1 Samũeli 24
1 Na rĩrĩ, thuutha wa Saũlũ gũcooka kuuma kũingatithia Afilisti, akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ, “Daudi arĩ Werũ-inĩ wa Eni-Gedi.”
When Saul returned from chasing the Philistines, it was reported to him, “David is in the Desert of En-gedi.”
2 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Saũlũ akĩoya andũ ngiri ithatũ arĩa athuure kuuma Isiraeli guothe magĩthiĩ gũcaria Daudi na andũ ake gũkuhĩ na ndwaro cia mahiga kũrĩa gũtũũragwo nĩ Mbũri cia Werũ.
So Saul took three thousand specially-picked men from all Israel and went searching for David and his men in the area around Wild Goats' Rocks.
3 Nake agĩkinya ciugũ-inĩ cia ngʼondu iria ciarĩ njĩra-inĩ; naho nĩ haarĩ na ngurunga, nake Saũlũ agĩtoonya thĩinĩ ageteithie. Daudi na andũ ake maarĩ kũu thĩinĩ mũno, ngurunga-inĩ.
As Saul passed the sheep pens on the way, there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. David and his men were hiding deep inside the cave.
4 Nao andũ a Daudi makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũyũ nĩguo mũthenya ũrĩa Jehova aaririe ũhoro waguo, agĩkwĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩnganeana thũ yaku moko-inĩ maku ũmĩĩke ũrĩa ũkwenda.’” Nake Daudi agĩkuruma atekuonwo, agĩthiĩ agĩtinia gĩcũrĩ kĩa nguo ya Saũlũ.
David's men said to him, “Today's the day the Lord promised you when he told you, ‘Listen, I'm going to hand over your enemy to you, so you can do to him whatever you want.’” Then David crept up quietly and cut a piece from the edge of Saul's robe.
5 Thuutha-inĩ, Daudi akĩigua ngoro ĩkĩmũciirithia nĩ ũndũ wa gũtinia gĩcũrĩ kĩa nguo ya Saũlũ.
But afterwards David felt really bad because he'd cut off a piece of Saul's robe.
6 Akĩĩra andũ ake atĩrĩ, “Jehova arongiria njĩke ũndũ ta ũcio kũrĩ mwathi wakwa, ũcio mũitĩrĩrie maguta wa Jehova, kana ndĩmwĩke ũũru na guoko gwakwa; nĩ ũndũ nĩwe mũitĩrĩrie maguta wa Jehova.”
He told his men, “May the Lord prevent me from doing anything like this to my master, the Lord's anointed one. I will never attack him, for he is the Lord's anointed one.”
7 Aarĩkia kwaria ciugo icio, Daudi agĩkaania andũ ake, na ndaamarekire mookĩrĩre Saũlũ. Nake Saũlũ akiuma ngurunga-inĩ, na agĩĩthiĩra.
He reprimanded his men and didn't allow them to attack Saul. Saul stood up and went on his way.
8 Ningĩ Daudi akiuma ngurunga-inĩ ĩyo, akĩanĩrĩra agĩĩta Saũlũ, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Wee mwathi wakwa, mũthamaki!” Rĩrĩa Saũlũ eehũgũrire, Daudi akĩinamĩrĩra, agĩturumithia ũthiũ thĩ.
A little later David came out of the cave and shouted, “My master the king!” When Saul looked around, David bowed down with his face to the ground.
9 Akĩĩra Saũlũ atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmaga ũthikĩrĩrie andũ rĩrĩa mekuuga atĩrĩ, ‘Daudi nĩeciiragĩria gũgwĩka ũũru’?
“Why do you pay attention to people who say, ‘Watch out, David wants to harm you’?” David asked.
10 Ũmũthĩ nĩweyonera na maitho maku ũrĩa Jehova egũkũneanĩte moko-inĩ makwa kũu ngurunga-inĩ. Kũrĩ andũ amwe maniingĩrĩirie ngũũrage, no ndakũhonokia; ndoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Ndikuoya guoko gwaka njĩke mwathi wakwa ũũru, nĩ ũndũ nĩwe mũitĩrĩrie maguta wa Jehova.’
“Just look! You've seen with your own eyes today that the Lord handed you over to me in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I showed you compassion, and said, ‘I refuse to attack my master, for he is the Lord's anointed one.’
11 Baba, ta kĩone, rora gĩcunjĩ gĩkĩ kĩa nguo yaku, gĩkĩ kĩrĩ guoko-inĩ gwakwa! Ndinirie gĩcunjĩ kĩa nguo yaku, no ndinakũũraga. Rĩu menya na ũkũũrane atĩ niĩ ndirĩ na ihĩtia rĩa gwĩka ũũru kana rĩa ũremi. Niĩ ndikũhĩtĩirie, no wee nĩũranjaria ũnjũrage.
Take a look, my father! You see this piece of your robe I'm holding. Yes, I did I cut it off, but I didn't kill you. Now you can see for yourself and you can be sure that I have done nothing evil or rebellious. I have not sinned against you, but you are hunting me down, trying to kill me.
12 Jehova arotũtuithania ciira niĩ nawe. Na Jehova arondĩhĩria maũru marĩa wee ũnjĩkĩte, no guoko gwakwa gũtigakũhutia.
May the Lord decide between you and me as to who of us is right, and may the Lord punish you, but I myself will never try to harm you.
13 O ta ũrĩa kũrĩ thimo yugaga atĩrĩ, ‘Waganu uumaga o harĩ arĩa aaganu,’ nĩ ũndũ ũcio guoko gwakwa gũtigakũhutia.
As the old saying goes, ‘From the wicked comes wickedness,’ but I myself will never try to harm you.
14 “Mũthamaki wa Isiraeli oimĩte gwake ookĩrĩre ũ? Nũũ ũingatithĩtie? Nĩ ngui nguũ? Kana nĩ thuya?
Who is the king of Israel coming after? Who are you chasing? A dead dog! Just a flea!
15 Jehova arotũtuithania na atue ciira gatagatĩ gaitũ. Aroeciiria ũhoro wakwa na aũrũgamie; arondũĩrĩra na aahonokie kuuma guoko-inĩ gwaku.”
May the Lord decide and choose between you and me. May he pay attention to my case and support it; may he save me from you.”
16 Rĩrĩa Daudi aarĩkirie kuuga ũguo-rĩ, Saũlũ akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Ũcio nĩ mũgambo waku, Daudi mũrũ wakwa?” Nake akĩrĩra aanĩrĩire.
After David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that you speaking, David my son?” and he wept out loud.
17 Akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Wee ũrĩ mũthingu kũngĩra. Nĩũnjĩkĩte wega, no niĩ ngagwĩka ũũru.
He told David, “You are a better person than I am, because you have repaid me with good, but I have repaid you with evil.
18 Nĩwarĩĩkia o rĩu kũnjĩĩra ũndũ mwega ũnjĩkĩte; Jehova nĩekũũneanĩte moko-inĩ maku, no wee ndũnanjũraga.
Today you have demonstrated how well you have treated me—for when the Lord handed me over to you, you didn't kill me.
19 Rĩrĩa mũndũ ona thũ yake-rĩ, nĩarekaga ĩthiĩ atamĩkĩte ũũru? Jehova arogwĩka maũndũ mega nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa ũnjĩkĩte ũmũthĩ.
For if a man caught hold of his enemy, would he let him escape unharmed? The Lord reward you well for how you've treated me today.
20 Nĩnjũũĩ atĩ ti-itherũ nĩũgatuĩka mũthamaki, na atĩ ũthamaki wa Isiraeli nĩũkehaanda moko-inĩ maku.
Listen, I know you definitely will be king, and your rule over the kingdom of Israel will be secure.
21 Rĩu wĩhĩte harĩ niĩ na rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova atĩ ndũkaniina njiaro ciakwa kana rĩĩtwa rĩakwa rĩthire kuuma nyũmba-inĩ ya baba.”
Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not destroy my descendants who follow me, and that you will not wipe out my name from my family line.”
22 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Daudi akĩĩhĩta harĩ Saũlũ. Nake Saũlũ agĩcooka mũciĩ, no Daudi na andũ ake makĩambata magĩthiĩ kĩĩhitho-inĩ.
So David promised this to Saul with an oath. Then Saul went back home, but David and his men returned to the stronghold.
