1 Samuel 26

The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which faces Jeshimon?”

وَتَوجَّهَ الزِّيفِيُّونَ إِلَى شَاوُلَ فِي جِبْعَةَ وَقَالُوا: «أَلَيْسَ دَاوُدُ مُخْتَبِئاً فِي تَلِّ حَخِيلَةَ تُجَاهَ الصَّحْرَاءِ؟»

So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph, with his three thousand select Israelite troops, to search there for David.

فَاخْتَارَ شَاوُلُ ثَلاثَةَ آلافِ رَجُلٍ مِنْ خِيرَةِ جُنُودِ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَانْطَلَقَ نَحْوَ صَحْرَاءِ زِيفٍ لِيَبْحَثَ فِيهَا عَنْ دَاوُدَ.

Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon, but David stayed in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul had followed him there,

وَعَسْكَرَ شَاوُلُ إِزَاءَ الطَّرِيقِ عِنْدَ سَفْحِ تَلِّ حَخِيلَةَ تُجَاهَ الصَّحْرَاءِ، وَكَانَ دَاوُدُ آنَئِذٍ مُقِيماً فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ. فَعِنْدَمَا سَمِعَ أَنَّ شَاوُلَ تَعَقَّبَهُ إِلَى الصَّحْرَاءِ

he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had definitely arrived.

أَرْسَلَ جَوَاسِيسَهُ لِيَتَيَقَّنَ مِنْ أَنَّ شَاوُلَ قَدْ تَعَقَّبَهُ حَقّاً.

Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the camp, with the army encamped around him.

ثُمَّ قَامَ دَاوُدُ وَتَسَلَّلَ إِلَى الْمَوْضِعِ الْمُضْطَجِعِ فِيهِ شَاوُلُ، وَأَبْنَيْرُ بْنُ نَيْرٍ رَئِيسُ جَيْشِهِ. فَرَأَى شَاوُلَ رَاقِداً عِنْدَ الْمِتْرَاسِ مُحَاطاً بِجُنُودِهِ.

David then asked Ahimelek the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?”

“I’ll go with you,” said Abishai.

فَخَاطَبَ دَاوُدُ أَخِيمَالِكَ الْحِثِّيَّ وَأَبِيشَايَ ابْنَ صُرُوِيَّةَ (شَقِيقَ يُوآبَ): «مَنْ مِنْكُمَا يَنْزِلُ مَعِي إِلَى مُعَسْكَرِ شَاوُلَ؟» فَقَالَ أَبِيشَايُ: «أَنَا أَنْزِلُ مَعَكَ».

So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him.

فَتَسَلَّلَ دَاوُدُ وَأَبِيشَايُ لَيْلاً إِلَى مُعَسْكَرِ شَاوُلَ، وَإذَا بِشَاوُلَ رَاقِدٌ عِنْدَ الْمِتْرَاسِ وَرُمْحُهُ مَغْرُوسٌ فِي الأَرْضِ إِلَى جِوَارِ رَأْسِهِ، وَأَبْنَيْرُ وَالْجُنُودُ نَائِمُونَ حَوْلَهُ.

Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t strike him twice.”

فَقَالَ أَبِيشَايُ لِدَاوُدَ: «لَقَدْ أَوْقَعَ اللهُ الْيَوْمَ عَدُوَّكَ فِي قَبْضَةِ يَدِكَ، فَدَعْنِي الآنَ أَطْعَنُهُ بِرُمْحِهِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ، فَأُجْهِزَ عَلَيْهِ بِضَرْبَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ».

But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?

فَأَجَابَ دَاوُدُ: «لا تَقْضِ عَلَيْهِ، إِذْ مَنْ يَمُدُّ يَدَهُ لِيُسِيءَ لِمَسِيحِ الرَّبِّ وَيَتَبَرَّأُ؟

As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.

إِنَّ الرَّبَّ نَفْسَهُ لابُدَّ أَنْ يُعَاقِبَ شَاوُلَ فَيُمِيتَهُ مِيتَةً طَبِيعِيَّةً، أَوْ يَقْتُلَهُ فِي مَعْرَكَةٍ حَرْبِيَّةٍ.

But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.”

وَلَكِنْ مَعَاذَ اللهِ أَنْ أَمُدَّ يَدِي لأُسِيءَ إِلَى مَسِيحِ الرَّبِّ. أَمَّا الآنَ فَخُذِ الرُّمْحَ الْمَغْرُوسَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ وَكُوزَ الْمَاءِ وَهَلُمَّ بِنَا مِنْ هُنَا».

So David took the spear and water jug near Saul’s head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping, because the Lord had put them into a deep sleep.

وَهَكَذَا أَخَذَ دَاوُدُ الرُّمْحَ وَكُوزَ الْمَاءِ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَأْسِ شَاوُلَ وَتَسَلَّلا رَاجِعَيْنِ، مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَرَاهُمَا أَوْ يَنْتَبِهَ لِوُجُودِهِمَا أَحَدٌ، لأَنَّهُمْ جَمِيعاً كَانُوا نِيَاماً إِذْ إِنَّ الرَّبَّ أَثْقَلَهُمْ بِالسُّبَاتِ الْعَمِيقِ.

Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away; there was a wide space between them.

وَاجْتَازَ دَاوُدُ الْوَادِي إِلَى الْجَبَلِ الْمُقَابِلِ وَارْتَقَى إِلَى قِمَّتِهِ حَيْثُ وَقَفَ عَنْ بُعْدٍ، تَفْصِلُهُ عَنْ شَاوُلَ مَسَافَةٌ كَبِيرَةٌ.

He called out to the army and to Abner son of Ner, “Aren’t you going to answer me, Abner?”

Abner replied, “Who are you who calls to the king?”

وَنَادَى دَاوُدُ الْجُنُودَ وَأَبْنَيْرَ بْنَ نَيْرٍ قَائِلاً: «أَلا تُجِيبُنِي يَا أَبْنَيْرُ؟». فَأَجَابَ أَبْنَيْرُ: «مَنْ هَذَا الَّذِي يُنَادِي الْمَلِكَ؟»

David said, “You’re a man, aren’t you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn’t you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king.

فَقَالَ دَاوُدُ لأَبْنَيْرَ: «أَلَسْتَ أَنْتَ رَجُلاً؟ وَمَنْ مِثْلُكَ فِي كُلِّ إِسْرَائِيلَ؟ فَلِمَاذَا لَمْ تَحْرُسْ سَيِّدَكَ الْمَلِكَ؟ فَقَدْ جَاءَ مَنْ هَمَّ بِقَتْلِ سَيِّدِكَ الْمَلِكِ.

What you have done is not good. As surely as the Lord lives, you and your men must die, because you did not guard your master, the Lord’s anointed. Look around you. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were near his head?”

إِنَّ مَا عَمِلْتَهُ لَا يَسْتَحِقُّ الثَّنَاءَ، فَحَيٌّ هُوَ الرَّبُّ إِنَّكُمْ أَبْنَاءُ الْمَوْتِ، لأَنَّكُمْ لَمْ تَحْرُسُوا سَيِّدَكُمْ مَسِيحَ الرَّبِّ، فَانْظُرْ حَوْلَكَ الآنَ، أَيْنَ هُوَ رُمْحُ الْمَلِكِ وَكُوزُ الْمَاءِ اللَّذَانِ كَانَا عِنْدَ رَأَسِهِ؟».

Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is that your voice, David my son?”

David replied, “Yes it is, my lord the king.”

وَتَبَيَّنَ شَاوُلُ صَوْتَ دَاوُدَ، فَقَالَ: «أَهَذَا صَوْتُكَ يَا ابْنِي دَاوُدَ؟» فَأَجَابَ دَاوُدُ: «إِنَّهُ صَوْتِي يَا سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكَ».

And he added, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of?

ثُمَّ تَابَعَ حَدِيثَهُ: «لِمَاذَا لايَزَالُ سَيِّدِي يَسْعَى وَرَاءَ عَبْدِهِ؟ أَيُّ ذَنْبٍ جَنَيْتُ، وَأَيُّ جُرْمٍ اقْتَرَفْتُ؟

Now let my lord the king listen to his servant’s words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, people have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have driven me today from my share in the Lord’s inheritance and have said, ‘Go, serve other gods.’

فَلْيَسْمَعْ سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكُ كَلامَ عَبْدِهِ الآنَ: إِنْ كَانَ الرَّبُّ قَدْ أَثَارَكَ ضِدِّي فَلأُقَدِّمَنَّ لَهُ قُرْبَانَ رِضىً. وَإِنْ كَانَ النَّاسُ هُمُ الَّذِينَ أَوْغَرُوا صَدْرَكَ عَلَيَّ فَلْيَكُونُوا مَلْعُونِينَ أَمَامَ الرَّبِّ، لأَنَّهُمْ نَفَوْنِي مِنْ أَرْضِ مِيرَاثِ الرَّبِّ قَائِلِينَ: اذْهَبِ اعْبُدْ آلِهَةً أُخْرَى.

Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea—as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

وَالآنَ لَا تَدَعْ دَمِي يُهْدَرُ عَلَى أَرْضٍ غَرِيبَةً بَعِيداً عَنْ حَضْرَةِ الرَّبِّ، لأَنَّ مَلِكَ إِسْرَائِيلَ قَدْ خَرَجَ لِيَبْحَثَ عَنْ بُرْغُوثٍ وَاحِدٍ وَيَتَعَقَّبَهُ كَمَا يُتَعَقَّبُ الْحَجَلُ فِي الْجِبَالِ؟».

Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have been terribly wrong.”

فَقَالَ شَاوُلُ: «لَقَدْ أَخْطَأْتُ. ارْجِعْ يَا ابْنِي دَاوُدَ فَلَنْ أُسِيءَ إِلَيْكَ بَعْدَ الْيَوْمِ، لأَنَّ نَفْسِي كَانَتْ عَزِيزَةً فِي عَيْنَيْكَ. لَشَدَّ مَا أَخْطَأْتُ وَضَلَلْتُ!».

“Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of your young men come over and get it.

فَأَجَابَ دَاوُدُ: «هُوَذَا رُمْحُ الْمَلِكِ. فَلْيَأْتِ أَحَدُ الرِّجَالِ وَيَأْخُذْهُ.

The Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.

وَلْيُكَافِئِ الرَّبُّ كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ عَلَى اسِتْقَامَتِهِ وَأَمَانَتِهِ، لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ قَدْ أَوْقَعَكَ الْيَوْمَ فِى قَبْضَتِي، لَكِنِّي لَمْ أَشَأْ أَنْ أَمُدَّ يَدِي لأُسِيءَ إِلَى مُخْتَارِ الرَّبِّ.

As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble.”

وَكَمَا كَانَتْ نَفْسُكَ عَزِيزَةً فِي عَيْنَيَّ الْيَوْمَ، لِتَكُنْ نَفْسِي أَيْضاً عَزِيزَةً فِي عَيْنَي الرَّبِّ، وَيُنْقِذْنِي مِنْ كُلِّ ضِيقٍ».

Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, David my son; you will do great things and surely triumph.”

So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.

فَقَالَ شَاوُلُ لِدَاوُدَ: «لِتَكُنْ مُبَارَكاً يا ابْنِي دَاوُدَ، فَإِنَّكَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى الْقِيَامِ بِأُمُورٍ عَظِيمَةٍ وَتَنْجَحُ فِيهَا». ثُمَّ مَضَى دَاوُدُ فِي حَالِ سَبِيلِهِ وَرَجَعَ شَاوُلُ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ.