OET interlinear 1SA 26:18

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

וַ⁠יֹּ֕אמֶר

and=he/it_said

The pronoun he refers to David. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: [And David said]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

לָ֥⁠מָּה זֶּ֛ה אֲדֹנִ֥⁠י רֹדֵ֖ף אַחֲרֵ֣י עַבְדּ֑⁠וֹ כִּ֚י מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֔יתִי וּ⁠מַה־בְּ⁠יָדִ֖⁠י רָעָֽה

to/for=what this my=master pursuing after servant_of,his that/for/because/then/when what? done and,what in/on/at/with,hand_of,my evil

David is using the question form for emphasis. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: [My master should not be pursuing after his servant! For I have done nothing wrong, and no evil is in my hand.]

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

לָ֥⁠מָּה זֶּ֛ה אֲדֹנִ֥⁠י רֹדֵ֖ף אַחֲרֵ֣י עַבְדּ֑⁠וֹ כִּ֚י מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֔יתִי וּ⁠מַה־בְּ⁠יָדִ֖⁠י רָעָֽה

to/for=what this my=master pursuing after servant_of,his that/for/because/then/when what? done and,what in/on/at/with,hand_of,my evil

If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases, since the second phrase gives the reason for the result that the first phrase describes. Alternate translation: [What have I done, and what evil is in my hand? So why is this, my master pursuing after his servant?] or [I have done nothing wrong, and no evil is in my hand. So my master should not be pursuing after his servant!]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

אֲדֹנִ֥⁠י רֹדֵ֖ף אַחֲרֵ֣י עַבְדּ֑⁠וֹ

my=master pursuing after servant_of,his

David is addressing Saul respectfully in the third person and speaking about himself humbly in the third person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this in the first person. Alternate translation: [you, my master, pursuing after me, your servant]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֔יתִי וּ⁠מַה־בְּ⁠יָדִ֖⁠י רָעָֽה

what? done and,what in/on/at/with,hand_of,my evil

David is using one part of himself, his hand, to mean all of him in the act of potentially doing evil. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [what have I done, and what evil have I committed]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֔יתִי וּ⁠מַה־בְּ⁠יָדִ֖⁠י רָעָֽה

what? done and,what in/on/at/with,hand_of,my evil

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of evil, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [what have I done, and what evil action have I committed]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֔יתִי וּ⁠מַה־בְּ⁠יָדִ֖⁠י רָעָֽה

what? done and,what in/on/at/with,hand_of,my evil

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. If it would be clearer in your language, you could combine them. Alternate translation: [what wrong have I done]