< 1 Samuel 24 >
1 Bangʼ ka Saulo nosea lawo jo-Filistia, nowachne niya, “Daudi nitie e Thim En Gedi.”
After Saul [and his soldiers] returned [home] after fighting against the Philistia army, someone reported to Saul that David [and his men] had gone into the desert near En-Gedi.
2 Omiyo Saulo nokawo ji alufu adek; ji moyier kowuok e Israel duto, eka noikore mowuok kodhi dwaro Daudi gi joge but Rogo ma Nyakech pondoe.
[When] Saul [heard that, he] chose 3,000 men from various areas in Israel, and they went to search for David and his men at a place named Rocks of Wild Goats.
3 Nobiro e abila mar rombe man but yo; to kanyo ne nitie rogo, to Saulo nodonjo e rogono mondo olosre. Daudi gi joge bende ne osedonjo ei rogono.
At a place where the road was alongside some sheep pens, Saul [left the road and] entered a cave to defecate [EUP]. [He did not know that] David and his men were hiding further inside that same cave!
4 Jogo nowacho niya, “Ma e odiechiengʼ ma Jehova Nyasaye nowuoyo kuome kowacho ni, ‘Abiro keto jowasiki e lweti mondo itimne kaka idwaro!’” Eka Daudi nosudo lingʼ-lingʼ mongʼado riak law Saulo.
David’s men [saw Saul and] whispered to David, “Today is the day that Yahweh spoke about when he said, ‘I will enable you to defeat your enemy.’ You can do to him whatever you want to!” So David crept toward the entrance of the cave and [with his knife] he cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
5 Bangʼe chuny Daudi nochandore nikech nosengʼado riak law Saulo.
[And then he returned to his men]. But then David felt guilty for having cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
6 Nowachone joge niya, “Jehova Nyasaye ok oyie mondo atim gima kamano ni ruodha, ngʼat Jehova Nyasaye mowir, kata tingʼo lweta mondo ahinye; nikech en ngʼat mowir ma Jehova Nyasaye oyiero.”
He said to his men, “I should not have done that to the king! I hope/desire that Yahweh will never allow me to attack the one whom God has appointed, because Yahweh is the one who chose him [to be the king].”
7 Kamano Daudi nokwero joge kendo ne ok oyienegi mondo gitug dhawo gi Saulo. Omiyo Saulo nowuok e rogo modhi e yore.
By saying that, David restrained his men, and did not allow them to kill Saul.
8 Eka Daudi nowuok oko mar rogo mi oluongo Saulo, “Ruodha ma ruoth!” Kane Saulo ongʼiyo chien, Daudi nokulore piny monindo auma ka wangʼe ochiko piny.
After Saul left the cave and started to walk on the road again, David came out of the cave and shouted to Saul, “King Saul!” Saul turned around and looked, and David bowed down with his face touching the ground.
9 Nowachone Saulo niya, “Angʼo momiyo ichiko iti ka ji wachoni ni, ‘Daudi dwaro hinyi’?
Then he said to Saul, “(Why do you pay attention to people when they say ‘David wants to harm you’?/You should not pay attention to people when they say ‘David wants to harm you’.) [RHQ]
10 Kawuononi iseneno gi wangʼi kaka Jehova Nyasaye ne oketi e lweta ei rogo. Jomoko ne owachona ni anegi, to ne aweyi; mi awacho ni, ‘Ok natingʼ lweta mar hinyo ruodha nikech en ngʼat Jehova Nyasaye mowir.’
Today you can see with your own eyes that [what they say is not true]. Yahweh put you in a place where my men and I could have killed you when you were in this cave. Some of my men told me that I should do that, but I did not do that. I said to them, ‘I will not harm my master, because he is the king whom Yahweh appointed.’
11 Ne, wuora, ngʼi ine riak lawi ma an-go e lweta! Ne angʼade e riak lawi to ne ok anegi. Sani koro inyalo neno kendo fwenyo ni aonge gi paro mar timoni marach kata ngʼanyoni. Pok akethoni to in to ilawa mondo inega.
Your majesty, look at this piece of your robe that is in my hand! I cut it from your robe, but I did not kill you. So now you should be able to understand that I am not planning to do anything evil to you. I have not done anything wrong to you, but you are searching for me to kill me.
12 Mad Jehova Nyasaye ngʼad bura e kinda kodi. Mad Jehova Nyasaye chul kuor kuom gik maricho misetimona, an to lweta ok nomuli.
I hope/desire that Yahweh will judge and decide which of us ([is doing what is right/pleases him]). And I hope/desire that he will punish you for the wrong things that you have done to me. But I will not try to harm you.
13 Mana kaka ngero machon wacho ni, ‘Joma timo timbe maricho ema timbe maricho wuok kuomgi’ omiyo ok abi keto lweta kuomi.
There is a proverb that has the words, ‘Evil things are done by evil people.’ But [I am not evil, so] I will not do evil things to you.
14 “En ngʼama ruodh Israel dwaro mondo onegi? Ilawo ngʼa? Guok motho koso kikun?
“You are the king of Israel. So (why are you pursuing me?/you should not be pursuing me.) [RHQ] I am [as harmless as] [MET] a dead dog or a flea.
15 Mad Jehova Nyasaye bed jangʼad buchwa mondo opog wach e kindwa. Mad onon wach makare kendo otingʼa malo; mad ochwaka kendo oresa e lweti.”
I hope/desire that Yahweh will judge which of us [is doing what (he wants/is right)]. I trust that he will [act like a lawyer and] judge (my case/what I have done), and that he will rescue me from your power [MTY].”
16 Kane Daudi otieko wuoyo, Saulo nopenjo niya, “Mano en dwondi Daudi wuoda?” Eka noywak matek.
When David finished speaking, Saul [called out to him and] asked, “My son David, is that your voice [that I am hearing]?” Then he began to cry loudly.
17 Eka nowachone Daudi niya, “In ngʼama kare maloya. Isetimona maber, an to asetimoni marach.
He said, “You are a better man than I am. You have done something very good to me when I tried to do something very bad to you.
18 Koroni eka isewachona tim maber misetimona; Jehova Nyasaye noketa e lweti to ne ok inega.
When Yahweh put me in a place [in that cave] where you could have easily killed me, you did not do that.
19 Ka ngʼato onwangʼo jasike, bende oweye odhi ma ok ohinye? Mad Jehova Nyasaye chuli mathoth kuom gima itimona kawuononi.
(Who else would/No one else would) find his enemy and allow his enemy to escape [when he could kill him instead] [RHQ]. I hope/desire that Yahweh will reward you for being kindly to me today.
20 Angʼeyo ni adieri ibiro bet ruoth kendo pinyruodh Israel nodhi nyime maber e bwo lochni.
I know that [some day] you will surely become the king, and that your kingdom will prosper as you rule the Israeli people.
21 Koro singrina gi nying Jehova Nyasaye ni ok ningʼad nyikwaya kata rucho nyinga oko e od wuora.”
Now while Yahweh is listening, solemnly promise to me that you will not kill my family and get rid of all my descendants.”
22 Omiyo Daudi nosingore ne Saulo. Eka Saulo nodok dala, to Daudi gi joge nodhi e kargi mar pondo.
David solemnly promised Saul that he would not [harm Saul’s family]. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went back up into the place where they had been hiding.