1 Samoela 24
1 Ary rehefa niverina avy nanenjika ny Filistina Saoly, dia nisy nanambara taminy hoe; Indro, Davida any an-efitr’ i En-jedy.
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 Ary Saoly naka telo arivo lahy voafantina tamin’ ny Isiraely rehetra ka lasa nitady an’ i Davida sy ny olony tany amin’ ny vatolampin’ ny osi-dia.
[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 Ary tonga teo amin’ ny valan’ ondry tamoron-dalana izay nisy zohy izy, ka niditra tao Saoly mba hiavela; nefa Davida sy ny olony efa nipetraka tao anatin’ ny zohy.
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 Ary hoy ny olon’ i Davida taminy: Izao no andro nolazain’ i Jehovah taminao hoe: Indro, hatolotro eo an-tananao ny fahavalonao hataonao araka izay sitrakao. Dia nitsangana Davida ka nitsaitsaika nanapaka ny sisin’ ny kapôtin’ i Saoly.
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 Nefa nony efa vita izany, dia namely an’ i Davida ny eritreriny noho ny nanapahany ny sisin’ ny kapôtin’ i Saoly,
[And then he returned to his men]. But then David felt guilty for having cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
6 ka hoy izy tamin’ ny olony: Sanatria amiko eo anatrehan’ i Jehovah, raha hanao izany zavatra izany amin’ ny tompoko izay voahosotr’ i Jehovah ka haninjitra ny tanako aminy, fa voahosotr’ i Jehovah izy.
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 Dia nampijanona ny mpanompony tamin’ izany teny izany Davida ka tsy namela azy hitsangana hamely an’ i Saoly. Ary Saoly nitsangana ka niala tao an-johy, dia nandeha tamin’ izay nalehany.
By saying that, David restrained his men, and did not allow them to kill Saul.
8 Ary rehefa afaka izany, dia mba nitsangana koa Davida ka niala tao an-johy koa, dia niantso an’ i Saoly ka nanao hoe: Ry mpanjaka tompoko ô! Ary nony nitodika azy Saoly, dia niondrika tamin’ ny tany Davida ka niankohoka.
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 Ary hoy Davida tamin’ i Saoly: Nahoana ianao no maka vavan’ olona hoe: Indro, Davida mitady hanisy ratsy anao?
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 Indro, hitan’ ny masonao androany ny nanoloran’ i Jehovah anao ho eo an-tanako tao an-johy; ary nisy nilaza hevitra hamonoana anao, saingy niantra anao ny masoko, ka hoy izaho: Tsy haninjitra ny tanako amin’ ny tompoko aho, fa voahosotr’ i Jehovah izy.
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 Ary koa, ry ikaky ô, jereo dia jereo ange ny sisin’ ny kapôtinao etỳ an-tanako; fa raha nanapaka ny sisin’ ny kapôtinao aho, fa tsy nahafaty anao, dia izahao ka fantaro fa tsy misy faharatsiana na fahadisoana amin’ ny tanako, ary tsy nanota taminao aho, nefa ianao kosa mihaza ny aiko mba hahafaty azy.
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 Jehovah no hitsara ahy sy ianao, ary Jehovah no hamaly anao noho ny amiko, fa ny tanako tsy mba haninona anao.
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 Araka ny lazain’ ny ohabolan’ ny ntaolo hoe: Avy amin’ ny ratsy fanahy no ivoahan’ ny ratsy, nefa ny tanako tsy haninona anao.
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 Hitady an’ iza no nivoahan’ ny mpanjakan’ ny Isiraely? Iza no enjehinao? Amboa maty; parasy iray.
“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 Aoka Jehovah no ho mpitsara, ka dia hitsara ahy sy ianao ary hijery sy handahatra ho ahy ka hanafaka ahy amin’ ny tananao.
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 Ary nony vita izany teny nataon’ i Davida tamin’ i Saoly izany, dia hoy Saoly: Feonao va izany, ry Davida zanako ô? Ary Saoly nanandratra ny feony ka nitomany;
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 ary hoy izy tamin’ i Davida: Marina noho izaho ianao; fa ianao dia nanisy soa ahy, fa izaho kosa namaly ratsy anao.
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 Ary ianao dia naneho androany ny nanaovanao soa tamiko, fa na dia natolotr’ i Jehovah teo an-tananao aza aho, dia tsy nahafaty ahy ianao.
When Yahweh put me in a place [in that cave] where you could have easily killed me, you did not do that.
19 Fa moa raha misy olona mahazo ny fahavalony, havelany handeha soa aman-tsara va izy? Koa hovalian’ i Jehovah soa anie ianao noho ny nataonao tamiko androany.
(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 Ary, indro, ankehitriny fantatro fa ho mpanjaka tokoa ianao, ary ny fanjakan’ ny Isiraely ho tafatoetra tsara eo an-tananao.
I know that [some day] you will surely become the king, and that your kingdom will prosper as you rule the Israeli people.
21 Koa mianiàna amiko amin’ i Jehovah ianao ankehitriny fa tsy handringana ny taranako mandimby ahy ianao, ary tsy hovonoinao amin’ ny mpianakavin’ ny raiko ny anarako.
Now while Yahweh is listening, solemnly promise to me that you will not kill my family and get rid of all my descendants.”
22 Ary Davida dia nianiana tamin’ i Saoly; ary dia lasa nody Saoly, fa Davida sy ny olony kosa niakatra nankany amin’ ny batery fiarovana.
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.
