1 USamuyeli 23

1 Basebebika kuDavida besithi: Khangela, amaFilisti alwa emelene leKeyila, aphanga amabala okubhulela.

Now it was reported to David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and looting the threshing floors.”

2 UDavida wasebuza eNkosini esithi: Ngihambe yini ngitshaye lamaFilisti? INkosi yasisithi kuDavida: Hamba uyetshaya amaFilisti, usindise iKeyila.

So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

3 Kodwa abantu bakaDavida bathi kuye: Khangela, siyesaba khonapha koJuda; pho, kangakanani uba sisiya eKeyila emaviyweni amaFilisti?

But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”

4 UDavida wasephinda futhi ukubuza eNkosini. INkosi yasimphendula yathi: Sukuma wehlele eKeyila, ngoba ngizanikela amaFilisti esandleni sakho.

Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

5 Ngakho uDavida labantu bakhe baya eKeyila, balwa lamaFilisti, baqhuba inkomo zawo, bawatshaya ngokutshaya okukhulu. Ngalokho uDavida wasindisa abahlali beKeyila.

Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, and carried off their livestock, striking them with a mighty blow. So David saved the people of Keilah.

6 Kwasekusithi lapho uAbhiyatha indodana kaAhimeleki ebalekela kuDavida eKeyila, wehla ele-efodi esandleni sakhe.

(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

7 Kwasekubikwa kuSawuli ukuthi uDavida ungenile eKeyila. USawuli wasesithi: UNkulunkulu umnikele esandleni sami, ngoba uvalelwe ngokungena emzini olamasango lemigoqo.

When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”

8 USawuli wasebizela bonke abantu empini ukwehlela eKeyila, ukuvimbezela uDavida labantu bakhe.

Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.

9 UDavida wasesazi ukuthi uSawuli wenza iqhinga elibi ngasese ngaye, wathi kuAbhiyatha umpristi: Letha lapha i-efodi.

When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”

10 UDavida wasesithi: Nkosi, Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, inceku yakho izwile lokuzwa ukuthi uSawuli udinga ukuza eKeyila ukuchitha umuzi ngenxa yami.

And David said, “O LORD, God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city on my account.

11 Abahlali beKeyila bazanginikela esandleni sakhe yini? USawuli uzakwehla yini njengokuzwa kwenceku yakho? Nkosi, Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, akuyitshele inceku yakho. INkosi yasisithi: Uzakwehla.

Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.” “He will,” said the LORD.

12 UDavida wasesithi: Abahlali beKeyila bazanginikela mina labantu bami esandleni sikaSawuli yini? INkosi yasisithi: Bazalinikela.

So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” “They will,” said the LORD.

13 Wasesukuma uDavida labantu bakhe, phose abangamakhulu ayisithupha, baphuma eKeyila, baya lapho ababengaya khona. Lapho uSawuli esetshelwa ukuthi uDavida usephephile eKeyila, wayekela ukuphuma.

Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth.

14 UDavida wasehlala enkangala ezinqabeni, wahlala ezintabeni enkangala yeZifi. LoSawuli wayemdinga insuku zonke, kodwa uNkulunkulu kamnikelanga esandleni sakhe.

And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.

15 UDavida wasebona ukuthi uSawuli wayephumele ukudinga impilo yakhe. UDavida wayesenkangala yeZifi eguswini.

While David was in Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph, he saw that Saul had come out to take his life.

16 UJonathani, indodana kaSawuli, wasesukuma waya kuDavida eguswini, waqinisa isandla sakhe kuNkulunkulu.

And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God,

17 Wathi kuye: Ungesabi, ngoba isandla sikaSawuli ubaba kasiyikukuthola, njalo uzakuba yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli, mina-ke ngibe ngowesibili kuwe, loSawuli laye ubaba ukwazi kunjalo.

saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.”

18 Basebesenza isivumelwano bobabili phambi kweNkosi; uDavida wasehlala eguswini, loJonathani waya endlini yakhe.

So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.

19 AbeZifi basebesenyukela kuSawuli eGibeya bathi: UDavida kacatshanga lathi yini ezinqabeni eguswini, eqaqeni lweHakila engeningizimu kweJeshimoni?

Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon?

20 Ngakho-ke, ngokwesifiso sonke somphefumulo wakho sokwehla, nkosi, yehla; njalo kungokwethu ukumnikela esandleni senkosi.

Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.”

21 USawuli wasesithi: Libusisiwe yiNkosi ngoba liyangizwela.

“May you be blessed by the LORD,” replied Saul, “for you have had compassion on me.

22 Ake lihambe, libe lilungisa, lazi libone indawo yakhe lapho unyawo lwakhe lukhona, ngubani ombone lapho, ngoba ngitsheliwe ukuthi wenza ngobuqili isibili.

Please go and prepare further. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning.

23 Bonani-ke, lizazi zonke indawo zokucatsha lapho acatsha khona, libuye kimi lileqiniso, ngizahamba-ke lani; kuzakuthi-ke nxa ekhona elizweni, ngizamdinga phakathi kwazo zonke inkulungwane zakoJuda.

Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.”

24 Basebesukuma baya eZifi phambi kukaSawuli; kodwa uDavida labantu bakhe babesenkangala yeMahoni, emagcekeni, ngeningizimu kweJeshimoni.

So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon,

25 USawuli labantu bakhe basebesiyamdinga. Basebemtshela uDavida, wasesehla edwaleni, wahlala enkangala yeMahoni. Kwathi uSawuli esekuzwile, waxotshana loDavida enkangala yeMahoni.

and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there.

26 USawuli wasehamba nganeno kuloluhlangothi lwentaba, loDavida labantu bakhe bahamba ngakolunye uhlangothi lwentaba. Kwasekusithi uDavida waphangisa ukusuka ebusweni bukaSawuli, ngoba uSawuli labantu bakhe bahanqa uDavida labantu bakhe ukubabamba.

Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.

27 Kodwa kwafika isithunywa kuSawuli sisithi: Phangisa ubuye, ngoba amaFilisti asehlasele ilizwe.

Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!”

28 Ngakho uSawuli waphenduka ekuxotshaneni loDavida, wayamelana lamaFilisti. Ngakho bayibiza leyondawo bathi yiSela-Hamalekoti.

So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth.

29 UDavida wasesenyuka esuka lapho, wahlala ezinqabeni zeEngedi.

And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.