1 Samwiri 24
1 Awo Sawulo bwe yakomawo ng’ava okugoba Abafirisuuti, ne bamutegeeza nti, “Dawudi ali mu ddungu erya Engedi.”
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 Sawulo n’alonda abasajja enkumi ssatu okuva mu Isirayiri yenna, n’agenda nabo okunoonya Dawudi n’abasajja be, ku luuyi olw’enjazi embulabuzi gye Zaabeeranga.
[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 Sawulo n’atuuka okumpi n’awaali ebisibo by’endiga ebyali ku mabbali g’ekkubo, n’alaba empuku, n’ayingira omwo okuwummulako. Dawudi n’abasajja be baali mu mpuku omwo mu bifo ebikomererayo.
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 Awo abasajja ba Dawudi ne bamugamba nti, “Luno lwe lunaku Mukama lwe yayogerako bwe yagamba nti, ‘Ndiwaayo omulabe wo mu mukono gwo, omukole nga bw’osiima.’” Dawudi n’asooba mpola n’asala ku kirenge ky’ekyambalo kya Sawulo.
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 Naye oluvannyuma Dawudi n’awulira okulumirizibwa mu mutima olw’okusala ku kirenge ky’ekyambalo kya Sawulo.
[And then he returned to his men]. But then David felt guilty for having cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
6 N’agamba abasajja be nti, “Kikafuuwe, nze okukola mukama wange ekintu ekifaanana bwe kityo, Mukama gwe yafukako amafuta, wadde okumugololerako omukono, kubanga Mukama yamufukako amafuta.”
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 N’ebigambo ebyo Dawudi n’aziyiza abasajja be n’atabakkiriza kulumba Sawulo. Awo Sawulo n’ava mu mpuku, n’agenda.
By saying that, David restrained his men, and did not allow them to kill Saul.
8 Oluvannyuma, Dawudi naye n’afuluma empuku, n’akoowoola Sawulo ng’ayogera nti, “Mukama wange kabaka!” Awo Sawulo n’akyuka n’atunula emabega, Dawudi n’avuunama n’akka wansi ne yeeyala ku ttaka.
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 Dawudi n’agamba Sawulo nti, “Lwaki owuliriza eŋŋambo z’abantu aboogera nti, ‘Dawudi amaliridde okukukola akabi?’
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 Leero okirabye n’amaaso go, Mukama bw’akumpadde mu mukono gwange ng’oli mu mpuku. Wabaddewo ababadde banneegayirira nkutte, naye ne sibawuliriza. Nagambye nti, ‘Sijja kugolola mukono gwange ku mukama wange, kubanga Mukama yamufukako amafuta.’
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 Kitange laba, akatundu ke naggye ku kirenge ky’ekyambalo kyo. Nasaze busazi ku kyambalo kyo naye ne sikutta. Kaakano kitegeere era okimanye nga sikusobyanga newaakubadde okukujeemera. Sinnakusobya newaakubadde ng’onjigganya okunzita.
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 Mukama alamule wakati wange naawe. Mukama akusasule ng’ebikolwa ebibi byonna by’onkoze bwe biri, naye nze siriyimusa mukono gwange ku ggwe.
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 Ng’olugero olw’ab’edda bwe baalugera nti, ‘Mu babi mwe muva akabi,’ kyendiva sikuyimusiza mukono gwange.
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 Kabaka wa Isirayiri ajjiridde ani? Ani gw’oyigganya? Mbwa nfu oba nkukunyi?
“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 Mukama atulamule, asalewo wakati wo nange. Mukama atunuulire ensonga yange andokole mu mukono gwo.”
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 Awo Dawudi bwe yamala okwogera ebigambo ebyo, Sawulo n’abuuza nti, “Eryo ddoboozi lyo, Dawudi mutabani wange?” Sawulo n’akuba ebiwoobe.
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 N’agamba Dawudi nti, “Ggwe oli mutuukirivu okunsinga, kubanga onsasudde bulungi, newaakubadde nga nze nkuyisizza bubi.
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 Leero ontegeezezza bw’onkoze obulungi, bw’otanzise ate nga Mukama yampaddeyo mu mukono gwo.
When Yahweh put me in a place [in that cave] where you could have easily killed me, you did not do that.
19 Omuntu bw’asiŋŋaana omulabe we, ayinza okumuganya okugenda nga tamutuusizzaako bisago? Kale Mukama akusasule bulungi olw’ekikolwa ky’onkoze leero.
(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 Kaakano ntegeeredde ddala ng’onoobeera kabaka, era n’obwakabaka bwa Isirayiri bulinywezebwa mu mukono gwo.
I know that [some day] you will surely become the king, and that your kingdom will prosper as you rule the Israeli people.
21 Kale nno ndayirira eri Mukama, nga tolizikiriza bazzukulu bange newaakubadde okusaanyaawo erinnya lyange mu nnyumba ya kitange.”
Now while Yahweh is listening, solemnly promise to me that you will not kill my family and get rid of all my descendants.”
22 Awo Dawudi n’alayirira Sawulo. Sawulo n’addayo ewuwe, naye Dawudi ne basajja be ne baddayo mu kifo gye baali beekwese.
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.
