1 USamuyeli 19
1 USawuli watshela indodana yakhe uJonathani kanye lezinceku zonke ukuba babulale uDavida. Kodwa uJonathani wayemthanda uDavida
And Saul gave orders to his son Jonathan and to all his servants to put David to death. But Saul's son Jonathan had great delight in David.
2 ngakho wamxwayisa wathi, “Ubaba uSawuli udinga ithuba lokukubulala. Qaphela kusasa ekuseni; hamba uyecatsha uhlale khona.
And Jonathan said to David, Saul, my father, is purposing your death: so now, take care in the morning, and keep yourself safe in a secret place:
3 Mina ngizaphuma ngiyekuma lobaba egangeni lapho okhona. Ngizakhuluma laye ngawe njalo ngizakutshela lokho engizakuthola.”
And I will go out and take my place by my father's side in the field near where you are; and I will get into talk with my father about you, and when I see how things are, I will give you word.
4 UJonathani wakhuluma kuhle ngoDavida kuSawuli uyise wathi kuye, “Inkosi kayingenzi okubi encekwini yayo uDavida, konanga lutho kuwe, njalo akwenzileyo kukusize kakhulu.
And Jonathan gave his father Saul a good account of David, and said to him, Let not the king do wrong against his servant, against David; because he has done you no wrong, and all his acts have had a good outcome for you:
5 Wadela impilo yakhe ekubulaleni kwakhe umFilistiya. Uthixo wazuzela u-Israyeli ukunqoba okukhulu, lawe wakubona njalo wathaba. Pho kungani ungenza okubi emuntwini omsulwa njengoDavida ngokumbulala kungelasizatho na?”
For he put his life in danger and overcame the Philistine, and the Lord gave all Israel salvation: you saw it and were glad: why then are you sinning against him who has done no wrong, desiring the death of David without cause?
6 USawuli wamlalela uJonathani wasefunga isifungo lesi esithi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, uDavida kayikubulawa.”
And Saul gave ear to the voice of Jonathan, and said with an oath, By the living Lord, he is not to be put to death.
7 Ngakho uJonathani wabiza uDavida wamtshela inkulumo yonke. Wamusa kuSawuli, uDavida wahlala loSawuli njengakuqala.
Then Jonathan sent for David and gave him word of all these things. And Jonathan took David to Saul, who kept him by his side as in the past.
8 Kwabuya kwaba lempi futhi, uDavida waphuma ukuyakulwa lamaFilistiya. Wawatshaya ngamandla amakhulu aze abaleka.
And there was war again: and David went out fighting the Philistines, causing great destruction among them; and they went in flight before him.
9 Kodwa umoya omubi owavela kuThixo wafika kuSawuli ehlezi endlini yakhe ephethe umkhonto wakhe ngesandla. Kwathi uDavida etshaya ichacho,
And an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul, when he was seated in his house with his spear in his hand; and David made music for him.
10 uSawuli wazama ukumnamathisela emdulini ngomkhonto wakhe, kodwa uDavida wavika uSawuli wagwaza umduli ngomkhonto. Ngalobobusuku uDavida waphunyuka wabaleka.
And Saul would have sent his spear through him, pinning him to the wall, but he got away and the spear went into the wall: and that night David went in flight and got away.
11 USawuli wathuma izithunywa endlini kaDavida ukuba bayilinde njalo bambulale ekuseni. Kodwa uMikhali, umkaDavida, wamxwayisa wathi, “Nxa ungabaleki ngalobubusuku ukuba uvikele impilo yakho kusasa uzabulawa.”
Then in that night Saul sent men to David's house to keep watch on him so as to put him to death in the morning: and David's wife Michal said to him, If you do not go away to a safe place tonight you will be put to death in the morning.
12 Ngakho uMikhali wehlisela uDavida phansi emkhuphe ngefasitela, wabaleka-ke waphepha.
So Michal let David down through the window, and he went in flight and got away.
13 Emva kwalokho uMikhali wathatha isithombe wasilalisa embhedeni, wasembesa ngengubo ebeke uboya bembuzi ekhanda.
Then Michal took the image and put it in the bed, with a cushion of goat's hair at its head, and she put clothing over it.
14 USawuli esethume abantu ukuba bayethumba uDavida, uMikhali wathi, “Uyagula.”
And when Saul sent men to take David, she said, He is ill.
15 USawuli wababuyisela abantu labo ukuba bayebona uDavida esithi kubo, “Mletheni kimi ngombheda wakhe ukuze ngimbulale.”
And Saul sent his men to see David, saying, Do not come back without him, take him in his bed, so that I may put him to death.
16 Kodwa kwathi amadoda lawo engena, embhedeni kwakulesithombe, ekhanda kuloboya bembuzi.
And when the men came in, there was the image in the bed, with the cushion of goat's hair at its head
17 USawuli wathi kuMikhali, “Kungani ungikhohlise kanje wabalekisa isitha sami ukuze siphephe?” UMikhali wathi kuye, “Uthe kimi, ‘Yekela ngibaleke. Ngingakubulalelani na?’”
And Saul said to Michal, why have you been false to me, letting my hater go and get safely away? And in answer Michal said to Saul, He said to me, Let me go, or I will put you to death.
18 UDavida esebaleke waphepha, waya kuSamuyeli eRama wamtshela konke okwakwenziwe nguSawuli kuye. Ngakho yena loSamuyeli baya eNayothi bahlala khona.
So David went in flight and got away and came to Ramah, to Samuel, and gave him an account of all Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and were living in Naioth.
19 Ilizwi lafika kuSawuli lisithi: “UDavida useNayothi eRama.”
And word was given to Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah.
20 Ngakho wathuma abantu ukuba bayemthumba. Kodwa bathi bebona ixuku labaphrofethi liphrofitha, loSamuyeli emi khonapho njengomkhokheli wabo, uMoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela ebantwini bakaSawuli labo baphrofetha.
And Saul sent men to take David; and when they saw the band of prophets at work, with Samuel in his place at their head, the spirit of God came on Saul's men, and they became like prophets.
21 USawuli wakutshelwa lokho wasethuma abanye abantu, labo baphrofetha. USawuli wathuma abantu okwesithathu, labo futhi baphrofetha.
And Saul, having news of this, sent other men, who in the same way became like prophets. And a third time Saul sent men, and they like the others became like prophets.
22 Ekucineni, yena ngokwakhe wasuka waya eRama, wasesiya emgodini omkhulu eSekhu. Wabuza wathi, “USamuyeli loDavida bangaphi?” Bathi, “Le eNayothi eRama.”
Then he himself went to Ramah, and came to the great water-spring in Secu; and questioning the people he said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, They are at Naioth in Ramah.
23 Ngakho uSawuli waya eNayothi eRama. Kodwa uMoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela lakuye, wahamba ephrofitha waze wayafika eNayothi.
And he went on from there to Naioth in Ramah: and the spirit of God came on him, and he went on, acting like a prophet, till he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 Wakhulula izigqoko zakhe laye waphrofitha uSamuyeli ekhona. Walala enjalo ilanga lonke lobusuku bonke. Yikho-nje abantu besithi, “Kanti uSawuli laye uphakathi kwabaphrofethi na?”
And he took off his clothing, acting like a prophet before Samuel, and falling down he was stretched out, without his clothing, all that day and all that night. This is the reason for the saying, Is even Saul among the prophets?
