1 USamuyeli 26

1 AmaZifi aya kuSawuli eGibhiya athi kuye, “UDavida kacatshanga entabeni yaseHakhila, ekhangele eJeshimoni na?”

And the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, and said, Is not David waiting secretly near us in the hill of Hachilah, before the waste land?

2 Ngakho uSawuli waya eNkangala yaseZifi, elezinkulungwane ezintathu zabantu bakhe abakhethiweyo bako-Israyeli, ukuyadinga uDavida khona.

Then Saul went down to the waste land of Ziph, taking with him three thousand of the best men of Israel, to make search for David in the waste land of Ziph.

3 USawuli wenza isihonqo phansi komgwaqo entabeni yaseHakhila ekhangele eJeshimoni, kodwa uDavida wahlala enkangala. Kwathi ebona ukuthi uSawuli wayesemlandele khonale,

And Saul put up his tents on the hill of Hachilah, which is in front of the waste land on the road. But David was in the waste land, and he saw that Saul was coming after him.

4 wathuma inhloli wasekwazi ukuthi uSawuli wayefikile impela.

And so David sent out watchers, and got word from them that Saul was certainly coming.

5 Ngakho uDavida wasuka waya lapho uSawuli ayemise khona wabona lapho okwakulele khona uSawuli lo-Abhineri indodana kaNeri, umlawuli webutho. USawuli wayelele phakathi kwesihonqo, ibutho lisezihonqweni limhanqile.

And David got up and came to the place where Saul's tents were: and David had a view of the place where Saul was sleeping with Abner, the son of Ner, the captain of his army: and Saul was sleeping inside the ring of carts, and the tents of the people were all round him.

6 UDavida wasebuza u-Ahimeleki umHithi lo-Abhishayi indodana kaZeruya, umfowabo kaJowabi, wathi, “Ngubani ozahamba lami phakathi kwesihonqo kuSawuli na?” U-Abhishayi wathi, “Ngizahamba lawe.”

Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, Who will go down with me to the tents of Saul? And Abishai said, I will go down with you.

7 Ngakho uDavida lo-Abhishayi baya ebuthweni ebusuku babona uSawuli elele ubuthongo phakathi kwesihonqo umkhonto wakhe ugwaze phansi eduzane lekhanda lakhe. U-Abhineri lamabutho babelele bemhanqile.

So David and Abishai came down to the army by night: and Saul was sleeping inside the ring of carts with his spear planted in the earth by his head: and Abner and the people were sleeping round him.

8 U-Abhishayi wasesithi kuDavida, “Lamhla uNkulunkulu unikele isitha sakho ezandleni zakho. Khathesi-ke kahle ngimgwazele phansi kanye nje ngomkhonto wami; kangiyi kugalela kabili.”

Then Abishai said to David, God has given up your hater into your hands today; now let me give him one blow through to the earth with his spear, and there will be no need to give him a second.

9 Kodwa uDavida wathi ku-Abhishayi, “Ungambulali. Ngubani ongabeka isandla kogcotshiweyo kaThixo angabi lecala na?”

And David said to Abishai Do not put him to death; for who, without sin, may put out his hand against the man on whom the Lord has put the holy oil?

10 Wasesithi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, uThixo yena ngokwakhe uzamtshaya; mhlawumbe isikhathi sakhe sizafika afe, loba aye empini abhubhe.

And David said, By the living Lord, the Lord will send destruction on him; the natural day of his death will come, or he will go into the fight and come to his end.

11 Kodwa uThixo kanqabele ukuba ngibeke isandla kogcotshiweyo kaThixo. Thatha umkhonto lesigxingi samanzi okuphansi kwekhanda lakhe, sihambe.”

Never will my hand be stretched out against the man marked with the holy oil; but take the spear which is by his head and the vessel of water, and let us go.

12 Ngakho uDavida wathatha umkhonto lesigxingi samanzi okwakuphansi kwekhanda likaSawuli, basebehamba. Bonke babelele ngoba uThixo wayebehlisele ubuthongo obukhulu.

So David took the spear and the vessel of water from Saul's head; and they got away without any man seeing them, or being conscious of their coming, or awaking; for they were all sleeping because a deep sleep from the Lord had come on them.

13 UDavida wachaphela ngakwelinye icele wema phezu kwentatshana khatshana; kwakulebanga elibanzi phakathi kwabo.

Then David went over to the other side, and took his place on the top of a mountain some distance away, with a great space between them;

14 Wamemeza ibutho lo-Abhineri indodana kaNeri, wathi, “Kanti kawungiphenduli, Abhineri na?” U-Abhineri waphendula wathi, “Ungubani wena omemeza inkosi na?”

And crying out to the people and to Abner, the son of Ner, David said, Have you no answer to give, Abner? Then Abner said, Who is that crying out to the king?

15 UDavida wathi, “Uyindoda, kawusiyo na? Njalo ngubani onjengawe ko-Israyeli na? Kungani ungayilindanga inkosi yakho na? Umuntu othile ufikile ukuba abulale inkosi yakho.

And David said to Abner, Are you not a man of war? is there any other like you in Israel? why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? for one of the people came in to put the king your lord to death.

16 Okwenzileyo kakukuhle. Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ephila, wena labantu bakho lifanele ukufa, ngoba kaliyilindanga inkosi yenu, ogcotshiweyo kaThixo. Khangelani emaceleni enu. Ungaphi umkhonto wenkosi lesigxingi samanzi okube kuphansi kwekhanda layo na?”

What you have done is not good. By the living Lord, death is the right fate for you, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the man on whom the Lord has put the holy oil. Now see, where is the king's spear, and the vessel of water which was by his head?

17 USawuli walazi ilizwi likaDavida, wasesithi, “Yilizwi lakho lelo yini, Davida ndodana yami?” UDavida waphendula wathi, “Yebo yilo, nkosi, nkosi yami.”

And Saul, conscious that the voice was David's, said, Is that your voice, David, my son? And David said, It is my voice, O my lord king.

18 Wengeza wathi, “Kanti kungani inkosi yami ixotshana lenceku yayo na? Kuyini engikwenzileyo, njalo licala bani engilalo na?

And he said, Why does my lord go armed against his servant? what have I done? or what evil is there in me?

19 Khathesi-ke nkosi, nkosi yami, lalela amazwi enceku yakho. Nxa uThixo ekuqubule ukuba umelane lami, kamkele umhlatshelo. Kodwa nxa kwenziwe ngabantu, kabathukwe phambi kukaThixo! Khathesi sebengixotshile esabelweni sami elifeni likaThixo njalo bathi, ‘Hamba uyekhonza abanye onkulunkulu.’

Let my lord the king give ear now to the words of his servant. If it is the Lord who is moving you against me, let him take an offering: but if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for driving me out today and keeping me from my place in the heritage of the Lord, saying, Go, be the servant of other gods.

20 Ungenzi igazi lami lichithekele phansi khatshana lobukhona bukaThixo. Inkosi yako-Israyeli iphumile ukuzadinga insikizi njengomuntu ozingela isikhwehle ezintabeni.”

Then do not let my blood be drained out on the earth away from the face of the Lord: for the king of Israel has come out to take my life, like one going after birds in the mountains.

21 Lapho-ke uSawuli wathi, “Ngenze isono. Buya Davida, ndodana yami. Ngenxa yokuthi ukhangele impilo yami njengegugu lamhla, kangiyikuzama futhi ukwenza okubi kuwe. Ngempela ngenze ubuwula njalo ngiphambanise kakhulu.”

Then Saul said, I have done wrong: come back to me, David my son: I will do you no more wrong, because my life was dear to you today truly, I have been foolish and my error is very great.

22 UDavida waphendula wathi, “Nanku umkhonto wenkosi. Wothi omunye wezinsizwa zakho keze ngapha azewuthatha.

Then David said, Here is the king's spear! let one of the young men come over and get it.

23 UThixo uyamnika umvuzo umuntu wonke ngenxa yokulunga kwakhe lokuthembeka kwakhe. UThixo ukunikele ezandleni zami lamhla, kodwa kade ngingeke ngibeke isandla kogcotshiweyo kaThixo.

And the Lord will give to every man the reward of his righteousness and his faith: because the Lord gave you into my hands today, and I would not put out my hand against the man who has been marked with the holy oil.

24 Ngeqiniso njengoba ngiqakathekise ukuphila kwakho lamhla, sengathi kanjalo-ke uThixo angaqakathekisa ukuphila kwami angisindise kukho konke ukuhlupheka.”

And so, as your life was dear to me today, may my life be dear to the Lord, and may he make me free from all my troubles.

25 Lapho-ke uSawuli wathi kuDavida, “Sengathi ungabusiseka, ndodana yami Davida; uzakwenza izinto ezinkulu njalo unqobe.” UDavida wasuka wazihambela, uSawuli wasebuyela ekhaya.

Then Saul said to David, May a blessing be on you, David, my son; you will do great things and without doubt you will overcome. Then David went on his way, and Saul went back to his place.