Et factum est cum complesset loqui ad Saul, anima Jonathæ conglutinata est animæ David, et dilexit eum Jonathas quasi animam suam.

By the time he had finished speaking with Saul, David’s heart was knit to the heart of Jonathan by a close bond, and Jonathan loved David thenceforward as dearly as his own life.

And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

Tulitque eum Saul in die illa, et non concessit ei ut reverteretur in domum patris sui.

It was then that Saul took David into his service, and would not allow him to go back home;

And Saul took him that day, and would not let him return to his father’s house.

Inierunt autem David et Jonathas fœdus: diligebat enim eum quasi animam suam.

and Jonathan, loving him dearly as his own life, made a covenant of friendship with David,

And David and Jonathan made a covenant, for he loved him as his own soul.

Nam expoliavit se Jonathas tunica qua erat indutus, et dedit eam David, et reliqua vestimenta sua, usque ad gladium et arcum suum, et usque ad balteum.

took off his robe and all his gear, even to sword and bow and belt, and gave them to David to wear.

And Jonathan stripped himself of the coat with which he was clothed, and gave it to David, and the rest of his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

Egrediebatur quoque David ad omnia quæcumque misisset eum Saul, et prudenter se agebat: posuitque eum Saul super viros belli, et acceptus erat in oculis universi populi, maximeque in conspectu famulorum Saul.

This way and that David went at Saul’s bidding, and his skill never failed him; when Saul put him at the head of his army, he earned the good will of the whole people, and of Saul’s servants above the rest.

And David went out to whatsoever business Saul sent him, and he behaved himself prudently: and Saul set him over the soldiers, and he was acceptable in the eyes of all the people, and especially in the eyes of Saul’s servants.

Porro cum reverteretur percusso Philisthæo David, egressæ sunt mulieres de universis urbibus Israël, cantantes, chorosque ducentes in occursum Saul regis, in tympanis lætitiæ, et in sistris.

But when David returned from slaying the Philistine, the women who came out from every part of Israel to meet Saul, singing and dancing merrily with tambour and cymbal,

Now when David returned, after he slew the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels of joy, and cornets.

Et præcinebant mulieres, ludentes, atque dicentes: Percussit Saul mille, et David decem millia.

matched their music with the refrain, By Saul’s hand a thousand, by David’s ten thousand fell.

And the women sung as they played, and they said: Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

Iratus est autem Saul nimis, et displicuit in oculis ejus sermo iste: dixitque: Dederunt David decem millia, et mihi mille dederunt: quid ei superest, nisi solum regnum?

And at this Saul was much displeased; it was no song to win his favour. What, he said, ten thousand for David, and but a thousand for me? What lies now between him and the kingship?

And Saul was exceeding angry, and this word was displeasing in his eyes, and he said: They have given David ten thousands, and to me they have given but a thousand; what can he have more but the kingdom?

Non rectis ergo oculis Saul aspiciebat David a die illa et deinceps.

So ever after, Saul eyed him askance.

And Saul did not look on David with a good eye from that day and forward.

Post diem autem alteram, invasit spiritus Dei malus Saul, et prophetabat in medio domus suæ: David autem psallebat manu sua, sicut per singulos dies. Tenebatque Saul lanceam,

Next day, the evil mood had come upon Saul, divinely sent, and a frenzy took him, there in his house; David was playing, as he ever did, upon the harp, and Saul, who had a lance in his hand,

And the day after the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of his house. And David played with his hand as at other times. And Saul held a spear in his hand,

et misit eam, putans quod configere posset David cum pariete: et declinavit David a facie ejus secundo.

threw it at him, thinking to pin David to the wall. Twice David must needs flee from his presence, thus threatened.

And threw it, thinking to nail David to the wall: and David stept aside out of his presence twice.

Et timuit Saul David, eo quod Dominus esset cum eo, et a se recessisset.

Saul, then, began to fear David, as the heir to that divine favour he had lost;

And Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from himself.

Amovit ergo eum Saul a se, et fecit eum tribunum super mille viros: et egrediebatur, et intrabat in conspectu populi.

to remove him from his person, he gave him command of a thousand warriors, so that he must take the field at the head of his men.

Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him a captain over a thousand men, and he went out and came in before the people.

In omnibus quoque viis suis David prudenter agebat, et Dominus erat cum eo.

David’s skill never failed him in his enterprises, and the Lord was ever at his side;

And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.

Vidit itaque Saul quod prudens esset nimis, et cœpit cavere eum.

and Saul, seeing how well he prospered, began to be afraid of him;

And Saul saw that he was exceeding prudent, and began to beware of him.

Omnis autem Israël et Juda diligebat David: ipse enim ingrediebatur et egrediebatur ante eos.

he was in high favour, too, with the men of Israel and Juda, marching out to battle at their head.

But all Israel and Juda loved David, for he came in and went out before them.

Dixitque Saul ad David: Ecce filia mea major Merob: ipsam dabo tibi uxorem: tantummodo esto vir fortis, et præliare bella Domini. Saul autem reputabat, dicens: Non sit manus mea in eum, sed sit super eum manus Philisthinorum.

Saul, therefore, promised him the hand of his elder daughter, Merob, in marriage, if he would play a man’s part in fighting the Lord’s battles; No need for me to touch him, Saul thought to himself, let the Philistines rid me of him.

And Saul said to David: Behold my elder daughter Merob, her will I give thee to wife: only be a valiant man, and fight the battles of the Lord. Now Saul said within himself: Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hands of the Philistines be upon him.

Ait autem David ad Saul: Quis ego sum, aut quæ est vita mea, aut cognatio patris mei in Israël, ut fiam gener regis?

Why, David answered, who am I, what rank have I, what place does my father’s kindred hold in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?

And David said to Saul: Who am I, or what is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son in law of the king?

Factum est autem tempus cum deberet dari Merob filia Saul David, data est Hadrieli Molathitæ uxor.

And sure enough, when the time came that David should have wedded Saul’s daughter Merob, her hand was given to Hadriel the Molathite instead.

And it came to pass at the time when Merob the daughter of Saul should have been given to David, that she was given to Hadriel the Molathite to wife.

Dilexit autem David Michol filia Saul altera. Et nuntiatum est Saul, et placuit ei.

Meanwhile, David had fallen in love with his younger daughter, Michol; and Saul was well pleased when he heard of it.

But Michol the other daughter of Saul loved David. And it was told Saul, and it pleased him.

Dixitque Saul: Dabo eam illi, ut fiat ei in scandalum, et sit super eum manus Philisthinorum. Dixitque Saul ad David: In duabus rebus gener meus eris hodie.

I will promise her, thought Saul, in such a way as to entrap him; the Philistines shall rid me of him. And he told David, I have a second condition for thee to fulfil, and thereupon thou shalt have my daughter.

And Saul said: I will give her to him, that she may be a stumblingblock to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be upon him. And Saul said to David: In two things thou shalt be my son in law this day.

Et mandavit Saul servis suis: Loquimini ad David clam me, dicentes: Ecce places regi, et omnes servi ejus diligunt te: nunc ergo esto gener regis.

Meanwhile, Saul had bidden his servants encourage David, when he himself was not by, telling him what favour the king, what love the king’s servants bore him; it was time he became the king’s son-in-law.

And Saul commanded his servants to speak to David privately, saying: Behold thou pleasest the king, and all his servants love thee. Now therefore be the king’s son in law.

Et locuti sunt servi Saul in auribus David omnia verba hæc. Et ait David: Num parum videtur vobis, generum esse regis? ego autem sum vir pauper et tenuis.

But when they whispered these hopes to him, David said, Think you such a prize is won easily, when a man has neither purse nor station?

And the servants of Saul spoke all these words in the ear of David. And David said: Doth it seem to you a small matter to be the king’s son in law? But I am a poor man, and of small ability.

Et renuntiaverunt servi Saul dicentes: Hujuscemodi verba locutus est David.

When his servants came back to him with the news that David had answered thus,

And the servants of Saul told him, saying: Such words as these hath David spoken.

Dixit autem Saul: Sic loquimini ad David: Non habet rex sponsalia necesse, nisi tantum centum præputia Philisthinorum, ut fiat ultio de inimicis regis. Porro Saul cogitabat tradere David in manus Philisthinorum.

Saul bade them tell David, The king claims no bridal gifts, if thou wilt bring him the foreskins of a hundred Philistines, to give him a royal revenge on his enemies. In this way, Saul thought to betray David into the power of the Philistines;

And Saul said: Speak thus to David: The king desireth not any dowry, but only a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. Now Saul thought to deliver David into the hands of the Philistines.

Cumque renuntiassent servi ejus David verba quæ dixerat Saul, placuit sermo in oculis David, ut fieret gener regis.

but when they told him what their master had said, David was well pleased to win the king’s daughter so.

And when his servants had told David the words that Saul had said, the word was pleasing in the eyes of David to be the king’s son in law.

Et post paucos dies surgens David, abiit cum viris qui sub eo erant. Et percussit ex Philisthiim ducentos viros, et attulit eorum præputia et annumeravit ea regi, ut esset gener ejus. Dedit itaque Saul ei Michol filiam suam uxorem.

A few days afterwards, he set out with the men under his command, slew two hundred Philistines, and brought back their foreskins, which he counted out before the king as the price of his bride. And now Saul must give David his daughter Michol’s hand.

And after a few days David rose up, and went with the men that were under him, and he slew of the Philistines two hundred men, and brought their foreskins and numbered them out to the king, that he might be his son in law. Saul therefore gave him Michol his daughter to wife.

Et vidit Saul, et intellexit quod Dominus esset cum David. Michol autem filia Saul diligebat eum.

That the Lord was with David, Saul could tell beyond doubt, and here was his daughter Michol David’s loving wife;

And Saul saw, and understood that the Lord was with David. And Michol the daughter of Saul loved him.

Et Saul magis cœpit timere David: factusque est Saul inimicus David cunctis diebus.

more than ever Saul grew afraid of him, and remained thenceforward his enemy.

And Saul began to fear David more: and Saul became David’s enemy continually.

Et egressi sunt principes Philisthinorum. A principio autem egressionis eorum, prudentius se gerebat David quam omnes servi Saul, et celebre factum est nomen ejus nimis.

Meanwhile, the Philistine chiefs came out to battle; David, from the time when their attacks began, shewed greater skill than all the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name was in high renown.

And the princes of the Philistines went forth: and from the beginning of their going forth, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, and his name became very famous.