1 Samũeli 23
1 Na rĩrĩ, Daudi akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ, “Atĩrĩrĩ, Afilisti nĩmararũa na itũũra rĩa Keila, na magatunyana ngano ĩrĩa ĩrĩ mahuhĩro-inĩ.”
One day someone told David, “You need to know that the Philistia army is attacking Keilah [town] and they are stealing grain from where men are threshing it.”
2 Nake agĩtuĩria ũhoro harĩ Jehova, akĩũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩnjagĩrĩirwo nĩgũthiĩ gũtharĩkĩra Afilisti acio?” Nake Jehova akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Thiĩ ũgatharĩkĩre Afilisti nĩguo ũhonokie Keila.”
David asked Yahweh, “Should my men and I go to fight against those men from the Philistia people-group?” Yahweh answered, “Yes, go. Attack them, and rescue the people of Keilah.”
3 No andũ a Daudi makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Gũkũ Juda nĩtũretigĩra. Githĩ tũtigũgĩĩtigĩra makĩria twathiĩ Keila tũkarũe na mbũtũ cia Afilisti!”
But David’s men said to him, “We are afraid [that Saul will attack us] here in Judah. We will be more afraid if we go to Keilah where the Philistia army is!”
4 O rĩngĩ Daudi agĩtuĩria ũhoro harĩ Jehova, nake Jehova akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Ikũrũka ũthiĩ Keila, nĩ ũndũ nĩngũneana Afilisti guoko-inĩ gwaku.”
So David asked Yahweh again [if they should go to Keilah]. Yahweh answered, “Yes, go down to Keilah. I will help you to defeat the men of the Philistia people-group.”
5 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Daudi na andũ ake magĩthiĩ Keila, makĩrũa na Afilisti, na makĩmataha mahiũ mao. Akĩrehera Afilisti hathara nene, na akĩhonokia andũ a Keila.
So David and his men went to Keilah. They fought against the men of the Philistia people-group and captured many of their cattle. David and his men killed many of the Philistia men and rescued the people of Keilah.
6 (Na rĩrĩ, Abiatharu mũrũ wa Ahimeleku nĩokĩte akuuĩte ebodi rĩrĩa aikũrũkire, akĩũrĩra kũrĩ Daudi kũu Keila.)
Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to be with David at Keilah, and he brought the sacred vest with him [to use it to determine what God wanted to be done].
7 Saũlũ akĩĩrwo atĩ Daudi nĩathiĩte Keila, nake akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ngai nĩamũneanĩte kũrĩ niĩ, nĩgũkorwo Daudi nĩehingĩrĩirie na ũndũ wa gũtoonya itũũra rĩrĩ na ihingo na mĩgĩĩko.”
Soon Saul found out that David was at Keilah. So he said, “That is good! God is enabling me to capture him! He has trapped himself in that town, because it has high walls with gates around it.”
8 Nake Saũlũ agĩĩta mbũtũ ciake ciothe mathiĩ mbaara, nĩguo maikũrũke Keila makahingĩrĩrie Daudi na andũ ake.
So Saul summoned his army, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.
9 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa Daudi aamenyire atĩ Saũlũ nĩaciirĩire kũmwĩka ũũru-rĩ, akĩĩra Abiatharu mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai atĩrĩ, “Rehe ebodi ĩyo.”
But David found out that Saul was planning [for his army] to attack him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring [here] the sacred vest.”
10 Daudi akiuga atĩrĩ, “Wee Jehova, Ngai wa Isiraeli, ndungata yaku nĩ ĩiguĩte hatarĩ nganja atĩ Saũlũ nĩarooka Keila aniine itũũra rĩĩrĩ nĩ ũndũ wakwa.
[So when Abiathar brought it, ] David prayed, “Yahweh, God of us Israelis, I have heard that Saul is planning to come here [with his army] and destroy Keilah because I am here.
11 Hihi aikari a Keila nĩmekũũneana kũrĩ we? Hihi Saũlũ nĩegũikũrũka gũkũ, ta ũrĩa ndungata yaku ĩiguĩte? Wee Jehova, Ngai wa Isiraeli, menyithia ndungata yaku ũhoro.” Nake Jehova akiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩegũikũrũka.”
Will Saul come down [here to Keilah], as people reported to me? Will the leaders of Keilah enable Saul to capture me? Yahweh, God of us Israelis, please tell me!” Yahweh answered, “Yes, Saul will come down.”
12 O rĩngĩ Daudi akĩũria atĩrĩ, “Hihi aikari a Keila nĩmekũneana, niĩ na andũ akwa, kũrĩ Saũlũ?” Nake Jehova akiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩmegũkũneana.”
Then David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah enable Saul’s army to capture me and my men [if we stay here]?” [By means of the stones in the sacred vest], Yahweh replied, “Yes, they will.”
13 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Daudi na andũ ake, andũ ta magana matandatũ, makiuma Keila, na magĩikara magĩcangacangaga kũndũ na kũndũ. Rĩrĩa Saũlũ eerirwo atĩ Daudi nĩorĩte akoima Keila, agĩtiga gũthiĩ kuo.
So David and his 600 men left Keilah. They continued to move from one place to another, [wherever they thought that Saul would not find them]. And when Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
14 Nake Daudi agĩikara ciĩhitho cia werũ-inĩ na irĩma-inĩ cia Werũ wa Zifu. O mũthenya Saũlũ nĩamũcaragia, no Ngai ndaaneanire Daudi moko-inĩ make.
David and his men stayed in hiding places in the desert and in the hills of Ziph Desert. Every day Saul [sent men to] search for David, but Yahweh did not allow them to capture David.
15 Rĩrĩa Daudi aarĩ Horeshu kũu Werũ wa Zifu, akĩmenya atĩ Saũlũ okĩte nĩguo amũũrage.
While David and his men were at [a place named] Horesh in Ziph desert, he found out that Saul was coming there to kill him.
16 Nake Jonathani mũrũ wa Saũlũ agĩthiĩ kũrĩ Daudi kũu Horeshu na akĩmũteithia kwĩyũmĩrĩria thĩinĩ wa Ngai.
But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him to continue to trust [God].
17 Nake akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Tiga gwĩtigĩra, Baba Saũlũ ndagakũhutia na guoko gwake. Wee nĩũgathamakĩra Isiraeli, na niĩ nduĩke mũnini waku. O na Baba Saũlũ, nĩoĩ ũguo.”
Jonathan told him, “Do not be afraid, because my father will not be able to harm [IDM] you. [Some day] you will be the king of Israel, and I will be the second [most important man in Israel]. My father Saul also knows that.”
18 Nao eerĩ makĩgĩa kĩrĩkanĩro mbere ya Jehova. Thuutha ũcio Jonathani akĩinũka, no Daudi agĩtigwo kũu Horeshu.
Then the two of them repeated their solemn promise that Yahweh [had heard them make previously, that they would always be loyal to each other]. Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.
19 Nao andũ a Azifu makĩambata magĩthiĩ kũrĩ Saũlũ kũu Gibea makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Githĩ Daudi ndehithĩte gatagatĩ-inĩ gaitũ ciĩhitho-inĩ cia gũkũ Horeshu, kĩrĩma-igũrũ kĩa Hakila, mwena wa gũthini wa Jeshimoni?
Some people from Ziph went to Saul when he was at Gibeah, and they told him, “David [and his men] are hiding in our land [RHQ]! They are hiding in places at Horesh on Hakilah Hill, south of [a place named] Jeshimon.
20 Na rĩrĩ, wee mũthamaki, ikũrũka ũũke o rĩrĩa rĩothe ũngĩenda gũũka, na ithuĩ nĩ igũrũ riitũ kũmũneana kũrĩ mũthamaki.”
So, O king, come down there any time that you want to. It is our duty to capture him and turn him over to you.”
21 Saũlũ akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Jehova aromũrathima nĩ ũndũ wa kwĩĩnjiiria.
Saul replied, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will bless you [for telling that to me].
22 Thiĩi mũkehaarĩrie makĩria. Tuĩriai nĩ kũ Daudi amenyerete gũthiiaga, na nũũ ũmuonete kuo. Njĩrĩĩtwo atĩ nĩ mũndũ mwara mũno.
Go back and find out more about him. Find out exactly where he is staying, and find out who has seen him there. People tell me that he is very clever, [so we need to be clever also to be able to capture him].
23 Tuĩriai ũhoro wa kũrĩa guothe ehithaga na mũndehere ũhoro mũkinyanĩru. Na niĩ nĩngũcooka thiĩ na inyuĩ; angĩkorwo arĩ kũndũ gũkũ-rĩ, nĩngamũcaria mĩhĩrĩga-inĩ yothe ya Juda.”
Find out all the places where he and his men hide. Then come back and tell me everything that you have found out. Then I will [take my army and] go there with you. If David is in any of the clans/caves of Judah, we will search for him [and find him]!”
24 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio makiumagara magĩthiĩ kũu Zifu, magĩkinya mbere ya Saũlũ. Na rĩrĩ, Daudi na andũ ake maarĩ kũu Werũ-inĩ wa Maoni, kũu Araba mwena wa gũthini wa Jeshimoni.
So those people went back to Ziph before Saul went there. At that time David and his men were in Maon Desert, south of Jeshimon.
25 Nake Saũlũ na andũ ake makĩambĩrĩria kũmacaria, na rĩrĩa Daudi eerirwo ũhoro ũcio, agĩikũrũka agĩthiĩ rwaro-inĩ rwa ihiga, agĩikara kũu Werũ-inĩ wa Maoni. Rĩrĩa Saũlũ aiguire ũhoro ũcio-rĩ, o nake agĩthiĩ kũu Werũ-inĩ wa Maoni aingatithĩtie Daudi na ihenya.
Saul and his soldiers went to search for David, but David heard about that. So he and his men went further [south] to a rocky hill/peak in the Maon Desert. When Saul heard about that, he and his men followed David and his men to the Maon Desert.
26 Saũlũ aagerete mwena ũmwe wa kĩrĩma, nake Daudi na andũ ake makagerera mwena ũrĩa ũngĩ, mahiũhĩte nĩguo morĩre Saũlũ. Na rĩrĩa Saũlũ na thigari ciake maakuhagĩrĩria Daudi na andũ ake nĩguo mamanyiite-rĩ,
Saul and his soldiers were walking along one side of the hill/peak, and David and his men were on the other side. David and his men were hurrying to escape from Saul’s soldiers, because Saul and his soldiers were coming much closer.
27 hagĩũka mũndũ watũmĩtwo kũrĩ Saũlũ, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũka na ihenya! Afilisti nĩmatharĩkĩire bũrũri.”
But then a messenger came to Saul and said to him, “Come quickly! The Philistia army is attacking the people in our land!”
28 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Saũlũ agĩtiga kũrũmĩrĩra Daudi, agĩthiĩ agacemanie na Afilisti. Nĩkĩo metaga handũ hau Sela-Hamalekothu.
So Saul stopped pursuing David, and he [and his soldiers] went to fight against the Philistia army. That is the reason that people call that place ‘Escape Rock’.
29 Nake Daudi akĩambata akiuma kũu agĩthiĩ gũtũũra ciĩhitho-inĩ cia Eni-Gedi.
David and his men also left the Maon Desert and went to places to hide safely at En-Gedi.
