1 Samuele 24
1 Sima na Saulo kolanda bato ya Filisitia, azongaki; bongo bayebisaki ye: « Davidi azali sik’oyo kati na esobe ya Eyini-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 Na bongo, Saulo azwaki basoda ya mpiko nkoto misato kati na Isalaele mobimba mpe akendeki koluka Davidi mpe bato na ye pene ya etando ya bantaba ya zamba.
[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 Wana Saulo akomaki pene ya etando ya bameme, oyo ezalaki zingazinga ya nzela, amonaki ebombamelo moko ya monene kati na mabanga mpe akotaki kuna mpo na kosala zongo inene. Nzokande Davidi mpe bato na ye bazalaki na suka, kati na ebombamelo yango.
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 Bato ya Davidi balobaki na ye: Tala mokolo oyo Yawe alobelaki tango alobaki na yo: « Nakokaba monguna na yo na maboko na yo mpo ete osala ye nyonso oyo olingi. » Boye Davidi apusanaki na kobombama mpe akataki songe ya kazaka ya Saulo.
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 Sima na yango, Davidi ayokaki motema na ye kobeta mpo ete akataki songe ya kazaka ya Saulo.
[And then he returned to his men]. But then David felt guilty for having cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
6 Alobaki na basoda na ye: « Tika ete Yawe apesa ngai te nzela ya kosala likambo ya boye epai ya nkolo na ngai, mopakolami na Yawe! Loboko na ngai ekoki te kosimba nzoto na ye, pamba te Yawe nde apakolaki ye mafuta. »
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 Na maloba oyo, Davidi agangelaki bato na ye mpe apekisaki bango kobundisa Saulo. Saulo abimaki na ebombamelo yango mpe akobaki nzela na ye.
By saying that, David restrained his men, and did not allow them to kill Saul.
8 Tango Davidi mpe abimaki na ebombamelo yango, abengaki Saulo: « Mokonzi, nkolo na ngai! » Tango Saulo atalaki sima na ye, Davidi akitisaki elongi mpe agumbamaki ye moko, elongi na ye kino na mabele.
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 Alobaki na Saulo: — Mpo na nini olandaka maloba ya bato oyo balobaka na yo ete Davidi azalaka na posa ya kosala yo mabe?
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 Omoni sik’oyo yo moko na miso na yo ndenge nini Yawe akabaki yo na maboko na ngai kati na ebombamelo, kati na mabanga. Bato mosusu batungisaki ngai ete naboma yo, kasi nabikisaki yo. Nalobaki: « Nakosembola te loboko na ngai mpo na kotelemela nkolo na ngai, pamba te azali mopakolami na Yawe. »
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 Oh tata na ngai, tala eteni oyo ya kazaka na yo na loboko na ngai! Nakataki songe ya kazaka na yo, kasi nabomaki yo te. Sik’oyo, sosola mpe yeba ete, kati na ngai, mayele mabe mpe botomboki ezali te. Nasalaki na ngai yo mabe te, kasi yo ozali kolanda ngai mpo na koboma ngai.
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 Tika ete Yawe azala Mosambisi kati na ngai mpe yo, mpe tika ete Yawe azongisela yo mabe na mabe oyo osali ngai! Kasi loboko na ngai ekosimba yo te.
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 Ndenge kaka lisese ya kala elobi: « Misala mabe ewutaka epai ya bato mabe, » loboko na ngai ekosimba yo te.
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 Mokonzi ya Isalaele abimi mpo na kobundisa nani? Azali kolanda nani? Mbwa ya kokufa? Nzinzi?
“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 Tika ete Yawe azala Mosambisi na biso mpe akata likambo kati na biso. Tika ete atala likambo na ngai mpe akata yango! Tika ete alongisa ngai mpe akangola ngai wuta na loboko na yo.
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 Tango Davidi asilisaki koloba na Saulo, Saulo atunaki: — Oyo nazali koyoka ezali solo mongongo na yo Davidi, mwana na ngai? Mpe Saulo alelaki makasi.
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 Alobaki na Davidi: — Ozali penza sembo koleka ngai, pamba te osaleli ngai bolamu, nzokande ngai nasalaki mabe epai na yo!
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 Owuti sik’oyo kotalisa ngai bolamu oyo osaleli ngai: Yawe akabaki ngai penza na maboko na yo, kasi oboyaki na yo koboma ngai.
When Yahweh put me in a place [in that cave] where you could have easily killed me, you did not do that.
19 Boni, soki moto akutani na monguna na ye, akotika ye kokoba kokende na nzela na ye na kimia? Tika ete Yawe afuta yo malamu mpo na bolamu oyo osaleli ngai na mokolo ya lelo.
(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 Tala, nayebi sik’oyo ete okozala penza mokonzi, mpe bokonzi ya Isalaele ekolendisama na maboko na yo.
I know that [some day] you will surely become the king, and that your kingdom will prosper as you rule the Israeli people.
21 Lapa sik’oyo ndayi epai na ngai na Kombo na Yawe ete okoboma bakitani na ngai te to okolimwisa kombo na ngai te wuta na libota ya botata na ngai.
Now while Yahweh is listening, solemnly promise to me that you will not kill my family and get rid of all my descendants.”
22 Boye Davidi alapaki ndayi yango epai ya Saulo. Sima na yango, Saulo azongaki epai na ye. Bongo Davidi mpe bato na ye bazongaki na ebombamelo na bango kati na ngomba.
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.
