1 USamuyeli 23
1 Basebebika kuDavida besithi: Khangela, amaFilisti alwa emelene leKeyila, aphanga amabala okubhulela.
And they reported to David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are plundering the grain stores.”
2 UDavida wasebuza eNkosini esithi: Ngihambe yini ngitshaye lamaFilisti? INkosi yasisithi kuDavida: Hamba uyetshaya amaFilisti, usindise iKeyila.
Therefore, David consulted the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and strike down these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go, and you shall strike down the Philistines, and you shall save Keilah.”
3 Kodwa abantu bakaDavida bathi kuye: Khangela, siyesaba khonapha koJuda; pho, kangakanani uba sisiya eKeyila emaviyweni amaFilisti?
And the men who were with David said to him, “Behold, we continue in fear here in Judea; how much more so, if we go into Keilah against the troops of the Philistines?”
4 UDavida wasephinda futhi ukubuza eNkosini. INkosi yasimphendula yathi: Sukuma wehlele eKeyila, ngoba ngizanikela amaFilisti esandleni sakho.
Therefore, David consulted the Lord again. And responding, he said to him: “Rise up, and go into 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.
Therefore, David and his men went into Keilah. And they fought against the Philistines, and they took away their cattle, and they struck them with a great slaughter. And David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 Kwasekusithi lapho uAbhiyatha indodana kaAhimeleki ebalekela kuDavida eKeyila, wehla ele-efodi esandleni sakhe.
And in that time, when Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, was in exile with David, he had descended to Keilah, having an ephod with him.
7 Kwasekubikwa kuSawuli ukuthi uDavida ungenile eKeyila. USawuli wasesithi: UNkulunkulu umnikele esandleni sami, ngoba uvalelwe ngokungena emzini olamasango lemigoqo.
Then it was reported to Saul that David had gone to Keilah. And Saul said: “The Lord has delivered him into my hands. For he is enclosed, having entered into a city which has gates and bars.”
8 USawuli wasebizela bonke abantu empini ukwehlela eKeyila, ukuvimbezela uDavida labantu bakhe.
And Saul instructed all the people to descend in order to fight against Keilah, and to besiege David and his men.
9 UDavida wasesazi ukuthi uSawuli wenza iqhinga elibi ngasese ngaye, wathi kuAbhiyatha umpristi: Letha lapha i-efodi.
And when David had realized that Saul had secretly prepared 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 a report that Saul is planning to go to Keilah, so that he may overturn the city because of me.
11 Abahlali beKeyila bazanginikela esandleni sakhe yini? USawuli uzakwehla yini njengokuzwa kwenceku yakho? Nkosi, Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, akuyitshele inceku yakho. INkosi yasisithi: Uzakwehla.
Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hands? And will Saul descend, just as your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, reveal to your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will descend.”
12 UDavida wasesithi: Abahlali beKeyila bazanginikela mina labantu bami esandleni sikaSawuli yini? INkosi yasisithi: Bazalinikela.
And David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me, and the men who are with me, into the hands of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will deliver you.”
13 Wasesukuma uDavida labantu bakhe, phose abangamakhulu ayisithupha, baphuma eKeyila, baya lapho ababengaya khona. Lapho uSawuli esetshelwa ukuthi uDavida usephephile eKeyila, wayekela ukuphuma.
Therefore, David, and his men of about six hundred, rose up, and, departing from Keilah, they wandered here and there, aimlessly. And it was reported to Saul that David had fled from Keilah, and was saved. For this reason, he chose not to go out.
14 UDavida wasehlala enkangala ezinqabeni, wahlala ezintabeni enkangala yeZifi. LoSawuli wayemdinga insuku zonke, kodwa uNkulunkulu kamnikelanga esandleni sakhe.
Then David stayed in the desert, in very strong places. And he stayed on a mount in the wilderness of Ziph, on a shady mount. Nevertheless, Saul was seeking him every day. But the Lord did not deliver him into his hands.
15 UDavida wasebona ukuthi uSawuli wayephumele ukudinga impilo yakhe. UDavida wayesenkangala yeZifi eguswini.
And David saw that Saul had gone out, so that he might seek his life. Now David was in the desert of Ziph, in the woods.
16 UJonathani, indodana kaSawuli, wasesukuma waya kuDavida eguswini, waqinisa isandla sakhe kuNkulunkulu.
And Jonathan, the son of Saul, rose up and went to David in the woods, and he strengthened his hands in God. And he said to him:
17 Wathi kuye: Ungesabi, ngoba isandla sikaSawuli ubaba kasiyikukuthola, njalo uzakuba yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli, mina-ke ngibe ngowesibili kuwe, loSawuli laye ubaba ukwazi kunjalo.
“Do not be afraid. For the hand of my father, Saul, will not find you. And you shall reign over Israel. And I will be second to you. And even my father knows this.”
18 Basebesenza isivumelwano bobabili phambi kweNkosi; uDavida wasehlala eguswini, loJonathani waya endlini yakhe.
Therefore, they both struck a pact before the Lord. And David stayed in the woods. But Jonathan returned to his house.
19 AbeZifi basebesenyukela kuSawuli eGibeya bathi: UDavida kacatshanga lathi yini ezinqabeni eguswini, eqaqeni lweHakila engeningizimu kweJeshimoni?
Then the Ziphites ascended to Saul at Gibeah, saying: “Behold, is not David hidden with us in very secure places in the woods on the hill of Hachilah, which is to the right of the desert?
20 Ngakho-ke, ngokwesifiso sonke somphefumulo wakho sokwehla, nkosi, yehla; njalo kungokwethu ukumnikela esandleni senkosi.
Now therefore, if your soul has desired to descend, then descend. Then it will be for us to deliver him into the hands of the king.”
21 USawuli wasesithi: Libusisiwe yiNkosi ngoba liyangizwela.
And Saul said: “You have been blessed by the Lord. For you have grieved for my situation.
22 Ake lihambe, libe lilungisa, lazi libone indawo yakhe lapho unyawo lwakhe lukhona, ngubani ombone lapho, ngoba ngitsheliwe ukuthi wenza ngobuqili isibili.
Therefore, I beg you, go forth, and prepare diligently, and act carefully. And consider the place where his foot may be, and who may have seen him there. For he thinks, concerning me, that I craftily plan treachery against him.
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.
Consider and seek out all his hiding places, in which he may be concealed. And return to me with certainty about the matter, so that I may go with you. But if he would even press himself into the earth, I will search him out, amid all the thousands of Judah.”
24 Basebesukuma baya eZifi phambi kukaSawuli; kodwa uDavida labantu bakhe babesenkangala yeMahoni, emagcekeni, ngeningizimu kweJeshimoni.
And rising up, they went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the plain to the right of Jeshimon.
25 USawuli labantu bakhe basebesiyamdinga. Basebemtshela uDavida, wasesehla edwaleni, wahlala enkangala yeMahoni. Kwathi uSawuli esekuzwile, waxotshana loDavida enkangala yeMahoni.
Then Saul and his allies went to seek him. And this was reported to David. And immediately, he descended to the rock, and he moved about in the desert of Maon. And when Saul had heard of it, he pursued David in the desert of Maon.
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.
And Saul went to one side of the mountain. But David and his men were on the other side of the mountain. Then David was despairing that he would be able to escape from the face of Saul. And Saul and his men enclosed David and his men in the manner of a crown, so that they might capture them.
27 Kodwa kwafika isithunywa kuSawuli sisithi: Phangisa ubuye, ngoba amaFilisti asehlasele ilizwe.
And a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, because the Philistines have poured themselves out upon the land.”
28 Ngakho uSawuli waphenduka ekuxotshaneni loDavida, wayamelana lamaFilisti. Ngakho bayibiza leyondawo bathi yiSela-Hamalekoti.
Therefore, Saul turned back, ceasing in the pursuit of David, and he traveled to meet the Philistines. For this reason, they called that place, the Rock of Division.
29 UDavida wasesenyuka esuka lapho, wahlala ezinqabeni zeEngedi.
Then David ascended from there, and he lived in very secure places in Engedi.
