1 Samuel 23
1 They told David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.”
Kwathi uDavida esetsheliwe ukuthi, “Khangela, amaFilistiya ahlasela iKheyila njalo aphanga leziza,”
2 So David prayed to Yahweh for help and asked him, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” Yahweh said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
wabuza uThixo, esithi, “Ngingahamba ukuyahlasela amaFilistiya la na?” Uthixo wamphendula wathi, “Hamba uyehlasela amaFilistiya uhlenge iKheyila.”
3 David's men said to him, “See, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”
Kodwa abantu bakaDavida bathi kuye, “Lapha koJuda thina siyesaba. Pho kuzakuba kukhulu kangakanani nxa sizakuyamelana lamabutho amaFilistiya eKheyila!”
4 Then David prayed to Yahweh for help yet again. Yahweh answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will give you victory over the Philistines.”
UDavida waphinda wambuza futhi uThixo, njalo uThixo wamphendula wathi, “Hamba eKheyila, ngoba amaFilistiya ngizawanikela ezandleni zakho.”
5 David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines. He led away their cattle and struck them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
Ngakho uDavida labantu bakhe baya eKheyila, walwa lamaFilistiya wathumba izifuyo zawo. Wabulala amaFilistiya amanengi kakhulu wahlenga abantu baseKheyila.
6 When Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.
(U-Abhiyathari indodana ka-Ahimeleki wayeze lesembatho semahlombe ekubalekeleni kwakhe kuDavida eKheyila.)
7 Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. Saul said, “God has given him into my hand. For he is shut in because he has entered a city that has gates and bars.”
USawuli watshelwa ukuthi uDavida wayeseye eKheyila, ngakho wathi, “UNkulunkulu usemnikele kimi, ngoba uDavida usezifake entolongweni ngokungena edolobheni elilamasango lemigoqo.”
8 Saul summoned all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
USawuli wamemeza amabutho akhe wonke empini ukuba aye eKheyila ukuyavimbezela uDavida labantu bakhe.
9 David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. He said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”
Kwathi uDavida esizwa ukuthi uSawuli wayeceba okubi ngaye, wathi ku-Abhiyathari umphristi, “Letha isembatho samahlombe.”
10 Then David said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, your servant has indeed heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
UDavida wasesithi, “Awu Thixo, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, inceku yakho isizwile impela ukuthi uSawuli uceba ukuza eKheyila achithe idolobho ngenxa yami.
11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Yahweh, the God of Israel, I beg you, please tell your servant.” Yahweh said, “He will come down.”
Abantu baseKheyila banganginikela kuye na? USawuli uzakuza na njengalokhu inceku yakho ekuzwileyo? Awu Thixo Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, itshele inceku yakho.” UThixo wathi, “Uzakuza.”
12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” Yahweh said, “They will surrender you.”
UDavida wabuza njalo wathi, “Abantu baseKheyila bazanginikela labantu bami kuSawuli na?” UThixo wathi, “Bazakunikela.”
13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, got up and went away from Keilah, and they went from place to place. It was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, and he stopped the pursuit.
Ngakho uDavida labantu bakhe, ababengaba ngamakhulu ayisithupha ubunengi babo, basuka eKheyila baqhubeka behamba besuka kwenye indawo baye kwenye. USawuli esezwile ukuthi uDavida wayesebalekile eKheyila kasayanga khona.
14 David stayed in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul looked for him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
UDavida wahlala ezinqabeni zasenkangala lasezintabeni zeNkangala yaseZifi. Nsuku zonke uSawuli wamdinga, kodwa uNkulunkulu kamnikelanga uDavida ezandleni zakhe.
15 David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life; now David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.
Kwathi uDavida eseHoreshi eNkangala yaseZifi, wezwa ukuthi uSawuli wayephumele ukuyambulala.
16 Then Jonathan, Saul's son, got up and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.
Njalo indodana kaSawuli uJonathani waya kuDavida eHoreshi wamsiza ukuba athole amandla kuNkulunkulu.
17 He said to him, “Do not be afraid. For the hand of Saul my father will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be next to you. Saul my father also knows this.”
Wathi kuye, “Ungesabi. Ubaba uSawuli kasoze abeke isandla phezu kwakho. Wena uzakuba yinkosi yako-Israyeli, njalo mina ngizakuba ngumsekeli wakho. Lobaba uSawuli uyakwazi lokhu.”
18 They made a covenant before Yahweh. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
Bobabili benza isivumelwano phambi kukaThixo. Emva kwalokho uJonathani waya ekhaya, kodwa uDavida wasala eHoreshi.
19 Then Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, which is south of Jeshimon?
Abantu baseZifi baya kuSawuli eGibhiya bathi kuye, “Kanti uDavida kacatshanga phakathi kwethu ezinqabeni eHoreshi, entabeni yaseHakhila, eningizimu kweJeshimoni na?
20 Now come down, king! According to your desire, come down! Our part will be to surrender him into the king's hand.”
Ngakho-ke woza Nkosi nxa kukuthokozisa ukwenzanjalo, thina sizakuba yithi esizamnikela enkosini.”
21 Saul said, “May you be blessed by Yahweh. For you have had compassion on me.
USawuli waphendula wathi, “Uthixo alibusise ngokungikhathalela kwenu.
22 Go, make even more sure. Learn and find out where his hiding place is and who has seen him there. It is told to me that he is very crafty.
Hambani liyekwenza amanye amalungiselelo. Dingani ukwazi lapho uDavida ajayele ukuya khona lokuthi ngubani owambonayo khonapho. Bangitshela ukuthi uliqili kakhulu.
23 So look, and learn all of the places where he hides himself. Come back to me with sure information, and then I will return with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”
Funani ukwazi ngazozonke izindawo zokucatsha azisebenzisayo beselibuya kimi lilolwazi oluqinisekileyo. Emva kwalokho ngizahamba lani; nxa ekhona esigabeni, ngizamdinga phakathi kwezizwana zonke zakoJuda.”
24 Then they rose up and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.
Ngakho-ke basuka baya eZifi besandulela uSawuli. Ngalesosikhathi uDavida labantu bakhe babeseNkangala yaseMawoni, e-Arabha eningizimu kweJeshimoni.
25 Saul and his men went to seek him. But David was told of it, so he went down to a rocky hill and lived in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard it, he chased David in the wilderness of Maon.
USawuli labantu bakhe baqalisa ukudinga, njalo kwathi uDavida esetsheliwe ngakho wehlela edwaleni wahlala eNkangala yaseMawoni. Kwathi uSawuli esekuzwile lokhu, waya eNkangala yaseMawoni elandela uDavida.
26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men were going on the other side of the mountain. David hurried to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to take them,
USawuli wayehamba ngakwelinye icele lentaba, uDavida labantu bakhe bengakwelinye icele bephangisa ukuba babalekele uSawuli. Kwathi uSawuli lamabutho akhe sebezamfica uDavida labantu bakhe ukuba babathumbe,
27 a messenger came to Saul and said, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.”
kwafika isithunywa kuSawuli, sisithi, “Woza ngokuphangisa! AmaFilistiya ahlasela ilizwe.”
28 So Saul returned from pursuing David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.
Lapho-ke uSawuli wayekela ukulandela uDavida wasesiyakulwa lamaFilistiya. Yikho-nje indawo le beyibiza ngokuthi Sela Hamalekhothi.
29 David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi.
UDavida wahamba esuka lapho wayahlala ezinqabeni zase-Eni-Gedi.
