King James Version

1 Samuel 26:20

Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.

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Hebrew

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וְעַתָּ֗הveatahand this timeעַתָּהconjunction, adverb — “and this time”H6258at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or expletivehenceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas.אַלalnotאַלparticle, negative — “not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.יִפֹּ֤לyipolfallנָפַלverb, qal, jussive, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “fall”, a wish or indirect commandH5307to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for H6419 (פָּלַל…דָּֽמִי֙damiblood , innocentדָּםnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “blood , innocent”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1818blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed (i.e. drops of blood)blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), [phrase] innocent.אַ֔רְצָהartsahearthאֶרֶץnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute, directional ending — “earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.מִנֶּ֖גֶדminegedfrom againstנֶגֶדpreposition, preposition — “from against”H5048a front, i.e. part opposite; specifically a counterpart, or mate; usually (adverbial, especially with preposition) over against or beforeabout, (over) against, [idiom] aloof, [idiom] far (off), [idiom] from, over, presence, [idiom] other side, sight, [idiom] to view.פְּנֵ֣יpenea- foreפָּנִיםnoun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…יְהוָ֑הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…יָצָ֞אyatsabring forthיָצָאverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bring forth”, a completed actionH3318to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.[idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail…מֶ֣לֶךְmelekhkingמֶלֶךְnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “king”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4428a kingking, royal.יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.לְבַקֵּשׁ֙levaqeshto beseechבָּקַשׁpreposition, verb, piel, infinitive construct — “to beseech”, the to-form of the verbH1245to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive afterask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).פַּרְעֹ֣שׁparoshfleaפַּרְעֹשׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “flea”, the ordinary formH6550a flea (as the isolated insect)flea.אֶחָ֔דechadfirstאֶחָדadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, absolute — “first”, the ordinary formH259properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) firsta, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,כַּאֲשֶׁ֛רkaasheras becauseאֲשֶׁרpreposition, particle, relative — “as because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…יִרְדֹּ֥ףyirdofchaseרָדַףverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “chase”, an unfinished actionH7291to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by)chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r).הַקֹּרֵ֖אhaqorethe a caller, iקֹרֵאdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the a caller, i”, the ordinary formH7124a caller, i.e. partridge (from its cry)partridge. See also H6981 (קוֹרֵא).בֶּהָרִֽיםbeharimin hillהַרpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “in hill”, the ordinary formH2022a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)hill (country), mount(-ain), [idiom] promotion.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the LORD; for the king of Israel is come out to seek a single flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Jehovah: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.

Young’s Literal Translation

'And now, let not my blood fall to the earth over-against the face of Jehovah, for the king of Israel hath come out to seek one flea, as [one] pursueth the partridge in mountains.'

World English Bible

Now therefore, don’t let my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Yahweh; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

Darby Translation

And now, let not my blood fall to the earth far from the face of Jehovah; for the king of Israel is come out to seek a single flea, as when they hunt a partridge on the mountains.

Douay-Rheims

And now let not my blood be shed upon the earth before the Lord: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as the partridge is hunted in the mountains.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the LORD; for the king of Israel is come out to seek a single flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And now let not my blood fall to the ground before the Lord, for the king of Israel has come forth to seek thy life, as the night hawk pursues its prey in the mountains.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ νῦν μὴ πέσοι τὸ αἷμά μου ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐξεναντίας προσώπου Κυρίου, ὅτι ἐξελήλυθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰσραὴλ ζητεῖν ψυχήν μου, καθὼς καταδιώκει ὁ νυκτικόραξ ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι.