1 Samuel 24
1 Mgbe Sọl sitere nʼịlụso ndị Filistia agha lọta, a gwara ya sị, “Devid nọ nʼọzara En-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 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.
[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 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.
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 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 [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 Emesịa, obi Devid malitere ịma ya ikpe nʼihi na o bipụrụ ọnụ ọnụ uwe mwụda Sọl.
[And then he returned to his men]. But then David felt guilty for having 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 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 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.
By saying that, David restrained his men, and did not allow them to kill Saul.
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.
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 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?
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 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.’
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 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.
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 Ka Onyenwe anyị kpebie nʼetiti mụ na gị, ka Onyenwe anyị bọọ ọbọ ihe ọjọọ niile i mere. Ma agaghị m emetụ gị aka.
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 Dịka ilu ndị mgbe ochie si dị, ‘Ihe ọjọọ na-esi nʼaka ndị na-eme ihe ọjọọ,’ ma agaghị m emetụ gị aka.
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 “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?
“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 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.”
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 Mgbe Devid kwuchara okwu ndị a, Sọl zara sị ya, “Ọ bụ olu Devid nwa m dị nke ahụ?” Ọ malitekwara ịkwa akwa.
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 Ọ sịrị Devid, “Ị bụ ezi mmadụ karịa m, nʼihi na i jirila ezi omume kwụghachi m ajọ omume m.
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 E, i gosila m oke obi ebere taa, nʼihi na mgbe Onyenwe anyị nyefere m nʼaka gị, ị gbughị m.
When Yahweh put me in a place [in that cave] where you could have easily killed me, you did not do that.
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.
(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 Ugbu a, amatala m na ị ghaghị ịbụ eze, ị ga-achịkwa alaeze Izrel.
I know that [some day] you will surely become the king, and that your kingdom will prosper as you rule the Israeli people.
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 while Yahweh is listening, solemnly promise to me that you will not kill my family and get rid of all my descendants.”
22 Devid ṅụụrụ Sọl iyi. Emesịa, Sọl laghachiri nʼụlọ ya, ma Devid na ndị ikom ya laghachiri nʼọgba nkume ha.
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.
