1 Samuel 16

1 And the Lord said to Samuel: “How long will you mourn for Saul, though I have rejected him, so that he would not reign over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and approach, so that I may send you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have provided a king from among his sons for myself.”

L’Eterno disse a Samuele: “Fino a quando farai tu cordoglio per Saul, mentre io l’ho rigettato perché non regni più sopra Israele? Empi d’olio il tuo corno, e va’; io ti manderò da Isai di Bethlehem, perché mi son provveduto di un re tra i suoi figliuoli”.

2 And Samuel said: “How shall I go? For Saul will hear of it, and he will put me to death.” And the Lord said: “You shall take, by your hand, a calf from the herd. And you shall say, ‘I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord.’

E Samuele rispose: “Come andrò io? Saul lo verrà a sapere, e mi ucciderà”. L’Eterno disse: “Prenderai teco una giovenca, e dirai: Son venuto ad offrire un sacrifizio all’Eterno.

3 And you shall call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will reveal to you what you should do. And you shall anoint whomever I will indicate to you.”

Inviterai Isai al sacrifizio; io ti farò sapere quello che dovrai fare, e mi ungerai colui che ti dirò”.

4 Therefore, Samuel did just as the Lord told him. And he went to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city wondered. And meeting him, they said, “Is your arrival peaceful?”

Samuele dunque fece quello che l’Eterno gli avea detto; si recò a Bethlehem, e gli anziani della città gli si fecero incontro tutti turbati, e gli dissero: “Porti tu pace?”

5 And he said: “It is peaceful. I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord. Be sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice.

Ed egli rispose: “Porto pace; vengo ad offrire un sacrifizio all’Eterno; purificatevi, e venite meco al sacrifizio”. Fece anche purificare Isai e i suoi figliuoli, e li invitò al sacrifizio.

6 And when they had entered, he saw Eliab, and he said, “Could he be the Christ in the sight of the Lord?”

Mentre entravano, egli scòrse Eliab, e disse: “Certo, ecco l’unto dell’Eterno davanti a lui”.

7 And the Lord said to Samuel: “You should not look with favor on his face, nor on the height of his stature. For I have rejected him. Neither do I judge by the appearance of a man. For man sees those things that are apparent, but the Lord beholds the heart.”

Ma l’Eterno disse a Samuele: “Non badare al suo aspetto né all’altezza della sua statura, perché io l’ho scartato; giacché l’Eterno non guarda a quello a cui guarda l’uomo: l’uomo riguarda all’apparenza, ma l’Eterno riguarda al cuore”.

8 And Jesse called Abinadab, and he brought him before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”

Allora Isai chiamò Abinadab, e lo fece passare davanti a Samuele; ma Samuele disse: “L’Eterno non s’è scelto neppur questo”.

9 Then Jesse brought Shammah. And he said about him, “And the Lord has not chosen this one.”

Isai fece passare Shamma, ma Samuele disse: “L’Eterno non s’è scelto neppur questo”.

10 And so Jesse brought his seven sons before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”

Isai fece passar così sette de’ suoi figliuoli davanti a Samuele; ma Samuele disse ad Isai: “L’Eterno non s’è scelto questi”.

11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Could the sons now be completed?” But he responded, “There still remains a little one, and he pastures the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse: “Send and bring him. For we shall not recline to eat, until he arrives here.”

Poi Samuele disse ad Isai: “Sono questi tutti i tuoi figli?” Isai rispose: “Resta ancora il più giovane, ma è a pascere le pecore”.

12 Therefore, he sent and brought him. Now he was ruddy, and beautiful to behold, and with a stately face. And the Lord said, “Rise up, anoint him! For it is he.”

E Samuele disse ad Isai: “Mandalo a cercare, perché non ci metteremo a tavola prima che sia arrivato qua”. Isai dunque lo mandò a cercare, e lo fece venire. Or egli era biondo, avea de’ begli occhi e un bell’aspetto. E l’Eterno disse a Samuele: “Lèvati, ungilo, perch’egli è desso”.

13 Therefore, Samuel took the horn of oil, and he anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord was guiding David from that day and thereafter. And Samuel rose up, and he went away to Ramah.

Allora Samuele prese il corno dell’olio, e l’unse in mezzo ai suoi fratelli; e, da quel giorno in poi, lo spirito dell’Eterno investì Davide. E Samuele si levò e se ne andò a Rama.

14 But the Spirit of the Lord withdrew from Saul, and a wicked spirit from the Lord disturbed him.

Or lo spirito dell’Eterno s’era ritirato da Saul, ch’era turbato da un cattivo spirito suscitato dall’Eterno.

15 And the servants of Saul said to him: “Behold, an evil spirit from God disturbs you.

I servitori di Saul gli dissero: “Ecco, un cattivo spirito suscitato da Dio, ti turba.

16 May our lord order, and your servants, who are before you, will seek a man skillful in playing a stringed instrument, so that when the evil spirit from the Lord assails you, he may play with his hand, and you may bear it more easily.”

Ordini ora il nostro signore ai tuoi servi che ti stanno dinanzi, di cercar un uomo che sappia sonar l’arpa; e quando il cattivo spirito suscitato da Dio t’investirà, quegli si metterà a sonare e tu ne sarai sollevato”.

17 And Saul said to his servants, “Then provide for me someone who can play well, and bring him to me.”

Saul disse ai suoi servitori: “Trovatemi un uomo che suoni bene e conducetemelo”.

18 And one of the servants, responding, said: “Behold, I have seen the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, a skillful player, and very strong and robust, a man fit for war, and prudent in words, a handsome man. And the Lord is with him.”

Allora uno de’ domestici prese a dire: “Ecco io ho veduto un figliuolo di Isai, il Bethlehemita, che sa sonar bene; è un uomo forte, valoroso, un guerriero, parla bene, è di bell’aspetto, e l’Eterno è con lui”.

19 Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, “Send to me your son David, who is in the pastures.”

Saul dunque inviò de’ messi a Isai per dirgli: “Mandami Davide, tuo figliuolo, che è col gregge”.

20 And so, Jesse took a donkey laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid from one of the goats, and he sent them, by the hand of his son David, to Saul.

Ed Isai prese un asino carico di pane, un otre di vino, un capretto, e mandò tutto a Saul per mezzo di Davide suo figliuolo.

21 And David went to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him exceedingly, and he made him his armor bearer.

Davide arrivò da Saul e si presentò a lui; ed ei gli pose grande affetto e lo fece suo scudiero.

22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying: “Let David remain before my sight. For he has found favor in my eyes.”

E Saul mandò a dire ad Isai: “Ti prego, lascia Davide al mio servizio, poich’egli ha trovato grazia agli occhi miei”.

23 And so, whenever the evil spirit from the Lord assailed Saul, David took up his stringed instrument, and he struck it with his hand, and Saul was refreshed and uplifted. For the evil spirit withdrew from him.

Or quando il cattivo spirito suscitato da Dio investiva Saul, Davide pigliava l’arpa e si metteva a sonare; Saul si sentiva sollevato, stava meglio, e il cattivo spirito se n’andava da lui.