§1Τὰ ἀναγνωσθέντα πλείονά ἐστιν, καὶ ἐπεὶ χρὴ ἐπιτεμνόμενον εἰπεῖν, δ' εἰσὶν περικοπαί.
The passages read are numerous, and since it is necessary to speak in summary, they are four sections.
ἀνεγνώσθη τὰ ἑξῆς τῶν περὶ Νάβαλ Καρμήλιον.
The sequel to the story of Nabal the Carmelite was read.
εἶτα μετὰ τοῦτο ἡ ἱστορία ἡ περὶ τοῦ κεκρύφθαι τὸν Δαβὶδ παρὰ τοῖς Ζιφαίοις καὶ διαβεβλῆσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπ’ αὐτῶν, ἐληλυθέναι δὲ τὸν Σαοὺλ βουλόμενον λαβεῖν τὸν Δαβὶδ καὶ ἐληλυθότα ἐπιτηρῆσαι καιρόν, ἐπεληλυθέναι τε τῷ Σαοὺλ τὸν Δαβὶδ καὶ εἰληφέναι, κοιμωμένου αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν φρουρούντων αὐτόν, »τὸ δόρυ καὶ τὸν φακὸν τοῦ ὕδατος« καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγχον προσενηνοχέναι τοῖς πεπιστευμένοις μὲν φυλάττειν αὐτόν, ἀποκοιμηθεῖσιν δέ.
Then, after this, the story concerning David being hidden among the Ziphites and being slandered by them, and Saul having come wishing to capture David and, having arrived, watching for an opportunity, and David having come upon Saul and having taken, while Saul and those guarding him were asleep, "the spear and the water jar," and after this having brought a reproach against those who had been entrusted to guard him but had fallen asleep.
εἶτα τὰ] ἑξῆς ἡ ἱστορία ἦν ἡ τρίτη, ὅτι κατέφυγε »πρὸς Ἀγχοὺς υἱὸν Ἀμμὰχ βασιλέα Γὲθ« ὁ Δαβίδ, καὶ ὅσην εὗρε χάριν παρ’ αὐτῷ μετὰ τά πολλὰ ἀνδραγαθήματα ὁ Δαβίδ, πρὸς ὃν »ἀρχισωματοφύλακα θήσομαί σε« φησίν. ἑξῆς τούτοις ἦν ἡ ἱστορία ἡ διαβόητος ἡ περὶ τῆς ἐγγαστριμύθου καὶ περὶ τοῦ Σαμουήλ, ὅτι ἔδοξεν ἀνενηνοχέναι ἡ ἐγγαστρίμυθος τὸν Σαμουὴλ καὶ ὁ Σαμουὴλ προφητεύει τῷ Σαούλ.
Then the next, the third story, was that David fled "to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath," and how much favor David found with him after many exploits, to whom [Achish] says, "I will make you the chief of my bodyguards." Next to these was the notorious story concerning the medium and concerning Samuel, how the medium seemed to have brought up Samuel and Samuel prophesies to Saul.
τεσσάρων οὐσῶν περικοπῶν, ὧν ἑκάστη πράγματα οὐκ ὀλίγα ἔχει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς δυναμένους ἐξετάζειν δυνάμενα ἀσχολῆσαι ὥρας οὐ μιᾶς συνάξεως ἀλλὰ καὶ πλειόνων, ὁτίποτε βούλεται ὁ ἐπίσκοπος προτεινάτω τῶν τεσσάρων, ἴνα περὶ τοῦτο ἀσχοληθῶμεν.
Since there are four sections, each of which contains not a few matters, but is capable of occupying those who are able to examine them for the duration of not just one assembly but even more, let the bishop propose whichever of the four he wishes, so that we may occupy ourselves with it.
τὰ περὶ τῆς ἐγγαστριμύθου, φησίν, ἐξεταζέσθω. §2Ἔνιαι μὲν ἱστορίαι οὐχ ἅπτονται ἡμῶν, ἔνιαι δὲ ἀναγκαῖαι πρὸς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἡμῶν· οὕτω δ’ εἶπον ἱστορίαι, ἐπεὶ οὐδέπω φθάνομεν ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς ἀναγωγῆς, παντὶ τῷ | | εἰδότι ἀνάγειν ἢ ἀκούειν ἀναγομένων χρήσιμα.
"Let the matters concerning the medium," he says, "be examined." Some stories do not touch us, but others are necessary for our hope; and I called them "stories" in this way, since we have not yet reached the matters of spiritual interpretation (anagoge), which are useful for everyone who | | knows how to interpret spiritually or to hear them being spiritually interpreted.
τῶν οὖν τῆς ἱστορίας τινὰ μὲν χρήσιμα πᾶσιν, τινὰ δὲ οὐ πᾶσιν.
Of the things in history, then, some are useful to all, and others not to all.
οἷον, ὡς ἐπὶ παραδείγματος, ἡ ἱστορία ἡ περὶ τοῦ Λὼτ καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων αὐτοῦ εἰ μέν τι κατὰ τὴν ἀναγωγὴν ἔχει χρήσιμον, θεὸς οἶδεν καὶ ᾧ ἂν χαρίσηται τοὺς λόγους ἐκείνους ἐξετάζειν· εἰ δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν, ζητήσαις ἄν· τί γὰρ ὄφελός μοι ἐκ τῆς ἱστορίας τῆς περὶ τοῦ Λὼτ καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων αὐτοῦ; ὁμοίως τί ὄφελός μοι ἁπλῶς λεχθεῖσα ἡ ἱστορία τοῦ Ἰούδα καὶ τῆς Θάμαρ καὶ τῶν κατ’ αὐτήν;
For example, the story concerning Lot and his daughters, if indeed it has something useful according to spiritual interpretation, God knows, and also the one to whom He might grant the grace to examine those words; but if according to the history, you might ask: "For what benefit is there to me from the story concerning Lot and his daughters?" Likewise, what benefit is there to me from the story of Judah and Tamar and the things concerning her, simply told?
ἐπεὶ μέντοιγε ἡ ἱστορία ἡ τὸν Σαοὺλ καὶ τὴν ἐγγαστρίμυθον πάντων ἅπτεται, ἀναγκαία ἀλήθεια κατὰ τὸν λόγον.
Since, however, the story involving Saul and the medium touches everyone, its truth is necessary according to the argument.
τίς γὰρ ἀπαλλαγεὶς τούτου τοῦ βίου θέλει εἶναι ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν δαιμονίου, ἵνα ἀγγαστρίμυθος ἀναγάγῃ οὐ τὸν τυχόντα τῶν πεπιστευκότων, ἀλλὰ Σαμουὴλ τὸν προφήτην;
For who, having been released from this life, wishes to be under the authority of a demon, so that a medium might bring up not just any ordinary believer, but Samuel the prophet?
περὶ οὗ φησιν ὁ θεὸς διὰ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου· οὐδ’ ἂν Μωσῆς καὶ Σαμουὴλ πρὸ προσώπου μου, οὐδὲ τούτων εἰσακούσομαι<, περὶ οὑ φησιν ὕμνοις ὁ προφήτης· »Μωσῆς καὶ Ἀαρὼν ἐν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ Σαμουὴλ ἐν τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ· ἐπεκαλοῦντο τὸν κύριον. καὶ αὐτὸς εἰσήκουεν αὐτῶν, ἐν στύλῳ νεφέλης ἐλάλει πρὸς αὐτούς«, καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· >ἐὰν στῇ Μωσῆς καὶ Σαμουὴλ καὶ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.
Concerning whom God says through Jeremiah: "Not even if Moses and Samuel stood before my face, not even these would I listen to," and concerning whom the prophet says in hymns: "Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who call upon his name; they called upon the Lord, and he listened to them, in a pillar of cloud he spoke to them," and elsewhere: "If Moses and Samuel stand..." and so forth.
ἆρ’ οὖν, εἰ ὁ τηλικοῦτος ὑπὸ τὴν γῆν ἦν ἀνήγαγεν αὐτὸν ἡ ἐγγαστρίμυθος, ἐξουσίαν ἔχει δαιμόνιον ψυχῆς προφητικῆς;
If, therefore, so great a man was under the earth and the medium brought him up, does a demon have authority over a prophetic soul?
τί εἴπωμεν;
What shall we say?
γέγραπται ταῦτα· ἀληθῆ έστιν ἢ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθῆ;
These things are written; are they true or are they not true?
τὸ μὲν μὴ εἶναι ἀληθῆ λέγειν εἰς ἀπιστίαν προτρέπει χωρήσει ἐπὶ κεφαλὰς τῶν λεγόντων). , τὸ δὲ εἶναι ἀληθῆ ζήτησιν καὶ ἐπαπόρησιν ἡμῖν παρέχει.
To say they are not true leads to unbelief (and will fall upon the heads of those who say so), while to say they are true presents us with an inquiry and a difficulty.