1 USamuyeli 26

1 AbeZifi basebesiza kuSawuli eGibeya besithi: UDavida kacatshi yini oqaqeni lweHakila phambi kweJeshimoni?

Againe the Ziphims came vnto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doeth not Dauid hide him selfe in the hill of Hachilah before Ieshimon?

2 USawuli wasesukuma wehlela enkangala yeZifi elabantu abakhethiweyo bakoIsrayeli abayizinkulungwane ezintathu, ukuze adinge uDavida enkangala yeZifi.

Then Saul arose, and went downe to the wildernes of Ziph, hauing three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, for to seeke Dauid in the wildernesse of Ziph.

3 USawuli wasemisa inkamba oqaqeni lweHakila oluphambi kweJeshimoni endleleni, kodwa uDavida wahlala enkangala. Kwathi esebonile ukuthi uSawuli uyamlandela enkangala,

And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Ieshimon by the way side. Now Dauid abode in the wildernesse, and he sawe that Saul came after him into the wildernesse.

4 uDavida wasethuma izinhloli ukuze azi ukuthi uSawuli ufikile isibili.

(For Dauid had sent out spies, and vnderstood, that Saul was come in very deede)

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.

Then Dauid arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched, and when Dauid beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the sonne of Ner which was his chiefe captaine, (for Saul lay in the fort, and the people pitched round about him)

6 UDavida wasephendula wakhuluma kuAhimeleki umHethi, lakuAbishayi indodana kaZeruya, umfowabo kaJowabi, esithi: Ngubani ozakwehlela lami kuSawuli enkambeni? UAbishayi wasesithi: Mina ngizakwehla lawe.

Then spake Dauid, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah, brother to Ioab, saying, Who will go downe with me to Saul to the hoste? Then Abishai said, I will goe downe with thee.

7 Ngakho uDavida loAbishayi bafika ebantwini ebusuku; khangela-ke, uSawuli wayelele ubuthongo enqabeni yezinqola, lomkhonto wakhe wawugxunyekiwe emhlabathini ngasekhanda lakhe, loAbhineri labantu babelele bemhanqile.

So Dauid and Abishai came downe to the people by night: and beholde, Saul lay sleeping within the fort, and his speare did sticke in the ground at his head: and Abner and the people lay round about him.

8 UAbishayi wasesithi kuDavida: UNkulunkulu uvalele isitha sakho esandleni sakho lamuhla; ngakho-ke ake ngimtshayele ngitsho emhlabathini kanye ngomkhonto, ngingakuphindi kuye.

Then saide Abishai to Dauid, God hath closed thine enemie into thine hande this day: now therefore, I pray thee, let me smite him once with a speare to the earth, and I will not smite him againe.

9 Kodwa uDavida wathi kuAbishayi: Ungamchithi; ngoba ngubani ongelulela isandla sakhe kogcotshiweyo weNkosi angabi lacala?

And Dauid sayde to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can lay his hand on the Lordes anoynted, and be giltlesse?

10 UDavida wathi futhi: Kuphila kukaJehova, kodwa iNkosi izamtshaya, loba kufike usuku lwakhe ukuthi afe, kumbe ehlele empini abhujiswe.

Moreouer Dauid said, As the Lord liueth, eyther the Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come to dye, or he shall descend into battel, and perish.

11 Kakube khatshana lami ngeNkosi ukwelulela isandla sami kogcotshiweyo weNkosi; kodwa khathesi ake uthathe umkhonto osemqamelweni wakhe, lesigxingi samanzi, sihambe.

The Lord keepe mee from laying mine hand vpon the Lordes anointed: but, I pray thee, take now the speare that is at his head, and the pot of water, and let vs goe hence.

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.

So Dauid tooke the speare and the pot of water from Sauls head, and they gate them away, and no man saw it, nor marked it, neither did any awake, but they were all asleepe: for the Lord had sent a dead sleepe vpon them.

13 Lapho uDavida esechaphele ngaphetsheya, wema engqongeni yentaba khatshana; kwakukhona ummango omkhulu phakathi kwabo.

Then Dauid went vnto the other side, and stoode on the toppe of an hill a farre off, a great space being betweene them.

14 UDavida wasememeza ebantwini lakuAbhineri indodana kaNeri, esithi: Kawuphenduli yini, Abhineri? UAbhineri wasephendula esithi: Ungubani okhala enkosini?

And Dauid cryed to the people, and to Abner the sonne of Ner, saying, Hearest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered, and said, Who art thou that cryest to 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 Dauid said to Abner, Art not thou a man? and who is like thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lorde the King? for there came one of the folke in to destroy the King thy 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 well done of thee: as the Lord liueth, ye are worthy to dye, because ye haue not kept your master the Lordes Anointed: and now see where the Kings speare is, and the pot 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.

And Saul knewe Dauids voyce, and sayde, Is this thy voyce, my sonne Dauid? And Dauid sayde, It is my voyce, my lorde O King.

18 Wathi njalo: Inkosi yami ixotshanelani lenceku yayo? Ngoba ngenzeni? Kulobubi bani esandleni sami?

And he sayde, Wherefore doeth my lorde thus persecute his seruant? for what haue I done? or what euill is in mine 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, I beseech thee, let my lord the King heare the wordes of his seruant. If the Lord haue stirred thee vp against me, let him smell the sauour of a sacrifice: but if the children of men haue done it, cursed be they before the Lord: for they haue cast me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Goe, serue other gods.

20 Ngakho-ke igazi lami kalingaweli emhlabathini lisuke phambi kobuso beNkosi; ngoba inkosi yakoIsrayeli iphumele ukudinga indwebundwebu eyodwa, njengozingela ithendele ezintabeni.

Nowe therefore let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord: for the King of Israel is come out to seeke a flea, as one would hunt a partridge in the mountaines.

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.

Then sayde Saul, I haue sinned: come againe, my sonne Dauid: for I will doe thee no more harme, because my soule was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I haue done foolishly, and haue erred exceedingly.

22 UDavida wasephendula wathi: Khangela, umkhonto wenkosi! Kalichaphe elinye lamajaha, liwuthathe.

Then Dauid answered, and saide, Beholde the Kings speare, let one of the yong men come ouer and set it.

23 INkosi kayibuyisele kulowo lalowo ukulunga kwakhe lokuthembeka kwakhe; ngoba iNkosi ibikunikele esandleni sami lamuhla, kodwa kangithandanga ukwelulela isandla sami kogcotshiweyo weNkosi.

And let the Lord rewarde euery man according to his righteousnesse and faithfulnesse: for the Lord had deliuered thee into mine handes this day, but I woulde not lay mine hand vpon the Lords anointed.

24 Khangela-ke, njengoba impilo yakho ibinkulu emehlweni ami lamuhla, ngokunjalo impilo yami ayibe nkulu emehlweni eNkosi, kayingophule ekuhluphekeni konke.

And beholde, like as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes: so let my life be set by in the eyes of the Lord, that he may deliuer me out of all tribulation.

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 Dauid, Blessed art thou, my sonne Dauid: for thou shalt doe great things, and also preuaile. So Dauid went his way, and Saul returned to his place.