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

When Saul had returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi.”

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 out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on 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 sheep pens by the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were staying in the innermost parts 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.

David’s men said to him, “Behold, the day of which Yahweh said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe secretly.

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

Afterward, David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt.

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

He said to his men, “Yahweh forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, Yahweh’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is Yahweh’s anointed.”

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

So David checked his men with these words, and didn’t allow them to rise against Saul. Saul rose up out of 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.

David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and showed respect.

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

David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to men’s words, 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, today your eyes have seen how Yahweh had delivered you today into my hand in the cave. Some urged me to kill you; but I spared you; and I said, I will not stretch out my hand against my lord; for he is Yahweh’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.

Moreover, my father, behold, yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of your robe, and didn’t kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor disobedience in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, though you hunt 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 Yahweh judge between me and you, and may Yahweh avenge me of you; but my hand will not be on 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 wickedness;’ but my hand will not be on you.

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

Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?

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

May Yahweh therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand.”

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

It came to pass, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” 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 done good to me, whereas I have done evil to 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 how you have dealt well with me, because when Yahweh had delivered me up into your hand, you didn’t 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 unharmed? Therefore may Yahweh reward you good for that which you have done to me today.

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.»

Swear now therefore to me by Yahweh, that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.”

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