1 USamuyeli 18
1 Kwasekusithi eseqedile ukukhuluma loSawuli, umphefumulo kaJonathani wabotshelwa emphefumulweni kaDavida; uJonathani wasemthanda njengomphefumulo wakhe.
After David finished talking with Saul, [he met Saul’s son, Jonathan.] Jonathan [immediately] liked David; in fact, he began to love/like him as much as he loved/liked himself.
2 USawuli wasemthatha ngalolosuku, kaze amvumela ukubuyela endlini kayise.
From that day, Saul kept David with him, and did not let him return home.
3 UJonathani loDavida basebesenza isivumelwano ngoba wamthanda njengomphefumulo wakhe.
Because Jonathan loved David so much, he made a solemn agreement with David. [They promised each other that they would always be loyal friends].
4 UJonathani wasezikhulula ibhatshi ayeligqokile, walinika uDavida, lezembatho zakhe, kuze kube senkembeni yakhe, kuze kube sedandilini lakhe, njalo kuze kube sebhantini lakhe.
Jonathan took off his own outer robe and gave it to David. He also gave David his soldier’s tunic, his sword, his bow [and arrows], and his belt.
5 UDavida wasephuma waya loba ngaphi lapho uSawuli amthuma khona, waziphatha ngenhlakanipho, uSawuli waze wambeka phezu kwamadoda empi. Njalo wayelungile emehlweni abantu bonke njalo lemehlweni ezinceku zikaSawuli.
[David went wherever Saul sent him. And] whatever Saul told him to do, David did it very successfully. As a result, Saul appointed David to be a commander in the army. All the officers and other men in the army (approved of/were very pleased with) that.
6 Kwasekusithi ekufikeni kwabo, uDavida esebuye ekubulaleni umFilisti, abesifazana baphuma emizini yonke yakoIsrayeli, behlabela, begida, ukuhlangabeza uSawuli inkosi ngezigubhu, ngentokozo, langamachacho.
But, when the men in the army were returning home after David had killed Goliath, the women came out from many [HYP] towns in Israel to meet/greet King Saul. They were singing and dancing very joyfully, playing tambourines and lyres.
7 Abesifazana basebevumelana bedlala bathi: USawuli utshayile izinkulungwane zakhe, kodwa uDavida izinkulungwane zakhe ezingamatshumi.
As they danced, they sang this song to each other: “Saul has killed 1,000 [enemy soldiers], But David has killed 10,000 [of them].”
8 USawuli wasethukuthela kakhulu, lalelolizwi lalilibi emehlweni akhe, wathi: Banike uDavida izinkulungwane ezingamatshumi, kodwa mina banginika izinkulungwane; usesalelwe ngumbuso kuphela.
[When] Saul [heard them singing that, he] did not like it. He became very angry. He said [to himself], “They are saying that David [killed] 10,000 men, but that I [have killed] only 1,000. Soon they will want to make him their king!” [RHQ]
9 USawuli wasemqaphela uDavida kusukela kulolosuku kusiya phambili.
From that time, Saul watched David very closely because he was suspicious [that David would try to become king].
10 Kwasekusithi kusisa umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu wafika ngamandla phezu kukaSawuli, waprofetha phakathi kwendlu; uDavida wasetshaya ichacho ngesandla sakhe njengensuku ngensuku; njalo kwakulomkhonto esandleni sikaSawuli.
The next day, an evil spirit sent by God suddenly took control of Saul. He began to act like a madman, inside his house. David was playing the lyre for him, as he did every day. Saul was holding a spear in his hand,
11 USawuli wasewuphosa umkhonto wathi: Ngizammbandakanya uDavida ngitsho emdulini. Kodwa uDavida wavika kabili esuka phambi kwakhe.
and he hurled it [at David], saying to himself, “I will fasten David to the wall with the spear!” He did that two times, but David jumped aside [both times].
12 USawuli wayemesaba-ke uDavida ngoba iNkosi yayilaye, kodwa yayisisukile kuSawuli.
Because [it became evident that] Yahweh had abandoned Saul but [that] he was helping David, Saul was afraid of David.
13 Ngakho uSawuli wasemsusa kuye, wambeka waba yinduna yakhe yabayizinkulungwane; njalo wayephuma engena phambi kwabantu.
So he appointed David as a commander of 1,000 soldiers and sent David away from him, [hoping that David would be killed in a battle]. But when David led his soldiers [in their battles],
14 UDavida waseziphatha ngenhlakanipho endleleni zakhe zonke, leNkosi yayilaye.
he always had great success, because Yahweh was helping him.
15 Lapho uSawuli ebona ukuthi waziphatha ngenhlakanipho enkulu, wamesaba.
When Saul heard that David [and his soldiers were] very successful, he became more afraid of David.
16 Kodwa uIsrayeli wonke loJuda bamthanda uDavida, ngoba wayephuma engena phambi kwabo.
But all the people of Israel and of Judah loved David, because he led the soldiers very successfully [in the battles].
17 USawuli wasesithi kuDavida: Khangela, indodakazi yami endala uMerabi, ngizakunika yona ibe ngumkakho; kuphela bana liqhawe kimi, ulwe izimpi zeNkosi. Ngoba uSawuli wathi: Isandla sami kasingabi phezu kwakhe, kodwa isandla samaFilisti kasibe phezu kwakhe.
One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my oldest daughter, Merab, to be your wife. I will do that if you serve me bravely by fighting battles for Yahweh [against the Philistines]”. He said that because he thought, “I will not try to get rid of David by myself. I will allow the Philistines to do that.”
18 Kodwa uDavida wathi kuSawuli: Ngingubani mina? Lempilo yami iyini, losendo lukababa koIsrayeli, ukuthi ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi?
But David said to Saul, “I am not [RHQ] a very important person, and my family is not very important, and my clan is not a very important Israeli clan. So I do not deserve to become your son-in-law.” [RHQ]
19 Kodwa kwathi ngesikhathi uMerabi indodakazi kaSawuli ayezanikwa ngaso uDavida, wayesenikwe uAdriyeli umMehola ukuba ngumkakhe.
So, when it was time for Merab to be given to David to become his wife, instead, Saul gave her to a man named Adriel, from Meholah [town].
20 UMikhali indodakazi kaSawuli wamthanda-ke uDavida; basebemtshela uSawuli, lalolodaba lwaluqondile emehlweni akhe.
But Saul’s other daughter, Michal, fell in love with David. When they told Saul about that, he was pleased.
21 USawuli wasesithi: Ngizamnika yena ukuze abe ngumjibila kuye, lokuze isandla samaFilisti simelane laye. Ngakho uSawuli wathi kuDavida: Ngokwesibili uzakuba ngumkhwenyana wami lamuhla.
He thought, “I will let Michal marry him, in order that she may trap him, and the Philistines will be able to kill him.” So he said to David, [“You can marry Michal],” and by saying that, he indicated for the second time that David would become his son-in-law.
22 USawuli waselaya inceku zakhe wathi: Khulumani loDavida ngensitha lithi: Khangela, inkosi iyathokoza ngawe, lazo zonke inceku zayo ziyakuthanda; ngakho-ke woba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi.
Saul told his servants, “Talk to David privately, and say to him, ‘Listen, the king is pleased with you, and all of us his servants love you. So now [we think that] you should [marry Michal and] become the king’s son-in-law.’”
23 Izinceku zikaSawuli zasezikhuluma lawomazwi endlebeni zikaDavida. UDavida wasesithi: Kuyinto elula yini emehlweni enu ukuba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, lokhu mina ngingumuntu ongumyanga lodelelekayo?
So they told that to David. But David said, “It would be a great honor [RHQ] to become the king’s son-in-law. But [I do not think that I should do that, because] I am only a poor and insignificant man.”
24 Lenceku zikaSawuli zamtshela zisithi: UDavida wakhuluma ngalindlela.
When the servants told Saul what David had said,
25 USawuli wasesithi: Lizakutsho njalo kuDavida lithi: Inkosi kayiloyisi lobolo, kodwa amajwabu aphambili alikhulu amaFilisti, ukuze kuphindiselwe ezitheni zenkosi. Kodwa uSawuli wacabanga ukwenza uDavida awe ngesandla samaFilisti.
Saul replied, “Go and say to David, ‘[In order for] the king [to allow you to marry Michal, he] wants [you to kill] 100 Philistines [and cut off] their foreskins [and bring the foreskins to him to prove that you have killed them]. In that way he will get revenge on his enemies.’” But what Saul wanted was that the Philistines would kill David [while David was trying to kill them].
26 Lapho inceku zakhe zimtshela uDavida lawomazwi, udaba lwalulungile emehlweni kaDavida ukuthi abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. Kodwa insuku zazingakagcwaliseki.
When the servants told that to David, he was very pleased that he could become the king’s son-in-law [by doing that. The king had said how many days he would allow for David to do that]. But before that time ended,
27 Ngakho uDavida wasukuma wahamba, yena labantu bakhe, basebetshaya phakathi kwamaFilisti amadoda angamakhulu amabili; uDavida waseletha amajwabu awo aphambili, wawasa enkosini ephelele ukuze abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. USawuli wasemnika uMikhali indodakazi yakhe ukuthi abe ngumkakhe.
David and his men went and killed, [not 100, but] 200 Philistines! He brought their foreskins to Saul, and counted them [while Saul was watching], in order to prove that he had [done what the king required so that he could become Saul’s son-in-law. So then Saul was obligated] to allow David to marry his daughter Michal.
28 USawuli wasebona wazi ukuthi iNkosi iloDavida, loMikhali indodakazi yakhe yamthanda.
But when Saul realized that Yahweh was helping David, and that his daughter loved David,
29 Njalo uSawuli waya lokhu emesaba kakhulu uDavida; njalo uSawuli waba yisitha sikaDavida zonke izinsuku.
he became more afraid of David. So, as long as Saul lived, he was David’s enemy.
30 Iziphathamandla zamaFilisti zaseziphuma; kwasekusithi seziphumile uDavida waziphatha ngenhlakanipho okwedlula zonke izinceku zikaSawuli, laze laduma kakhulu ibizo lakhe.
The Philistine armies repeatedly came to fight the Israelis, but every time they fought, David and his soldiers were more successful than any of Saul’s other army commanders. As a result, David became very famous.
