done good to me, that the Lord delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me.

19 و َبَرهَنْتَ بِهَذا أنَّكَ لَستَ عَدُوِّي. إذْ لا يُمسِكُ رَجُلٌ بِعَدُوِّهِ، ثُمَّ يُخلِي سَبِيلَهُ. لا يَفعَلُ إنْسانٌ خَيَراً مَعَ عَدُوِّهِ. فَلَيتَ اللهَ يُكافِئُكَ عَلَى الخَيرِ الَّذِي عَمِلْتَهُ اليَومَ مَعِي.

For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the Lord therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day.

20 و َها قَدْ صِرْتُ الآنَ مُتَيَقِّناً مِنْ أنَّكَ سَتَكُونُ مَلِكاً بَعدِي. وَسَتَحكُمُ مَملَكَةَ إسْرائِيلَ.

Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.

21 ف احلِفِ الآنَ بِاللهِ أمامِي إنَّكَ لَنْ تَقضِيَ عَلَى نَسلِي حَتَّى بَعدَ مَوتِي. عِدْنِي بِأنَّكَ لَنْ تَمحُوَ اسْمِي مِنْ نَسَبِ أبِي.»

So now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s household.”

22 ف َحَلَفَ داوُدُ لِشاوُلَ بِأنْ لا يَقضِيَ عَلَى عائِلَتِهِ. ثُمَّ عادَ شاوُلُ إلَى بَيْتِهِ. وَصَعِدَ داوُدُ وَرِجالُهُ إلَى الحِصْنِ ثانِيَةً.

David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.