1 USamuyeli 23
1 Kwathi uDavida esetsheliwe ukuthi, “Khangela, amaFilistiya ahlasela iKheyila njalo aphanga leziza,”
David was told, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors."
2 wabuza uThixo, esithi, “Ngingahamba ukuyahlasela amaFilistiya la na?” Uthixo wamphendula wathi, “Hamba uyehlasela amaFilistiya uhlenge iKheyila.”
Therefore David inquired of Jehovah, saying, "Shall I go and strike these Philistines?" Then Jehovah replied, "Go strike the Philistines, and save Keilah."
3 Kodwa abantu bakaDavida bathi kuye, “Lapha koJuda thina siyesaba. Pho kuzakuba kukhulu kangakanani nxa sizakuyamelana lamabutho amaFilistiya eKheyila!”
David's men said to him, "Look, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"
4 UDavida waphinda wambuza futhi uThixo, njalo uThixo wamphendula wathi, “Hamba eKheyila, ngoba amaFilistiya ngizawanikela ezandleni zakho.”
Then David inquired of Jehovah yet again. Jehovah answered him, and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand."
5 Ngakho uDavida labantu bakhe baya eKheyila, walwa lamaFilistiya wathumba izifuyo zawo. Wabulala amaFilistiya amanengi kakhulu wahlenga abantu baseKheyila.
David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their livestock, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 (U-Abhiyathari indodana ka-Ahimeleki wayeze lesembatho semahlombe ekubalekeleni kwakhe kuDavida eKheyila.)
It happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David, that he went down with David to Keilah, having an ephod in his hand.
7 USawuli watshelwa ukuthi uDavida wayeseye eKheyila, ngakho wathi, “UNkulunkulu usemnikele kimi, ngoba uDavida usezifake entolongweni ngokungena edolobheni elilamasango lemigoqo.”
Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. So Saul said, "God has sold him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering into a town that has gates and bars."
8 USawuli wamemeza amabutho akhe wonke empini ukuba aye eKheyila ukuyavimbezela uDavida labantu bakhe.
Then Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 Kwathi uDavida esizwa ukuthi uSawuli wayeceba okubi ngaye, wathi ku-Abhiyathari umphristi, “Letha isembatho samahlombe.”
David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."
10 UDavida wasesithi, “Awu Thixo, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, inceku yakho isizwile impela ukuthi uSawuli uceba ukuza eKheyila achithe idolobho ngenxa yami.
Then David said, "Jehovah, God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Abantu baseKheyila banganginikela kuye na? USawuli uzakuza na njengalokhu inceku yakho ekuzwileyo? Awu Thixo Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, itshele inceku yakho.” UThixo wathi, “Uzakuza.”
And now, will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Jehovah, God of Israel, tell your servant." And Jehovah said, "He will come down."
12 UDavida wabuza njalo wathi, “Abantu baseKheyila bazanginikela labantu bami kuSawuli na?” UThixo wathi, “Bazakunikela.”
Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?" Jehovah said, "They will deliver you up."
13 Ngakho uDavida labantu bakhe, ababengaba ngamakhulu ayisithupha ubunengi babo, basuka eKheyila baqhubeka behamba besuka kwenye indawo baye kwenye. USawuli esezwile ukuthi uDavida wayesebalekile eKheyila kasayanga khona.
Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. And Saul was told that David had escaped Keilah; so he gave up the pursuit.
14 UDavida wahlala ezinqabeni zasenkangala lasezintabeni zeNkangala yaseZifi. Nsuku zonke uSawuli wamdinga, kodwa uNkulunkulu kamnikelanga uDavida ezandleni zakhe.
David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but Jehovah did not deliver him into his hand.
15 Kwathi uDavida eseHoreshi eNkangala yaseZifi, wezwa ukuthi uSawuli wayephumele ukuyambulala.
Now David was afraid that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.
16 Njalo indodana kaSawuli uJonathani waya kuDavida eHoreshi wamsiza ukuba athole amandla kuNkulunkulu.
Jonathan, Saul's son, set out and came to David at Horesh and encouraged him in Jehovah.
17 Wathi kuye, “Ungesabi. Ubaba uSawuli kasoze abeke isandla phezu kwakho. Wena uzakuba yinkosi yako-Israyeli, njalo mina ngizakuba ngumsekeli wakho. Lobaba uSawuli uyakwazi lokhu.”
He said to him, "Do not be afraid; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you; and that also Saul my father knows."
18 Bobabili benza isivumelwano phambi kukaThixo. Emva kwalokho uJonathani waya ekhaya, kodwa uDavida wasala eHoreshi.
They both made a covenant before Jehovah: and David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 Abantu baseZifi baya kuSawuli eGibhiya bathi kuye, “Kanti uDavida kacatshanga phakathi kwethu ezinqabeni eHoreshi, entabeni yaseHakhila, eningizimu kweJeshimoni na?
Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Doesn't David hide himself with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?
20 Ngakho-ke woza Nkosi nxa kukuthokozisa ukwenzanjalo, thina sizakuba yithi esizamnikela enkosini.”
Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of your soul to come down. It will be our responsibility to deliver him up into the king's hand."
21 USawuli waphendula wathi, “Uthixo alibusise ngokungikhathalela kwenu.
Saul said, "You are blessed by Jehovah; for you have had compassion on me.
22 Hambani liyekwenza amanye amalungiselelo. Dingani ukwazi lapho uDavida ajayele ukuya khona lokuthi ngubani owambonayo khonapho. Bangitshela ukuthi uliqili kakhulu.
Please go investigate again, and look around and learn the place where his swift foot is, for I am told that he is very clever.
23 Funani ukwazi ngazozonke izindawo zokucatsha azisebenzisayo beselibuya kimi lilolwazi oluqinisekileyo. Emva kwalokho ngizahamba lani; nxa ekhona esigabeni, ngizamdinga phakathi kwezizwana zonke zakoJuda.”
See therefore, and find out all the hiding places where he hides himself, and come back to me when you know for certain, and I will go with you. And it shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search for him among all the thousands of Judah."
24 Ngakho-ke basuka baya eZifi besandulela uSawuli. Ngalesosikhathi uDavida labantu bakhe babeseNkangala yaseMawoni, e-Arabha eningizimu kweJeshimoni.
They arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of Jeshimon.
25 USawuli labantu bakhe baqalisa ukudinga, njalo kwathi uDavida esetsheliwe ngakho wehlela edwaleni wahlala eNkangala yaseMawoni. Kwathi uSawuli esekuzwile lokhu, waya eNkangala yaseMawoni elandela uDavida.
Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.
26 USawuli wayehamba ngakwelinye icele lentaba, uDavida labantu bakhe bengakwelinye icele bephangisa ukuba babalekele uSawuli. Kwathi uSawuli lamabutho akhe sebezamfica uDavida labantu bakhe ukuba babathumbe,
And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men surrounded David and his men to take them.
27 kwafika isithunywa kuSawuli, sisithi, “Woza ngokuphangisa! AmaFilistiya ahlasela ilizwe.”
But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on the land."
28 Lapho-ke uSawuli wayekela ukulandela uDavida wasesiyakulwa lamaFilistiya. Yikho-nje indawo le beyibiza ngokuthi Sela Hamalekhothi.
So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Rock of Divisions.
29 UDavida wahamba esuka lapho wayahlala ezinqabeni zase-Eni-Gedi.
David went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.
