1 Samuel 27
1 David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”
UDavida wasesithi enhliziyweni yakhe: Sengizabhubha ngolunye usuku ngesandla sikaSawuli. Kakulalutho olungcono kimi ngaphandle kokuphepha lokuphepha ngiye elizweni lamaFilisti, loSawuli uzadela ngami ukungidinga futhi kuwo wonke umngcele wakoIsrayeli; ngokunjalo ngiphephe esandleni sakhe.
2 So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.
Wasesukuma uDavida wachapha, yena labantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha ayelabo, waya kuAkishi indodana kaMahoki, inkosi yeGathi.
3 David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.
UDavida wasehlala loAkishi eGathi, yena labantu bakhe, ngulowo lalowo lendlu yakhe; uDavida labomkakhe bobabili, uAhinowama umJizereyelikazi loAbigayili umKharmelikazi umkaNabali.
4 And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
Kwathi kubikwa kuSawuli ukuthi uDavida ubalekele eGathi, kabe esamdinga futhi.
5 Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be assigned a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”
UDavida wasesithi kuAkishi: Uba khathesi ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, kabangiphe indawo komunye wemizi emaphandleni ukuthi ngihlale khona; ngoba inceku yakho izahlalelani lawe emzini wenkosi?
6 That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah.
UAkishi wasemnika iZikilagi ngalolosuku. Ngakho iZikilagi ingeyamakhosi akoJuda kuze kube lamuhla.
7 And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.
Lenani lensuku uDavida azihlala elizweni lamaFilisti lalingumnyaka lenyanga ezine.
8 Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Shur and Egypt.)
UDavida labantu bakhe basebesenyuka bahlasela amaGeshuri lamaGirizi, lamaAmaleki, ngoba lawo ayengabahlali balelolizwe kwasendulo, lapho usiya eShuri, njalo kuze kube selizweni leGibhithe.
9 Whenever David attacked a territory, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but he took the flocks and herds, the donkeys, camels, and clothing. Then he would return to Achish,
UDavida waselitshaya ilizwe, kazatshiya ophilayo, owesilisa lowesifazana, wathatha izimvu lenkomo labobabhemi lamakamela lezigqoko, wabuyela wafika kuAkishi.
10 who would ask him, “What have you raided today?” And David would reply, “The Negev of Judah,” or “The Negev of Jerahmeel,” or “The Negev of the Kenites.”
Lapho uAkishi esithi: Belihlasela ngaphi lamuhla? UDavida wayesithi: Ngaseningizimu yakoJuda, langaseningizimu yamaJerameli, langaseningizimu yamaKeni.
11 David did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Otherwise they will report us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” And this was David’s custom the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.
UDavida katshiyanga owesilisa kumbe owesifazana ophilayo, ukuletha ilizwi eGathi, esithi: Hlezi bakhulume ngathi, besithi: Wenze njalo uDavida. Wawunjalo-ke umkhuba wakhe zonke izinsuku azihlala elizweni lamaFilisti.
12 So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”
UAkishi wasemkholwa uDavida esithi: Uzenze waba levumba kakhulu ebantwini bakibo koIsrayeli. Ngakho uzakuba yinceku yami kuze kube nininini.
