Now when David and his men were come to Siceleg on the third day, the Amalecites had made an invasion on the south side upon Siceleg, and had smitten Siceleg, and burnt it with fire.

Cumque venissent David et viri ejus in Siceleg die tertia, Amalecitæ impetum fecerant ex parte australi in Siceleg, et percusserant Siceleg, et succenderant eam igni.

When David and his men reached Siceleg, the next day but one, they found that the Amalecites from the south had attacked and overpowered it, and burnt it to the ground;

And had taken the women captives that were in it, both little and great: and they had not killed any person, but had carried them with them, and went on their way.

Et captivas duxerant mulieres ex ea, a minimo usque ad magnum: et non interfecerant quemquam, sed secum duxerant, et pergebant itinere suo.

the women, too, they had carried off. They did not put anyone to death, of high or low degree, but carried off all they found, and so went on their way.

So when David and his men came to the city, and found it burnt with fire, and that their wives and their sons, and their daughters were taken captives,

Cum ergo venissent David et viri ejus ad civitatem, et invenissent eam succensam igni, et uxores suas, et filios suos et filias, ductas esse captivas,

So David and his men, coming back to the city to find it burnt down, and their wives and sons and daughters taken prisoner,

David and the people that were with him, lifted up their voices, and wept till they had no more tears.

levaverunt David et populus qui erat cum eo voces suas, et planxerunt donec deficerent in eis lacrimæ.

raised a great cry of lamentation, and wept till their tears would flow no more.

For the two wives also of David were taken captives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

Siquidem et duæ uxores David captivæ ductæ fuerant, Achinoam Jezrahelites, et Abigail uxor Nabal Carmeli.

David’s two wives, Achinoam from Jezrahel and Abigail, Nabal’s widow from Carmel, had been carried off like the rest,

And David was greatly afflicted: for the people had a mind to stone him, for the soul of every man was bitterly grieved for his sons, and daughters: but David took courage in the Lord his God.

Et contristatus est David valde: volebat enim eum populus lapidare, quia amara erat anima uniuscujusque viri super filiis suis et filiabus: confortatus est autem David in Domino Deo suo.

and his was a heavy lot to bear; his followers came near to stoning him, so sore were their hearts at the loss of son and daughter. But David found refuge in the Lord his God.

And he said to Abiathar the priest the son of Achimelech: Bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

Et ait ad Abiathar sacerdotem filium Achimelech: Applica ad me ephod. Et applicavit Abiathar ephod ad David.

Bring out the sacred mantle, he said to the priest Abiathar, Achimelech’s son, and when Abiathar had brought it,

And David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I pursue after these robbers, and shall I overtake them, or not? And the Lord said to him: Pursue after them: for thou shalt surely overtake them and recover the prey.

Et consuluit David Dominum, dicens: Persequar latrunculos hos, et comprehendam eos, an non? Dixitque ei Dominus: Persequere: absque dubio enim comprehendes eos, et excuties prædam.

he asked the Lord, Shall I give these freebooters chase? Is there hope of overtaking them? And the Lord said, Go in pursuit; past doubt thou wilt overtake them, and rob them of their prey.

So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and they came to the torrent Besor: and some being weary stayed there.

Abiit ergo David, ipse et sexcenti viri qui erant cum eo, et venerunt usque ad torrentem Besor: et lassi quidam substiterunt.

So David and his six hundred followers marched all the way to the ravine of Besor, where some, for very weariness, must halt;

But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred stayed, who, being weary could not go over the torrent Besor.

Persecutus est autem David ipse, et quadringenti viri: substiterant enim ducenti, qui lassi transire non poterant torrentem Besor.

but David himself still gave chase, with four hundred men at his back, leaving the other two hundred to rest from their weariness in the ravine of Besor.

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David: and they gave him bread to eat, and water to drink,

Et invenerunt virum ægyptium in agro, et adduxerunt eum ad David: dederuntque ei panem ut comederet, et biberet aquam,

Then they came upon an Egyptian, out there on the plain, and brought him to David; but first they must give him bread and water,

As also a piece of a cake of figs, and two bunches of raisins. And when he had eaten them his spirit returned, and he was refreshed: for he had not eaten bread, nor drunk water three days, and three nights.

sed et fragmen massæ caricarum, et duas ligaturas uvæ passæ. Quæ cum comedisset, reversus est spiritus ejus, et refocillatus est: non enim comederat panem, neque biberat aquam, tribus diebus et tribus noctibus.

and part of a cake of dried figs, and two bunches of raisins; he must be restored and revived, after three days and three nights without food or drink.

And David said to him: To whom dost thou belong? or whence dost thou come? and whither art thou going? He said: I am a young man of Egypt, the servant of an Amalecite, and my master left me, because I began to be sick three days ago.

Dixit itaque ei David: Cujus es tu? vel unde? et quo pergis? Qui ait: Puer ægyptius ego sum, servus viri Amalecitæ: dereliquit autem me dominus meus, quia ægrotare cœpi nudiustertius.

When David asked who he was, whence he came and whither he was bound, he said, I am a serving-man from Egypt; my master is an Amalecite; three days ago I fell sick, and he left me behind here.

For we made an invasion on the south side of Cerethi, and upon Juda, and upon the south of Caleb, and we burnt Siceleg with fire.

Siquidem nos erupimus ad australem plagam Cerethi, et contra Judam, et ad meridiem Caleb, et Siceleg succendimus igni.

We had been making a foray over the southern border of the Cherethites, against Juda, too, and the south of Caleb, and we burned Siceleg to the ground.

And David said to him: Canst thou bring me to this company? And he said: Swear to me by God, that thou wilt not kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee to this company. And David swore to him.

Dixitque ei David: Potes me ducere ad cuneum istum? Qui ait: Jura mihi per Deum quod non occidas me, et non tradas me in manus domini mei, et ego ducam te ad cuneum istum. Et juravit ei David.

Then David asked him, Canst thou shew me where to find the company of which thou speakest? First, said he, thou must needs swear to me in God’s name that thou wilt neither kill me nor give me up into my master’s power; then I will shew thee where this company is to be found. So David took the oath asked of him,

And when he had brought him, behold they were lying spread upon all the ground, eating and drinking, and as it were keeping a festival day, for all the prey, and the spoils which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Juda.

Qui cum duxisset eum, ecce illi discumbebant super faciem universæ terræ comedentes et bibentes, et quasi festum celebrantes diem, pro cuncta præda et spoliis quæ ceperant de terra Philisthiim et de terra Juda.

and the Egyptian led him to where they lay, scattered pell-mell over the ground, eating and drinking and making holiday over their plunder, the spoils they had won from the Philistine country and from Juda.

And David slew them from the evening unto the evening of the next day, and there escaped not a man of them, but four hundred young men, who had gotten upon camels, and fled.

Et percussit eos David a vespere usque ad vesperam alterius diei, et non evasit ex eis quisquam, nisi quadringenti viri adolescentes, qui ascenderant camelos et fugerant.

All the rest of that day and all the next David drove them before him, and not one man escaped, except four hundred drivers who mounted their camels and fled.

So David recovered all that the Amalecites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.

Eruit ergo David omnia quæ tulerant Amalecitæ, et duas uxores suas eruit.

So David recovered all the Amalecites had carried off, and his two wives with the rest;

And there was nothing missing small or great, neither of their sons or their daughters, nor of the spoils, and whatsoever they had taken, David recovered all.

Nec defuit quidquam a parvo usque ad magnum, tam de filiis quam de filiabus, et de spoliis, et quæcumque rapuerant: omnia reduxit David.

never boy or girl or chattel was missing; all that had been carried away David brought back.

And he took all the flocks and the herds, and made them go before him: and they said: This is the prey of David.

Et tulit universos greges et armenta, et minavit ante faciem suam: dixeruntque: Hæc est præda David.

And as he came home, driving before him all the sheep and cattle he had won, the cry rose, This is David’s booty.

And David came to the two hundred men, who being weary had stayed, and were not able to follow David, and he had ordered them to abide at the torrent Besor: and they came out to meet David, and the people that were with him. And David coming to the people saluted them peaceably.

Venit autem David ad ducentos viros qui lassi substiterant, nec sequi potuerant David, et residere eos jusserat in torrente Besor: qui egressi sunt obviam David et populo qui erat cum eo. Accedens autem David ad populum, salutavit eos pacifice.

So he reached the two hundred men that halted, too weary to follow, and were left behind in the ravine of Besor; and as they came out to meet him and his followers, David went up and gave them friendly greeting.

Then all the wicked and unjust men that had gone with David answering, said: Because they came not with us, we will not give them any thing of the prey which we have recovered: but let every man take his wife and his children, and be contented with them, and go his way.

Respondensque omnis vir pessimus et iniquus de viris qui ierant cum David, dixit: Quia non venerunt nobiscum, non dabimus eis quidquam de præda quam eruimus: sed sufficiat unicuique uxor sua et filii: quos cum acceperint, recedant.

But there were churlish, graceless fellows among his own following who reasoned thus: Here are men that did not bear us company; for them, then, no share in the booty we have recovered. Let each of them take his own wife and children, and with these go away content.

But David said: You shall not do so, my brethren, with these things, which the Lord hath given us, who hath kept us, and hath delivered the robbers that invaded us into our hands.

Dixit autem David: Non sic facietis, fratres mei, de his quæ tradidit nobis Dominus, et custodivit nos, et dedit latrunculos qui eruperant adversum nos, in manus nostras:

Nay, brethren, David answered, that will not serve. All these gifts the Lord has given, besides protecting us and winning us the mastery over these marauding enemies.

And no man shall hearken to you in this matter. But equal shall be the portion of him that went down to battle and of him that abode at the baggage, and they shall divide alike.

nec audiet vos quisquam super sermone hoc: æqua enim pars erit descendentis ad prælium, et remanentis ad sarcinas, et similiter divident.

Over this you shall get no hearing; the man that stays behind with the baggage has the same rights as the man who went into battle, all must share alike.

And this hath been done from that day forward, and since was made a statute, and an ordinance, and as a law in Israel.

Et factum est hoc ex die illa et deinceps, constitutum et præfinitum, et quasi lex in Israël usque in diem hanc.

Ever since that day this rule has been recognized and established; it is the law still observed in Israel.

Then David came to Siceleg, and sent presents of the prey to the ancients of Juda his neighbours, saying: Receive a blessing of the prey of the enemies of the Lord.

Venit ergo David in Siceleg, et misit dona de præda senioribus Juda proximis suis, dicens: Accipite benedictionem de præda hostium Domini:

When David reached Siceleg, he sent presents to the elders of the neighbouring cities in Juda, bidding them accept his offering taken out of the spoil of the Lord’s enemies.

To them that were in Bethel, and that were in Ramoth to the south, and to them that were in Jether,

his qui erant in Bethel, et qui in Ramoth ad meridiem, et qui in Jether,

These were Bethel, Ramoth in the South, Jether,

And to them that were in Aroer and that were in Sephamoth, and that were in Esthamo,

et qui in Aroër, et qui in Sephamoth, et qui in Esthamo,

Aroer, Sephamoth, Esthamo,

And that were in Rachal, and that were in the cities of Jerameel, and that were in the cities of Ceni,

et qui in Rachal, et qui in urbibus Jerameel, et qui in urbibus Ceni,

Rachal, the cities of Jerameel, the cities of Ceni,

And that were in Arama, and that were in the lake Asan, and that were in Athach,

et qui in Arama, et qui in lacu Asan, et qui in Athach,

Arama, the Hollow of Asan, Athach,

And that were in Hebron, and to the rest that were in those places, in which David had abode with his men.

et qui in Hebron, et reliquis qui erant in his locis in quibus commoratus fuerat David, ipse et viri ejus.

and Hebron; and other places besides, where David and his men had once made their home.