1 USamuyeli 19
1 USawuli wasekhuluma kuJonathani indodana yakhe lakuzo zonke inceku zakhe ukuthi babulale uDavida. Kodwa uJonathani indodana kaSawuli wayemthanda kakhulukazi uDavida.
Then Saul instructed his son Jonathan and all his officials to kill David. But Jonathan really liked David,
2 UJonathani wasemtshela uDavida esithi: USawuli ubaba udinga ukukubulala; ngakho-ke ake uzinanzelele ekuseni, uhlale ekusithekeni, ucatshe.
so he warned him, “My father Saul is trying to kill you. So be careful tomorrow morning—find a place to hide and stay hidden.
3 Mina-ke ngizaphuma ngime eceleni kukababa emmangweni lapho okhona, mina ngizakhuluma ngawe kubaba; lengikubonayo ngizakutshela.
I'll go out with my father and stand in the field near to where you are hiding. I'll talk to him about you and see what I can find out, then I'll let you know.”
4 UJonathani wasekhuluma okuhle ngoDavida kuSawuli uyise, wathi kuye: Inkosi kayingayoni inceku yayo, imelane loDavida, ngoba kakonanga wena, langokunjalo imisebenzi yakhe ilungile kakhulu kuwe.
Then Jonathan spoke positively about David to his father Saul, and told him, “The king should not do anything bad to his servant David because he's not done anything bad to you—he has always served you well.
5 Ngoba wafaka impilo yakhe esandleni sakhe watshaya umFilisti; leNkosi yenzela uIsrayeli wonke usindiso olukhulu. Wakubona, wathokoza. Pho, uzalonelani igazi elingelacala ngokubulala uDavida kungelasizatho?
He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine, and the Lord brought about great salvation for the whole of Israel. You saw it and you were delighted, so why would you sin and spill innocent blood by killing David without having any reason?”
6 USawuli waselilalela ilizwi likaJonathani, uSawuli wafunga wathi: Kuphila kukaJehova, kayikubulawa.
Saul accepted what Jonathan had to say, and promised with an oath: “I swear on the life of the Lord, he won't be put to death.”
7 UJonathani wasembiza uDavida, uJonathani wamtshela wonke lawomazwi. UJonathani wasemletha uDavida kuSawuli, njalo wayephambi kwakhe njengakuqala.
Later Jonathan called David and told him all that had been said. Then he took him to Saul, and David worked for Saul as he had before.
8 Kwabuya kwaba khona impi; uDavida wasephuma walwa lamaFilisti, wawatshaya ngokutshaya okukhulu aze ambalekela.
War broke out once again, and David went to fight the Philistines. He attacked them so forcefully that they ran away in defeat.
9 Njalo umoya omubi ovela eNkosini wawuphezu kukaSawuli ehlezi endlini yakhe, lomkhonto usesandleni sakhe; loDavida wayetshaya ichacho ngesandla sakhe.
A while later an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul while he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. As David played the lyre,
10 USawuli wasedinga ukummbandakanya uDavida ngitsho emdulini ngomkhonto; kodwa waphunyuka ebukhoneni bukaSawuli, owahlaba umkhonto emdulini. UDavida wabaleka waphepha ngalobobusuku.
Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear. David managed to dodge the spear which embedded itself in the wall. Then David escaped and ran away into the night.
11 USawuli wasethuma izithunywa endlini kaDavida ukuze zimqaphele zimbulale ekuseni. UMikhali umkakhe wasemtshela uDavida esithi: Uba ungasindisi impilo yakho ngalobubusuku, kusasa uzabulawa.
Saul sent some messengers to David's house to keep watch and kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, “If you don't get away tonight, tomorrow you'll be killed.”
12 Ngakho uMikhali wasemehlisa uDavida ngewindi, wasehamba wabaleka waphepha.
Michal lowered David down from a window, and he ran off, managing to escape.
13 UMikhali wasethatha isithombe, wasifaka embhedeni, wabeka umqamelo woboya bembuzi endaweni yekhanda laso, wasembesa ngelembu.
Then she took a home idol and laid it in the bed, put a goat hair wig on its head, and covered it with bedclothes.
14 Lapho uSawuli ethuma izithunywa ukuthatha uDavida, wathi: Uyagula.
When Saul sent the messengers to arrest David, Michal told them, “He's sick.”
15 USawuli wasethuma izithunywa ukumbona uDavida esithi: Menyuseleni kimi ngombheda ukuze ngimbulale.
Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him to me in the bed so I can kill him.”
16 Lapho izithunywa zingena, khangela-ke, kwakulesithombe embhedeni, lomqamelo woboya bembuzi endaweni yekhanda laso.
But when the messengers went into the bedroom, there was the idol in the bed with the goat hair wig on its head.
17 USawuli wasesithi kuMikhali: Ungikhohliseleni kanje, wayekela isitha sami sahamba saphepha? UMikhali wasesithi kuSawuli: Yena uthe kimi: Ngiyekela ngihambe; ngizakubulalelani?
“Why did you trick me like this—helping my enemy get away so he could escape?” Saul asked Michal. “He told me, ‘Get out of my way! I don't want to have to kill you!’” Michal replied.
18 Ngokunjalo uDavida wabaleka waphunyuka, wafika kuSamuweli eRama; wamtshela konke uSawuli ayekwenze kuye. Yena loSamuweli basebesiyahlala eNayothi.
This is how David got away and escaped. He went to Samuel at Ramah and explained to him everything that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to stay in Naioth.
19 USawuli wasebikelwa kwathiwa: Khangela, uDavida useNayothi eRama.
When Saul got to hear that David was at Naioth in Ramah,
20 USawuli wasethuma izithunywa ukumthatha uDavida; lapho zibona ixuku labaprofethi beprofetha, loSamuweli emi engumkhokheli phezu kwabo, uMoya kaNkulunkulu waba phezu kwezithunywa zikaSawuli, lazo zaseziprofetha.
he sent messengers to arrest him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying with Samuel leading out, the Spirit of God came on Saul's messengers and they started prophesying too.
21 Lapho ebikelwa uSawuli, wathuma ezinye izithunywa, zona lazo zaprofetha. USawuli wasephinda ethuma izithunywa ngokwesithathu, zona lazo zaprofetha.
Saul was told what had happened, so he sent more messengers, and they started prophesying as well.
22 Laye wasesiya eRama, wafika emthonjeni omkhulu oseSeku, wabuza wathi: Bangaphi oSamuweli loDavida? Kwathiwa: Khangela, eNayothi eRama.
For the third time Saul sent messengers, and they also started prophesying.
23 Wasesiya khona eNayothi eRama; loMoya kaNkulunkulu waba phezu kwakhe laye; wahamba ehamba eprofetha waze wafika eNayothi eRama.
In the end Saul went himself to Ramah and arrived at the large cistern at Secu. “Where are Samuel and David?” he asked. “At Naioth in Ramah,” someone told him. So Saul went on to Naioth at Ramah, but the Spirit of God even came on him, and he was prophesying as he walked along until he arrived in Naioth.
24 Laye wasekhulula izigqoko zakhe, laye waprofetha phambi kukaSamuweli, walala phansi enqunu lonke lolosuku labo bonke lobobusuku. Yikho besithi: USawuli laye uphakathi kwabaprofethi yini?
Then Saul also took off his clothes and he too prophesied in Samuel's presence. Then he fell down and lay there naked all that day and all that night. That's why it is said, “Is Saul one of the prophets too?”
