1 Samũeli 24
1 Na rĩrĩ, thuutha wa Saũlũ gũcooka kuuma kũingatithia Afilisti, akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ, “Daudi arĩ Werũ-inĩ wa Eni-Gedi.”
After Saul [and his soldiers] returned [home] after fighting against the Philistia army, someone reported to Saul that David [and his men] had gone into the desert near 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.
[When] Saul [heard that, he] chose 3,000 men from various areas in Israel, and they went to search for David and his men at a place named Rocks of Wild Goats.
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.
At a place where the road was alongside some sheep pens, Saul [left the road and] entered a cave to defecate [EUP]. [He did not know that] David and his men were hiding further inside that same 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 [saw Saul and] whispered to David, “Today is the day that Yahweh spoke about when he said, ‘I will enable you to defeat your enemy.’ You can do to him whatever you want to!” So David crept toward the entrance of the cave and [with his knife] he cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
5 Thuutha-inĩ, Daudi akĩigua ngoro ĩkĩmũciirithia nĩ ũndũ wa gũtinia gĩcũrĩ kĩa nguo ya Saũlũ.
[And then he returned to his men]. But then David felt guilty for having 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 said to his men, “I should not have done that to the king! I hope/desire that Yahweh will never allow me to attack the one whom God has appointed, because Yahweh is the one who chose him [to be the king].”
7 Aarĩkia kwaria ciugo icio, Daudi agĩkaania andũ ake, na ndaamarekire mookĩrĩre Saũlũ. Nake Saũlũ akiuma ngurunga-inĩ, na agĩĩthiĩra.
By saying that, David restrained his men, and did not allow them to kill Saul.
8 Ningĩ Daudi akiuma ngurunga-inĩ ĩyo, akĩanĩrĩra agĩĩta Saũlũ, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Wee mwathi wakwa, mũthamaki!” Rĩrĩa Saũlũ eehũgũrire, Daudi akĩinamĩrĩra, agĩturumithia ũthiũ thĩ.
After Saul left the cave and started to walk on the road again, David came out of the cave and shouted to Saul, “King Saul!” Saul turned around and looked, and David bowed down with his face touching the ground.
9 Akĩĩra Saũlũ atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmaga ũthikĩrĩrie andũ rĩrĩa mekuuga atĩrĩ, ‘Daudi nĩeciiragĩria gũgwĩka ũũru’?
Then he said to Saul, “(Why do you pay attention to people when they say ‘David wants to harm you’?/You should not pay attention to people when they say ‘David wants to harm you’.) [RHQ]
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.’
Today you can see with your own eyes that [what they say is not true]. Yahweh put you in a place where my men and I could have killed you when you were in this cave. Some of my men told me that I should do that, but I did not do that. I said to them, ‘I will not harm my master, because he is the king whom Yahweh appointed.’
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.
Your majesty, look at this piece of your robe that is in my hand! I cut it from your robe, but I did not kill you. So now you should be able to understand that I am not planning to do anything evil to you. I have not done anything wrong to you, but you are searching for me to kill me.
12 Jehova arotũtuithania ciira niĩ nawe. Na Jehova arondĩhĩria maũru marĩa wee ũnjĩkĩte, no guoko gwakwa gũtigakũhutia.
I hope/desire that Yahweh will judge and decide which of us ([is doing what is right/pleases him]). And I hope/desire that he will punish you for the wrong things that you have done to me. But I will not try to harm you.
13 O ta ũrĩa kũrĩ thimo yugaga atĩrĩ, ‘Waganu uumaga o harĩ arĩa aaganu,’ nĩ ũndũ ũcio guoko gwakwa gũtigakũhutia.
There is a proverb that has the words, ‘Evil things are done by evil people.’ But [I am not evil, so] I will not do evil things to you.
14 “Mũthamaki wa Isiraeli oimĩte gwake ookĩrĩre ũ? Nũũ ũingatithĩtie? Nĩ ngui nguũ? Kana nĩ thuya?
“You are the king of Israel. So (why are you pursuing me?/you should not be pursuing me.) [RHQ] I am [as harmless as] [MET] a dead dog or a flea.
15 Jehova arotũtuithania na atue ciira gatagatĩ gaitũ. Aroeciiria ũhoro wakwa na aũrũgamie; arondũĩrĩra na aahonokie kuuma guoko-inĩ gwaku.”
I hope/desire that Yahweh will judge which of us [is doing what (he wants/is right)]. I trust that he will [act like a lawyer and] judge (my case/what I have done), and that he will rescue me from your power [MTY].”
16 Rĩrĩa Daudi aarĩkirie kuuga ũguo-rĩ, Saũlũ akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Ũcio nĩ mũgambo waku, Daudi mũrũ wakwa?” Nake akĩrĩra aanĩrĩire.
When David finished speaking, Saul [called out to him and] asked, “My son David, is that your voice [that I am hearing]?” Then he began to cry loudly.
17 Akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Wee ũrĩ mũthingu kũngĩra. Nĩũnjĩkĩte wega, no niĩ ngagwĩka ũũru.
He said, “You are a better man than I am. You have done something very good to me when I tried to do something very bad to you.
18 Nĩwarĩĩkia o rĩu kũnjĩĩra ũndũ mwega ũnjĩkĩte; Jehova nĩekũũneanĩte moko-inĩ maku, no wee ndũnanjũraga.
When Yahweh put me in a place [in that cave] where you could have easily killed me, you did not do that.
19 Rĩrĩa mũndũ ona thũ yake-rĩ, nĩarekaga ĩthiĩ atamĩkĩte ũũru? Jehova arogwĩka maũndũ mega nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa ũnjĩkĩte ũmũthĩ.
(Who else would/No one else would) find his enemy and allow his enemy to escape [when he could kill him instead] [RHQ]. I hope/desire that Yahweh will reward you for being kindly to me today.
20 Nĩnjũũĩ atĩ ti-itherũ nĩũgatuĩka mũthamaki, na atĩ ũthamaki wa Isiraeli nĩũkehaanda moko-inĩ maku.
I know that [some day] you will surely become the king, and that your kingdom will prosper as you rule the Israeli people.
21 Rĩu wĩhĩte harĩ niĩ na rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova atĩ ndũkaniina njiaro ciakwa kana rĩĩtwa rĩakwa rĩthire kuuma nyũmba-inĩ ya baba.”
Now while Yahweh is listening, solemnly promise to me that you will not kill my family and get rid of all my descendants.”
22 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Daudi akĩĩhĩta harĩ Saũlũ. Nake Saũlũ agĩcooka mũciĩ, no Daudi na andũ ake makĩambata magĩthiĩ kĩĩhitho-inĩ.
David solemnly promised Saul that he would not [harm Saul’s family]. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went back up into the place where they had been hiding.
