1 Samuel 24
1 Mgbe Sọl sitere nʼịlụso ndị Filistia agha lọta, a gwara ya sị, “Devid nọ nʼọzara En-Gedi.”
When Saul returned from chasing the Philistines, it was reported to him, “David is in the Desert of En-gedi.”
2 Sọl chịịrị puku ndị agha atọ a zụrụ nke ọma site nʼIzrel niile, pụọ ịchọ Devid na ndị ikom ya nʼetiti ọgba nkume, na nʼakụkụ ụzọ dị warawara nke Ewu Ọhịa.
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 Mgbe ọ bịaruru nso nʼọgba atụrụ nke dị nʼụzọ ahụ, otu ọgba nkume dị nʼebe ahụ, Sọl banyere nʼime ya, ịga mposi. Devid na ndị ikom ya nọ nʼime ime ọgba nkume ahụ.
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 Ndị ikom Devid sịrị ya, “Ahaa ugbu a bụ oge gị! Taa bụ ụbọchị ahụ Onyenwe anyị kwuru okwu ya, mgbe ọ sịrị, ‘Aghaghị m inyefe gị onye iro gị nʼaka, ka i mee ya dịka o si masị gị.’” Ma Devid ji nwayọọ gaa nso ebe Sọl nọ bipụ ọnụ ọnụ uwe mwụda ya.
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 Emesịa, obi Devid malitere ịma ya ikpe nʼihi na o bipụrụ ọnụ ọnụ uwe mwụda Sọl.
But afterwards David felt really bad because he'd cut off a piece of Saul's robe.
6 Ọ gwara ndị ya na ha so okwu sị, “Onyenwe anyị ekwela na m ga-emeso nna m ukwu, onye Onyenwe anyị tere mmanụ mmeso dị otu ahụ, maọbụ na m ga-eweli aka imegide ya. Nʼihi na onye Onyenwe anyị tere mmanụ ka ọ bụ.”
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 Devid sitere nʼokwu ndị a o kwuru baara ndị so ya mba. O nyeghị ha ohere ibuso Sọl agha. Emesịa, Sọl hapụrụ ọgba nkume ahụ.
He reprimanded his men and didn't allow them to attack Saul. Saul stood up and went on his way.
8 Mgbe Sọl si nʼọgba nkume ahụ pụọ ịga nʼihu nʼije ya, Devid sitere nʼime ọgba nkume ahụ pụta, kpọọ Sọl oku sị ya, “Onyenwe m, eze!” Sọl tụgharịrị ma Devid kpọrọ isiala nye ya, daa nʼala kpuo ihu ya nʼala.
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 Mgbe ahụ Devid gwara Sọl okwu sị, “Gịnị mere i ji na-aṅa ntị nʼokwu ndị mmadụ na-ekwu, ndị ahụ na-asị Devid na-achọ ụzọ ọ ga-esi merụọ gị ahụ?
“Why do you pay attention to people who say, ‘Watch out, David wants to harm you’?” David asked.
10 Taa, i jirila anya gị hụ na ọ bụghị eziokwu. Onyenwe anyị nyere gị nʼaka m nʼime ọgba nkume ahụ ị banyere, ụfọdụ ndị mụ na ha so gwara m ka m gbuo gị, ma ahapụrụ m gị ndụ nʼihi na m sịrị, ‘Agaghị m eweli aka m megide nna m ukwu nʼihi na ọ bụ onye Onyenwe anyị tere mmanụ.’
“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 Lee, nna m, lee iberibe uwe mwụda gị nʼaka m. Ebipụtara m ọnụ ọnụ uwe gị, ma egbughị m gị. Jiri nke a ghọta ma matakwa na ikpe nnupu isi na ajọ omume megide gị amaghị m. O nweghị ụzọ m si mejọọ gị, ma ị nọ na-achọsikwa m ike iwere ndụ m.
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 Ka Onyenwe anyị kpebie nʼetiti mụ na gị, ka Onyenwe anyị bọọ ọbọ ihe ọjọọ niile i mere. Ma agaghị m emetụ gị aka.
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 Dịka ilu ndị mgbe ochie si dị, ‘Ihe ọjọọ na-esi nʼaka ndị na-eme ihe ọjọọ,’ ma agaghị m emetụ gị aka.
As the old saying goes, ‘From the wicked comes wickedness,’ but I myself will never try to harm you.
14 “Ma onye kwanụ ka eze Izrel na-achọ ijide? Onye ka ọ na-atụfu oge ya ịchọgharị? Ọ bụ ozu nkịta? Ka ọ bụ akpị?
Who is the king of Israel coming after? Who are you chasing? A dead dog! Just a flea!
15 Ka Onyenwe anyị bụrụ onye ikpe nʼetiti mụ na gị, ya kpebiekwa okwu anyị. Ya leba okwu m anya kpepụta m, ya gosi na m bụ onye ikpe na-amaghị site nʼịnapụta m nʼaka gị.”
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 Mgbe Devid kwuchara okwu ndị a, Sọl zara sị ya, “Ọ bụ olu Devid nwa m dị nke ahụ?” Ọ malitekwara ịkwa akwa.
After David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that you speaking, David my son?” and he wept out loud.
17 Ọ sịrị Devid, “Ị bụ ezi mmadụ karịa m, nʼihi na i jirila ezi omume kwụghachi m ajọ omume m.
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 E, i gosila m oke obi ebere taa, nʼihi na mgbe Onyenwe anyị nyefere m nʼaka gị, ị gbughị m.
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 Ebee ka onye ahụ nọ nʼụwa niile, nke pụrụ ịhapụ onye iro ya mgbe ọ mara nʼọnya ya? Ka Onyenwe anyị kwụghachi gị ezi ihe nʼihi obi ebere i gosiri m taa.
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 Ugbu a, amatala m na ị ghaghị ịbụ eze, ị ga-achịkwa alaeze Izrel.
Listen, I know you definitely will be king, and your rule over the kingdom of Israel will be secure.
21 Biko, ṅụọra m iyi nʼaha Onyenwe anyị na mgbe oge ahụ ruru, na ị gaghị egbu ụmụ m, maọbụ hichapụ aha m site nʼezinaụlọ nna m.”
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 Devid ṅụụrụ Sọl iyi. Emesịa, Sọl laghachiri nʼụlọ ya, ma Devid na ndị ikom ya laghachiri nʼọgba nkume ha.
So David promised this to Saul with an oath. Then Saul went back home, but David and his men returned to the stronghold.
