1 Samũeli 18
1 Thuutha wa Daudi kũrĩĩkia kwaria na Saũlũ, Jonathani akiumĩrania ngoro na Daudi, akĩmwenda o ta ũrĩa eyendete we mwene.
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.
2 Kuuma mũthenya ũcio Saũlũ akĩiga Daudi gwake na ndaarekire acooke kũinũka mũciĩ gwa ithe.
From that day, Saul kept David with him, and did not let him return home.
3 Nake Jonathani akĩgĩa kĩrĩkanĩro na Daudi nĩ ũndũ nĩamwendete o ta ũrĩa eyendete we mwene.
Because Jonathan loved David so much, he made a solemn agreement with David. [They promised each other that they would always be loyal friends].
4 Jonathani akĩruta nguo ĩrĩa ndaaya yake ya igũrũ ĩrĩa eehumbĩte akĩmĩhe Daudi, hamwe na kanjũ yake, na rũhiũ rwake rwa njora, na ũta wake na mũcibi wake.
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.
5 Ũrĩa wothe Saũlũ aatũmaga Daudi ageeke, nĩawĩkaga ũkagaacĩra, nginya Saũlũ akĩmũtua mũrũgamĩrĩri mũnene wa mbũtũ cia ita. Ũndũ ũcio ũgĩkenia andũ othe, na ũgĩkenia anene a Saũlũ o nao.
[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.
6 Rĩrĩa andũ mainũkaga, thuutha wa Daudi kũũraga Mũfilisti ũcio-rĩ, andũ-a-nja makiuma matũũra-inĩ mothe ma Isiraeli makĩinaga na makĩrũgarũgaga, nĩguo magatũnge Mũthamaki Saũlũ marĩ na tũhembe na inanda makĩinaga nyĩmbo cia gĩkeno.
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.
7 Makĩrũgarũgaga, makĩina atĩrĩ: “Saũlũ nĩeyũragĩire andũ ngiri nyingĩ, nake Daudi akeyũragĩra andũ ngiri makũmi maingĩ.”
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].”
8 Saũlũ nĩarakarire mũno; ikũngũiya rĩu rĩkĩmũiguithia ũiru mũno. Agĩĩciiria atĩrĩ, “Marahe Daudi ũhootani wa kũũraga andũ ngiri makũmi maingĩ, no niĩ ngooraga o ngiri nini. Agĩtigĩtie ũndũ ũngĩ ũrĩkũ, tiga kwĩyoera ũthamaki?”
[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]
9 Na kuuma hĩndĩ ĩyo Saũlũ akĩambĩrĩria kũiguĩra Daudi ũiru na kũmwĩkũũa.
From that time, Saul watched David very closely because he was suspicious [that David would try to become king].
10 Mũthenya ũyũ ũngĩ roho mũũru uumĩte kũrĩ Ngai ũgĩũka na hinya mũno igũrũ rĩa Saũlũ. Nake akĩambĩrĩria kwaria ta mũgũrũki arĩ nyũmba yake thĩinĩ, Daudi aahũũraga kĩnanda kĩa mũgeeto, o ta ũrĩa aamenyerete gwĩka. Saũlũ aarĩ na itimũ guoko,
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,
11 nake akĩmũikĩria, eĩĩrĩte atĩrĩ, “Ngũtheecithania Daudi na rũthingo.” Nowe Daudi akĩmweherera maita meerĩ akiuma harĩ we.
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].
12 Saũlũ nĩetigĩrĩte Daudi, nĩ ũndũ Jehova aarĩ hamwe na Daudi, no nĩatiganĩirie Saũlũ.
Because [it became evident that] Yahweh had abandoned Saul but [that] he was helping David, Saul was afraid of David.
13 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio akĩeheria Daudi harĩ we akĩmũtua mũnene wa thigari ngiri, nake Daudi agatongoragia mbũtũ icio kũu ita-inĩ ciao.
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],
14 Ũndũ o wothe ũrĩa ekaga nĩwagaacagĩra, nĩ ũndũ Jehova aarĩ hamwe nake.
he always had great success, because Yahweh was helping him.
15 Rĩrĩa Saũlũ onire ũrĩa Daudi aagacĩire, akĩmwĩtigĩra.
When Saul heard that David [and his soldiers were] very successful, he became more afraid of David.
16 No andũ othe a Isiraeli na Juda nĩmendete Daudi nĩ ũndũ nĩamatongoragia kũu ita-inĩ ciao.
But all the people of Israel and of Judah loved David, because he led the soldiers very successfully [in the battles].
17 Saũlũ akĩĩra Daudi atĩrĩ, “Ũyũ nĩ Merabu, mũirĩtu wakwa ũrĩa mũkũrũ. Nĩwe ngũkũhe ũmũhikie; wee ndungatĩra na ũcamba, na ũhũũrane mbaara cia Jehova.” Nĩ ũndũ Saũlũ eĩĩrire atĩrĩ, “Niĩ ndikũmũũkĩrĩra na guoko gwakwa. Afilisti nĩ meke ũguo arĩ o!”
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.”
18 No Daudi akĩĩra Saũlũ atĩrĩ, “Niĩ ngĩrĩ ũ, nayo nyũmba yakwa kana mũhĩrĩga wa baba thĩinĩ wa Isiraeli, ũkĩrĩ kĩ, atĩ nĩguo niĩ nduĩke mũthoni-we wa mũthamaki?”
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]
19 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio rĩrĩa ihinda rĩakinyire rĩa Merabu, mwarĩ wa Saũlũ kũnengerwo Daudi-rĩ, akĩneanwo ahikio nĩ Adirieli wa Mehola.
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].
20 Na rĩrĩ, Mikali mwarĩ wa Saũlũ nĩendeete Daudi, na rĩrĩa meerire Saũlũ ũhoro ũcio, agĩkena.
But Saul’s other daughter, Michal, fell in love with David. When they told Saul about that, he was pleased.
21 Nake agĩĩciiria atĩrĩ, “Nĩngũmũhe we, nĩguo atuĩke mũtego harĩ we nĩguo guoko kwa Afilisti kũmũũkĩrĩre.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Saũlũ akĩĩra Daudi atĩrĩ, “Rĩu ũrĩ na mweke wa keerĩ wa gũtuĩka mũthoni wakwa.”
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.
22 Ningĩ Saũlũ agĩatha ndungata ciake, agĩciĩra atĩrĩ, “Arĩriai Daudi keheri-inĩ, mũmwĩre atĩrĩ, ‘Atĩrĩrĩ, mũthamaki nĩakenetio nĩwe na ndungata ciake ciothe nĩikwendete; rĩu gĩtuĩke mũthoni-we.’”
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.’”
23 Nao magĩcookera ciugo icio kũrĩ Daudi. No Daudi akiuga atĩrĩ, “Mũgwĩciiria nĩ ũndũ mũnini gũtuĩka mũthoni-we wa mũthamaki? Niĩ ndĩ mũndũ mũthĩĩni na ndiũĩkaine.”
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.”
24 Rĩrĩa ndungata cia Saũlũ ciamwĩrire ũrĩa Daudi oiga-rĩ,
When the servants told Saul what David had said,
25 Saũlũ agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Ĩrai Daudi atĩrĩ, ‘Mũthamaki ndekwenda irĩhi rĩngĩ o rĩothe rĩa rũracio o tiga ikonde cia nyama igana cia Afilisti, nĩguo arĩhĩrio kũrĩ thũ ciake.’” Mũbango wa Saũlũ warĩ atĩ Daudi oragwo nĩ Afilisti.
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].
26 Rĩrĩa ndungata cierire Daudi maũndũ macio-rĩ, Daudi agĩkenio nĩ ũhoro wa gũtuĩka mũthoni-we wa mũthamaki. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mbere ya ihinda rĩrĩa rĩaheanĩtwo rĩtanathira-rĩ,
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,
27 Daudi na andũ ake makiumagara, makĩũraga Afilisti magana meerĩ. Akĩrehe ikonde ciao cia nyama na agĩcineana ciothe kũrĩ mũthamaki nĩgeetha atuĩke mũthoni-we. Saũlũ agĩcooka akĩmũnengera Mikali mũirĩtu wake nĩguo amũhikie.
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.
28 Rĩrĩa Saũlũ aamenyire atĩ Jehova aarĩ hamwe na Daudi, na atĩ mwarĩ Mikali nĩendeete Daudi rĩ,
But when Saul realized that Yahweh was helping David, and that his daughter loved David,
29 Saũlũ agĩkĩrĩrĩria kũmwĩtigĩra, nake agĩtũũra arĩ thũ yake matukũ make marĩa maatigaire.
he became more afraid of David. So, as long as Saul lived, he was David’s enemy.
30 Anene a ita cia Afilisti magĩthiĩ o na mbere mbaara-inĩ, na o rĩrĩa rĩothe meekaga ũguo, Daudi agĩthiĩ na mbere kũgĩa na ũhootani gũkĩra anene acio angĩ a Saũlũ, narĩo rĩĩtwa rĩake rĩkĩmenyeka mũno.
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.
