And they told David, saying: Behold the Philistines fight against Ceila, and they rob the barns.

Et annuntiaverunt David, dicentes: Ecce Philisthiim oppugnant Ceilam et diripiunt areas.

News was brought to David that the Philistines were attacking Ceila, and plundering its threshing-floors.

Therefore David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said to David: Go, and thou shalt smite the Philistines, and shalt save Ceila.

Consuluit ergo David Dominum, dicens: Num vadam, et percutiam Philisthæos istos? Et ait Dominus ad David: Vade, et percuties Philisthæos, et Ceilam salvabis.

So he consulted the Lord, asking whether he should go and attack these Philistines; and the Lord answered, attack them he should, and bring the townspeople relief.

And the men that were with David, said to him: Behold we are in fear here in Judea, how much more if we go to Ceila against the bands of the Philistines?

Et dixerunt viri qui erant cum David ad eum: Ecce nos hic in Judæa consistentes timemus: quanto magis si ierimus in Ceilam adversum agmina Philisthinorum?

But David’s followers protested, Here are we going in fear of our lives, even on the soil of Juda; and wouldst thou have us make our way to Ceila, and fight the army of the Philistines?

Therefore David consulted the Lord again. And he answered and said to him: Arise, and go to Ceila: for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

Rursum ergo David consuluit Dominum. Qui respondens, ait ei: Surge, et vade in Ceilam: ego enim tradam Philisthæos in manu tua.

So David consulted the Lord again, and still the Lord said, Up, and to Ceila betake thee; I will give thee victory over the Philistines.

David therefore, and his men, went to Ceila, and fought against the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and made a great slaughter of them: and David saved the inhabitants of Ceila.

Abiit ergo David et viri ejus in Ceilam, et pugnavit adversum Philisthæos: et abegit jumenta eorum, et percussit eos plaga magna: et salvavit David habitatores Ceilæ.

So David and his men marched there and made war on the Philistines, driving off their cattle; he defeated them with great loss, and the town was rid of them.

Now at that time, when Abiathar the son of Achimelech fled to David to Ceila, he came down having an ephod with him.

Porro eo tempore quo fugiebat Abiathar filius Achimelech ad David in Ceilam, ephod secum habens descenderat.

(It was here that Abiathar, son of Achimelech, took refuge with David; and he came bringing the sacred mantle with him.)

And it was told Saul that David was come to Ceila: and Saul said: The Lord hath delivered him into my hands, and he is shut up, being come into a city, that hath gates and bars.

Nuntiatum est autem Sauli quod venisset David in Ceilam: et ait Saul: Tradidit eum Deus in manus meas, conclususque est introgressus urbem, in qua portæ et seræ sunt.

When news reached Saul that David had gone to Ceila, he thought, The Lord has put him at my mercy; he is shut in, now, by the barred gates of a city.

And Saul commanded all the people to go down to fight against Ceila, and to besiege David, and his men.

Et præcepit Saul omni populo ut ad pugnam descenderet in Ceilam, et obsideret David et viros ejus.

And he bade his whole army march down there and lay siege to David and his men;

Now when David understood, that Saul secretly prepared evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest: Bring hither the ephod.

Quod cum David rescisset quia præpararet ei Saul clam malum, dixit ad Abiathar sacerdotem: Applica ephod.

but David, hearing of the secret plans that were being made for his hurt, would have Abiathar consult the sacred mantle.

And David said: O Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath heard a report, that Saul designeth to come to Ceila, to destroy the city for my sake:

Et ait David: Domine Deus Israël, audivit famam servus tuus, quod disponat Saul venire in Ceilam, ut evertat urbem propter me:

Lord God of Israel, was David’s prayer, news has reached me that Saul is on his way to Ceila, to destroy the city that shelters me;

Will the men of Ceila deliver me into his hands? and will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, tell thy servant. And the Lord said: He will come down.

si tradent me viri Ceilæ in manus ejus? et si descendet Saul, sicut audivit servus tuus? Domine Deus Israël, indica servo tuo. Et ait Dominus: Descendet.

what if the townspeople should hand me over to him? Tell me, Lord God of Israel, is the report true that Saul is on his way down? It is true, the Lord answered.

And David said: Will the men of Ceila deliver me, and my men, into the hands of Saul? And the Lord said: They will deliver thee up.

Dixitque David: Si tradent me viri Ceilæ, et viros qui sunt mecum, in manus Saul? Et dixit Dominus: Tradent.

Then David asked, Will the townspeople betray me and my companions into Saul’s hands? And the Lord answered, They will.

Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose, and departing from Ceila, wandered up and down, uncertain where they should stay: and it was told Saul that David was fled from Ceila, and had escaped: wherefore he forbore to go out.

Surrexit ergo David et viri ejus quasi sexcenti, et egressi de Ceila, huc atque illuc vagabantur incerti: nuntiatumque est Sauli quod fugisset David de Ceila, et salvatus esset: quam ob rem dissimulavit exire.

So David and his men, about six hundred strong, left Ceila and went back to their wandering life; and Saul, hearing that David had made good his escape from the town, said no more about his purposed attack.

But David abode in the desert in strong holds, and he remained in a mountain of the desert of Ziph, in a woody hill. And Saul sought him always: but the Lord delivered him not into his hands.

Morabatur autem David in deserto in locis firmissimis, mansitque in monte solitudinis Ziph, in monte opaco: quærebat eum tamen Saul cunctis diebus, et non tradidit eum Deus in manus ejus.

After this, David must keep to desert fastnesses, and he made his home among the wooded hills in the wilderness of Ziph; and evermore Saul made search for him, but the Lord disappointed him of his prey.

And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life. And David was in the desert of Ziph, in a wood.

Et vidit David quod egressus esset Saul ut quæreret animam ejus. Porro David erat in deserto Ziph in silva.

David lay close in the woods of Ziph, well knowing that Saul was bent on taking his life.

And Jonathan the son of Saul arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hands in God: and he said to him:

Et surrexit Jonathas filius Saul, et abiit ad David in silvam, et confortavit manus ejus in Deo: dixitque ei:

And now Saul’s son Jonathan ventured out, and visited him there in the woods, to bid him God-speed;

Fear not: for the hand of my father Saul shall not find thee, and thou shalt reign over Israel, and I shall be next to thee, yea, and my father knoweth this.

Ne timeas: neque enim inveniet te manus Saul patris mei, et tu regnabis super Israël, et ego ero tibi secundus: sed et Saul pater meus scit hoc.

Have no fear, said he, my father Saul will never find thee. Thou art destined to reign over Israel, and I to take the second place; my father Saul knows well that so it must be.

And the two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood: but Jonathan returned to his house.

Percussit ergo uterque fœdus coram Domino: mansitque David in silva, Jonathas autem reversus est in domum suam.

So they made a covenant between them, there in the Lord’s presence; and David lay close in the woods, while Jonathan went home again.

And the Ziphites went up to Saul in Gabaa, saying: Lo, doth not David lie hid with us in the strong holds of the wood, in mount Hachila, which is on the right hand of the desert.

Ascenderunt autem Ziphæi ad Saul in Gabaa, dicentes: Nonne ecce David latitat apud nos in locis tutissimis silvæ, in colle Hachila, quæ est ad dexteram deserti?

Meantime the men of Ziph betook themselves to Saul at Gabaa, and said to him, We have news of David for thee; he lies hidden in a forest stronghold on the slopes of Hachila, south of the desert.

Now therefore come down, as thy soul hath desired to come down: and it shall be our business to deliver him into the king’s hands.

Nunc ergo, sicut desideravit anima tua ut descenderes, descende: nostrum autem erit ut tradamus eum in manus regis.

Come, then, where thou mayest have thy dearest wish; we will undertake to hand him over to the royal custody.

And Saul said: Blessed be ye of the Lord, for you have pitied my case.

Dixitque Saul: Benedicti vos a Domino, quia doluistis vicem meam.

The Lord’s blessing on you! answered Saul; here are men that feel for my wrongs.

Go therefore, I pray you, and use all diligence, and curiously inquire, and consider the place where his foot is, and who hath seen him there: for he thinketh of me, that I lie craftily in wait for him.

Abite ergo, oro, et diligentius præparate, et curiosius agite, et considerate locum ubi sit pes ejus, vel quis viderit eum ibi: recogitat enim de me, quod callide insidier ei.

Go and make your preparations carefully; take good heed to enquire where he has halted on his march and who has seen him there; he knows well enough that a skilful hunter is on his track.

Consider and see all his lurking holes, wherein he is hid, and return to me with the certainty of the thing, that I may go with you. And if he should even go down into the earth to hide himself, I will search him out in all the thousands of Juda.

Considerate, et videte omnia latibula ejus in quibus absconditur: et revertimini ad me ad rem certam, ut vadam vobiscum. Quod si etiam in terram se abstruserit, perscrutabor eum in cunctis millibus Juda.

Keep watch, and note all the lairs he lurks in; then come back to me with sure news, and I will go with you. Let him go to ground as he will, I will hunt him out among all the multitudes of Juda!

And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: and David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the plain at the right hand of Jesimon.

At illi surgentes abierunt in Ziph ante Saul: David autem et viri ejus erant in deserto Maon, in campestribus ad dexteram Jesimon.

So they went back to Ziph to prepare the way for Saul, and found that David and his men were in the desert of Maon, on the low ground south of Jesimon.

Then Saul and his men went to seek him: and it was told David, and forthwith he went down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon: and when Saul had heard of it he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

Ivit ergo Saul et socii ejus ad quærendum eum. Et nuntiatum est David: statimque descendit ad petram, et versabatur in deserto Maon: quod cum audisset Saul, persecutus est David in deserto Maon.

When Saul and his followers came in pursuit, David had news of it, and took refuge in a rock-fastness, haunting still the desert of Maon; and through the desert of Maon Saul went in pursuit of him, learning that he was to be found there.

And Saul went on this side of the mountain: and David and his men were on the other side of the mountain: and David despaired of being able to escape from the face of Saul: and Saul and his men encompassed David and his men round about to take them.

Et ibat Saul ad latus montis ex parte una: David autem et viri ejus erant in latere montis ex parte altera. Porro David desperabat se posse evadere a facie Saul: itaque Saul et viri ejus in modum coronæ cingebant David et viros ejus, ut caperent eos.

At last a time came when Saul was traversing one side of a mountain, while David and his men were on the opposite side. David had lost hope of slipping through Saul’s hands, now that Saul’s men had encircled his, ready to cut them off.

And a messenger came to Saul, saying: Make haste to come, for the Philistines have poured in themselves upon the land.

Et nuntius venit ad Saul, dicens: Festina, et veni, quoniam infuderunt se Philisthiim super terram.

But a message reached Saul, Come with all speed; the Philistines have invaded the land.

Wherefore Saul returned, leaving the pursuit of David, and went to meet the Philistines. For this cause they called that place, the Rock of division.

Reversus est ergo Saul desistens persequi David, et perrexit in occursum Philisthinorum: propter hoc vocaverunt locum illum, Petram dividentem.

Whereupon Saul must needs give up his pursuit of David, and go back to meet the Philistines. That is how the place came by the name it bears, the Sundering Rock.