1 Samuel 18
1 After David finished talking with Saul, [he met Saul’s son, Jonathan.] Jonathan [immediately] liked David; in fact, he began to love/like him as much as he loved/liked himself.
Emva kokuba uDavida eseqedile ukukhuluma loSawuli, uJonathani waba moya munye loDavida, wamthanda njengoba ezithanda yena ngokwakhe.
2 From that day, Saul kept David with him, and did not let him return home.
Kusukela ngalolosuku uSawuli wahlala loDavida akaze amvumela ukubuyela endlini kayise.
3 Because Jonathan loved David so much, he made a solemn agreement with David. [They promised each other that they would always be loyal friends].
Njalo uJonathani wenza isivumelwano loDavida ngoba wayemthanda njengoba ezithanda yena ngokwakhe.
4 Jonathan took off his own outer robe and gave it to David. He also gave David his soldier’s tunic, his sword, his bow [and arrows], and his belt.
UJonathani wakhupha isembatho ayesigqokile wasinika uDavida, lebhatshi lakhe, lenkemba yakhe, idandili lakhe kanye lebhanti lakhe.
5 [David went wherever Saul sent him. And] whatever Saul told him to do, David did it very successfully. As a result, Saul appointed David to be a commander in the army. All the officers and other men in the army (approved of/were very pleased with) that.
Loba kuyini uSawuli amthuma ukuba akwenze, uDavida wakwenza ngokuphumelela uSawuli waze wamnika isikhundla esikhulu ebuthweni. Lokhu kwathokozisa abantu bonke, kanye lezikhulu zikaSawuli.
6 But, when the men in the army were returning home after David had killed Goliath, the women came out from many [HYP] towns in Israel to meet/greet King Saul. They were singing and dancing very joyfully, playing tambourines and lyres.
Kwathi abantu sebebuyela ekhaya emva kokuba uDavida esebulele umFilistiya, abesifazane baphuma kuyo yonke imizi yako-Israyeli bahlangabeza inkosi uSawuli ngokuhlabela lokugida, ngezingoma zokuthokoza lamagedla kanye lemitshingo.
7 As they danced, they sang this song to each other: “Saul has killed 1,000 [enemy soldiers], But David has killed 10,000 [of them].”
Ekugideni kwabo bahlabela besithi: “USawuli ubulele izinkulungwane zakhe, kodwa uDavida ubulele amatshumi ezinkulungwane zakhe.”
8 [When] Saul [heard them singing that, he] did not like it. He became very angry. He said [to himself], “They are saying that David [killed] 10,000 men, but that I [have killed] only 1,000. Soon they will want to make him their king!” [RHQ]
USawuli wazonda kakhulu, amazwi la amthukuthelisa. Wacabanga wathi, “Badumisa uDavida ngamatshumi ezinkulungwane, kodwa mina ngezinkulungwane kuphela nje. Kuyini okunye angakuzuza ngaphandle kombuso na?”
9 From that time, Saul watched David very closely because he was suspicious [that David would try to become king].
Kusukela ngalelolanga kusiya phambili uSawuli wakhangela uDavida ngelihlo elilomhawu.
10 The next day, an evil spirit sent by God suddenly took control of Saul. He began to act like a madman, inside his house. David was playing the lyre for him, as he did every day. Saul was holding a spear in his hand,
Ngelanga elalandelayo umoya omubi wavela kuNkulunkulu wehlela phezu kukaSawuli ngamandla. Wayephrofetha endlini yakhe, lapho uDavida wayetshaya ichacho njengenjwayelo yakhe. USawuli wayephethe umkhonto ngesandla sakhe,
11 and he hurled it [at David], saying to himself, “I will fasten David to the wall with the spear!” He did that two times, but David jumped aside [both times].
wawuphosa esithi, “UDavida ngizambambanisa lomduli.” Kodwa uDavida wavika kwaze kwaba kabili.
12 Because [it became evident that] Yahweh had abandoned Saul but [that] he was helping David, Saul was afraid of David.
USawuli wayemesaba uDavida ngoba uThixo wayeloDavida kodwa esemdelile uSawuli.
13 So he appointed David as a commander of 1,000 soldiers and sent David away from him, [hoping that David would be killed in a battle]. But when David led his soldiers [in their battles],
Ngakho wamsusa uDavida kuye wamenza umlawuli wabantu abayinkulungwane; njalo uDavida wakhokhela amabutho ekuhlaseleni kwawo.
14 he always had great success, because Yahweh was helping him.
Kukho konke akwenzayo waphumelela kakhulu, ngoba uThixo wayelaye.
15 When Saul heard that David [and his soldiers were] very successful, he became more afraid of David.
Kwathi uSawuli ebona ukuphumelela kwakhe, wamesaba.
16 But all the people of Israel and of Judah loved David, because he led the soldiers very successfully [in the battles].
Kodwa wonke u-Israyeli loJuda wamthanda uDavida, ngoba wabakhokhela ekuhlaseleni kwabo.
17 One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my oldest daughter, Merab, to be your wife. I will do that if you serve me bravely by fighting battles for Yahweh [against the Philistines]”. He said that because he thought, “I will not try to get rid of David by myself. I will allow the Philistines to do that.”
USawuli wasesithi kuDavida, “Nansi indodakazi yami endala uMerabi; ngizakwendisela yona ukuba ibe ngumkakho; wena ungisebenzele ngesibindi kuphela njalo ulwe izimpi zikaThixo.” Ngoba uSawuli wakhuluma yedwa wathi, “Kangiyikumphakamisela isandla. AmaFilistiya kawenze lokho!”
18 But David said to Saul, “I am not [RHQ] a very important person, and my family is not very important, and my clan is not a very important Israeli clan. So I do not deserve to become your son-in-law.” [RHQ]
Kodwa uDavida wathi kuSawuli, “Ngingubani mina labendlu yakwethu bayini, loba isizwana sikababa ko-Israyeli, ukuba ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi na?”
19 So, when it was time for Merab to be given to David to become his wife, instead, Saul gave her to a man named Adriel, from Meholah [town].
Kodwa kwathi isikhathi sesifikile esokuba uMerabi, indodakazi kaSawuli, aphiwe uDavida, waphiwa u-Adiriyeli waseMehola ukuba abe ngumkakhe.
20 But Saul’s other daughter, Michal, fell in love with David. When they told Saul about that, he was pleased.
Ngalesosikhathi uMikhali, indodakazi kaSawuli, wayemthanda uDavida, njalo kwathi uSawuli bemtshela ngakho, wathaba.
21 He thought, “I will let Michal marry him, in order that she may trap him, and the Philistines will be able to kill him.” So he said to David, [“You can marry Michal],” and by saying that, he indicated for the second time that David would become his son-in-law.
Wacabanga wathi, “Ngizamnika yena ukuba abe ngumjibila kuye lokuze isandla samaFilistiya simelane laye.” Ngakho uSawuli wathi kuDavida, “Khathesi usulethuba lesibili lokuba ngumkhwenyana wami.”
22 Saul told his servants, “Talk to David privately, and say to him, ‘Listen, the king is pleased with you, and all of us his servants love you. So now [we think that] you should [marry Michal and] become the king’s son-in-law.’”
USawuli walaya inceku zakhe wathi, “Khulumani loDavida ngasese lithi, ‘Khangela, inkosi iyathokoza ngawe, lenceku zayo zonke ziyakuthanda; ngakho woba ngumkhwenyana wayo.’”
23 So they told that to David. But David said, “It would be a great honor [RHQ] to become the king’s son-in-law. But [I do not think that I should do that, because] I am only a poor and insignificant man.”
Zawatsho amazwi la kuDavida kodwa uDavida wathi, “Licabanga ukuthi kuyinto encane ukuba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi na? Mina ngingumuntukazana njalo ongeladumo.”
24 When the servants told Saul what David had said,
Kwathi izinceku zikaSawuli sezimtshelile okwakutshiwo nguDavida,
25 Saul replied, “Go and say to David, ‘[In order for] the king [to allow you to marry Michal, he] wants [you to kill] 100 Philistines [and cut off] their foreskins [and bring the foreskins to him to prove that you have killed them]. In that way he will get revenge on his enemies.’” But what Saul wanted was that the Philistines would kill David [while David was trying to kill them].
uSawuli waphendula wathi, “Alibokuthi kuDavida, ‘Inkosi kayifuni enye inhlawulo yamalobolo ngaphandle kwamajwabu ezitho zangaphambili zamaFilistiya alikhulu, ukuba iphindisele ezitheni zayo.’” Icebo likaSawuli lalingelokuthi uDavida afe ebulawa ngamaFilistiya.
26 When the servants told that to David, he was very pleased that he could become the king’s son-in-law [by doing that. The king had said how many days he would allow for David to do that]. But before that time ended,
Kwathi inceku sezimtshelile uDavida izinto lezi, wathokoza ukuba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. Ngakho kwathi isikhathi esasibekiwe singakedluli,
27 David and his men went and killed, [not 100, but] 200 Philistines! He brought their foreskins to Saul, and counted them [while Saul was watching], in order to prove that he had [done what the king required so that he could become Saul’s son-in-law. So then Saul was obligated] to allow David to marry his daughter Michal.
uDavida labantu bakhe basuka bayabulala amaFilistiya angamakhulu amabili. Weza lamajwabu emiphambili yawo waqhubela inkosi inani elipheleleyo ukuze abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. USawuli wamendisela-ke indodakazi yakhe uMikhali ukuba ngumkakhe.
28 But when Saul realized that Yahweh was helping David, and that his daughter loved David,
Kwathi uSawuli ebona ukuthi uThixo wayeloDavida kanye lokuthi indodakazi yakhe, uMikhali, yayimthanda uDavida,
29 he became more afraid of David. So, as long as Saul lived, he was David’s enemy.
uSawuli wabuye wamesaba kakhulu, njalo waba yisitha sakhe impilo yakhe yonke.
30 The Philistine armies repeatedly came to fight the Israelis, but every time they fought, David and his soldiers were more successful than any of Saul’s other army commanders. As a result, David became very famous.
Abalawuli bamaFilistiya baqhubeka besiyakulwa izimpi, njalo izikhathi zonke bephuma, uDavida waba lokuphumelela okwedlula ezinye izikhulu zikaSawuli, lebizo lakhe laba lodumo.
