< 1 USamuyeli 26 >
1 AbeZifi basebesiza kuSawuli eGibeya besithi: UDavida kacatshi yini oqaqeni lweHakila phambi kweJeshimoni?
And the Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah, saying: “Behold, David is hidden on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite the wilderness.”
2 USawuli wasesukuma wehlela enkangala yeZifi elabantu abakhethiweyo bakoIsrayeli abayizinkulungwane ezintathu, ukuze adinge uDavida enkangala yeZifi.
And Saul rose up, and he descended into the desert of Ziph, and with him three thousand elect men of Israel, so that he might seek David in the desert of Ziph.
3 USawuli wasemisa inkamba oqaqeni lweHakila oluphambi kweJeshimoni endleleni, kodwa uDavida wahlala enkangala. Kwathi esebonile ukuthi uSawuli uyamlandela enkangala,
And Saul encamped at Gibeah on Hachilah, which was opposite the wilderness on the way. But David was living in the desert. Then, seeing that Saul had arrived after him in the wilderness,
4 uDavida wasethuma izinhloli ukuze azi ukuthi uSawuli ufikile isibili.
he sent explorers, and he learned that he certainly had arrived in that place.
5 UDavida wasesukuma wayafika endaweni lapho uSawuli amise khona inkamba; uDavida wayibona indawo lapho uSawuli alala khona, loAbhineri indodana kaNeri, induna yebutho lakhe. Njalo uSawuli wayelele enqabeni yezinqola, lesizwe sasimise amathente simhanqile.
And David rose up secretly, and he went to the place where Saul was. And when he had seen the place where Saul was sleeping, and Abner, the son of Ner, the leader of his military, and Saul sleeping in a tent, and the remainder of the common people all around him,
6 UDavida wasephendula wakhuluma kuAhimeleki umHethi, lakuAbishayi indodana kaZeruya, umfowabo kaJowabi, esithi: Ngubani ozakwehlela lami kuSawuli enkambeni? UAbishayi wasesithi: Mina ngizakwehla lawe.
David spoke to Ahimelech, the Hittite, and to Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, saying, “Who will descend with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will descend with you.”
7 Ngakho uDavida loAbishayi bafika ebantwini ebusuku; khangela-ke, uSawuli wayelele ubuthongo enqabeni yezinqola, lomkhonto wakhe wawugxunyekiwe emhlabathini ngasekhanda lakhe, loAbhineri labantu babelele bemhanqile.
Therefore, David and Abishai went to the people by night, and they found Saul lying down and sleeping in the tent, with his spear fixed in the ground at his head. And Abner and the people were sleeping all around him.
8 UAbishayi wasesithi kuDavida: UNkulunkulu uvalele isitha sakho esandleni sakho lamuhla; ngakho-ke ake ngimtshayele ngitsho emhlabathini kanye ngomkhonto, ngingakuphindi kuye.
And Abishai said to David: “God has enclosed your enemy this day in your hands. Now therefore, I will pierce him with my lance, through to the ground, once, and there will not need to be a second.”
9 Kodwa uDavida wathi kuAbishayi: Ungamchithi; ngoba ngubani ongelulela isandla sakhe kogcotshiweyo weNkosi angabi lacala?
And David said to Abishai: “You shall not kill him. For who may extend his hand against the Christ of the Lord, and yet be innocent?”
10 UDavida wathi futhi: Kuphila kukaJehova, kodwa iNkosi izamtshaya, loba kufike usuku lwakhe ukuthi afe, kumbe ehlele empini abhujiswe.
And David said: “As the Lord lives, unless the Lord himself will strike him, or unless his day to die will have arrived, or unless, descending into battle, he will perish,
11 Kakube khatshana lami ngeNkosi ukwelulela isandla sami kogcotshiweyo weNkosi; kodwa khathesi ake uthathe umkhonto osemqamelweni wakhe, lesigxingi samanzi, sihambe.
may the Lord be gracious to me, so that I may not extend my hand against the Christ of the Lord. Now therefore, take the spear that is at his head, and the cup of water, and let us go.”
12 UDavida wasethatha umkhonto lesigxingi samanzi ekususa emqamelweni kaSawuli, bahamba. Njalo kakho owakubonayo, kakho owakwaziyo, kakho owavukayo, ngoba bonke babelele, ngoba ubuthongo obunzima beNkosi babubehlele.
And so, David took the spear, and the cup of water that was at Saul’s head, and they went away. And there was no one who saw it, or realized it, or awakened, but they were all sleeping. For a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen over them.
13 Lapho uDavida esechaphele ngaphetsheya, wema engqongeni yentaba khatshana; kwakukhona ummango omkhulu phakathi kwabo.
And when David had crossed over to the opposite side, and had stood upon the top of the hill far away, so that there was a great interval between them,
14 UDavida wasememeza ebantwini lakuAbhineri indodana kaNeri, esithi: Kawuphenduli yini, Abhineri? UAbhineri wasephendula esithi: Ungubani okhala enkosini?
David cried out to the people, and to Abner, the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not respond, Abner?” And responding, Abner said, “Who are you, that you would cry out and disquiet the king?”
15 UDavida wasesithi kuAbhineri: Kawusindoda yini? Njalo ngubani onjengawe koIsrayeli? Kungani-ke ungayilindanga inkosi yakho inkosi? Ngoba kufike omunye wabantu ukuchitha inkosi, inkosi yakho.
And David said to Abner: “Are you not a man? And who else is like you in Israel? Then why have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people entered, so that he might kill the king, your lord.
16 Kayinhle into oyenzileyo. Kuphila kukaJehova, lingabantwana bokufa, ngoba kaliyilindanga inkosi yenu, ogcotshiweyo weNkosi. Khathesi-ke bona ukuthi ungaphi umkhonto wenkosi lesigxingi samanzi ebesingasemqamelweni wayo.
This is not good, what you have done. As the Lord lives, you are sons of death, because you have not guarded your lord, the Christ of the Lord. Now therefore, where is the king’s spear, and where is the cup of water that was at his head?”
17 USawuli waselinanzelela ilizwi likaDavida wathi: Yilizwi lakho lelo yini, ndodana yami, Davida? UDavida wasesithi: Yilizwi lami, nkosi yami, nkosi.
Then Saul recognized the voice of David, and he said, “Is this not your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord the king.”
18 Wathi njalo: Inkosi yami ixotshanelani lenceku yayo? Ngoba ngenzeni? Kulobubi bani esandleni sami?
And he said: “For what reason has my lord pursued his servant? What have I done? Or what evil is there in my hand?
19 Ngakho-ke, ake izwe inkosi yami, inkosi, amazwi enceku yayo. Uba iNkosi ikuqubula ukumelana lami, kayemukele umnikelo; kodwa uba kungabantwana babantu, kabaqalekiswe phambi kweNkosi; ngoba bangixotshile lamuhla ukuthi ngingazihlanganisi lelifa leNkosi, besithi: Hamba, ukhonze abanye onkulunkulu.
Now therefore, listen, I beg you, my lord the king, to the words of your servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let him make the sacrifice fragrant. But if the sons of men have done so, they are accursed in the sight of the Lord, who has cast me out this day, so that I would not live within the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve strange gods.’
20 Ngakho-ke igazi lami kalingaweli emhlabathini lisuke phambi kobuso beNkosi; ngoba inkosi yakoIsrayeli iphumele ukudinga indwebundwebu eyodwa, njengozingela ithendele ezintabeni.
And now, let not my blood be poured out upon the earth before the Lord. For the king of Israel has gone out, so that he might seek a flea, just as the partridge is pursued amid the mountains.”
21 USawuli wasesithi: Ngonile; buya, ndodana yami Davida, ngoba kangisayikwenza ububi kuwe, ngenxa yokuthi umphefumulo wami ubuligugu emehlweni akho lamuhla. Khangela, ngenze ngobuphukuphuku, ngaduha kakhulu sibili.
And Saul said: “I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will never again do evil to you, because my life has been precious in your eyes this day. For it is apparent that I have acted senselessly, and have been ignorant of very many things.”
22 UDavida wasephendula wathi: Khangela, umkhonto wenkosi! Kalichaphe elinye lamajaha, liwuthathe.
And responding, David said: “Behold, the king’s spear. Let one of the servants of the king cross over and take it.
23 INkosi kayibuyisele kulowo lalowo ukulunga kwakhe lokuthembeka kwakhe; ngoba iNkosi ibikunikele esandleni sami lamuhla, kodwa kangithandanga ukwelulela isandla sami kogcotshiweyo weNkosi.
And the Lord will repay each one according to his justice and faith. For the Lord has delivered you this day into my hand, but I was not willing to extend my hand against the Christ of the Lord.
24 Khangela-ke, njengoba impilo yakho ibinkulu emehlweni ami lamuhla, ngokunjalo impilo yami ayibe nkulu emehlweni eNkosi, kayingophule ekuhluphekeni konke.
And just as your soul has been magnified this day in my eyes, so let my soul be magnified in the eyes of the Lord, and may he free me from all distress.”
25 USawuli wasesithi kuDavida: Kawubusiswe wena, ndodana yami Davida. Lawe uzakwenza isibili, lawe uzanqoba lokunqoba. UDavida wasehamba ngendlela yakhe, loSawuli wabuyela endaweni yakhe.
Then Saul said to David: “You are blessed, my son David. And whatever you may do, it shall certainly succeed.” And David departed on his way. And Saul returned to his place.