1 USamuyeli 26
1 AbeZifi basebesiza kuSawuli eGibeya besithi: UDavida kacatshi yini oqaqeni lweHakila phambi kweJeshimoni?
One day [some of] the people of Ziph [town] went to Saul while he was at Gibeah, and they said to him, “David is hiding in a cave on Hakilah hill, across from Jeshimon [town].”
2 USawuli wasesukuma wehlela enkangala yeZifi elabantu abakhethiweyo bakoIsrayeli abayizinkulungwane ezintathu, ukuze adinge uDavida enkangala yeZifi.
So Saul chose 3,000 of the best Israeli soldiers and went with them to Ziph Desert to search for David.
3 USawuli wasemisa inkamba oqaqeni lweHakila oluphambi kweJeshimoni endleleni, kodwa uDavida wahlala enkangala. Kwathi esebonile ukuthi uSawuli uyamlandela enkangala,
Saul and his men set up their tents close to the road on Hakilah hill, east of Jeshimon [town], but David [and his men] stayed in the desert. When David heard that Saul was searching for him,
4 uDavida wasethuma izinhloli ukuze azi ukuthi uSawuli ufikile isibili.
he sent some spies to find out for certain that Saul had come to Hakilah.
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 [that evening] David went to the place where Saul had set up his tent. [From a distance] he saw where Saul and his army commander, Abner, were sleeping. Saul was sleeping with all his army [sleeping] 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 [went back to where his men were and] talked to Ahimelech, who was from the Heth people-group, and Joab’s brother Abishai, whose mother was [David’s older sister] Zeruiah. He asked them, “Who will go with me down into the camp where Saul is?” Abishai replied, “I will go 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.
So that night David and Abishai crept into Saul’s camp. They saw that Saul was asleep. His spear was stuck in the ground near his head. Saul was asleep in the middle of the camp. Abner [the army commander] and the other soldiers were sleeping around Saul.
8 UAbishayi wasesithi kuDavida: UNkulunkulu uvalele isitha sakho esandleni sakho lamuhla; ngakho-ke ake ngimtshayele ngitsho emhlabathini kanye ngomkhonto, ngingakuphindi kuye.
Abishai whispered to David, “Today Yahweh has enabled us to kill your enemy! Allow me to fasten Saul to the ground [by thrusting] my spear into him. It will be necessary for me to strike him only once. I will not [need to] strike him twice.”
9 Kodwa uDavida wathi kuAbishayi: Ungamchithi; ngoba ngubani ongelulela isandla sakhe kogcotshiweyo weNkosi angabi lacala?
But David whispered to Abishai, “No, do not kill Saul. Yahweh has appointed him to be king, so Yahweh will surely [RHQ] punish anyone who kills him.
10 UDavida wathi futhi: Kuphila kukaJehova, kodwa iNkosi izamtshaya, loba kufike usuku lwakhe ukuthi afe, kumbe ehlele empini abhujiswe.
Just as surely as Yahweh lives, he himself will punish Saul. Perhaps Yahweh will strike him when it is Saul’s time to die, or perhaps Saul will be killed in a battle.
11 Kakube khatshana lami ngeNkosi ukwelulela isandla sami kogcotshiweyo weNkosi; kodwa khathesi ake uthathe umkhonto osemqamelweni wakhe, lesigxingi samanzi, sihambe.
But I hope/desire that Yahweh will prevent me from harming the king whom he has appointed. Let’s take Saul’s spear and water jug that are near his head. Then let’s get out of here!”
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 David took the spear and the jug, and he and Abishai left. No one saw them or knew what they were doing, and no one woke up, because Yahweh had caused them to be sound asleep.
13 Lapho uDavida esechaphele ngaphetsheya, wema engqongeni yentaba khatshana; kwakukhona ummango omkhulu phakathi kwabo.
David and Abishai went across the valley and climbed to the top of the hill, a long way from Saul’s camp.
14 UDavida wasememeza ebantwini lakuAbhineri indodana kaNeri, esithi: Kawuphenduli yini, Abhineri? UAbhineri wasephendula esithi: Ungubani okhala enkosini?
Then David shouted to Abner, “Abner, can you hear me?” Abner [woke up and] replied “Who are you, [waking up] the king by calling out to him?”
15 UDavida wasesithi kuAbhineri: Kawusindoda yini? Njalo ngubani onjengawe koIsrayeli? Kungani-ke ungayilindanga inkosi yakho inkosi? Ngoba kufike omunye wabantu ukuchitha inkosi, inkosi yakho.
David replied, “[I am sure that] you are the greatest man in Israel [IRO, RHQ]! So why did you not guard your master, the king? Someone came into your camp in order to kill your master, the king.
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.
You have done a very poor [job of guarding Saul]. So just as surely as Yahweh lives, you and your men should be executed! You have not guarded your master whom Yahweh appointed to be the king. Where are the king’s spear and the water jug that were close to his head?”
17 USawuli waselinanzelela ilizwi likaDavida wathi: Yilizwi lakho lelo yini, ndodana yami, Davida? UDavida wasesithi: Yilizwi lami, nkosi yami, nkosi.
[The shouting woke] Saul [up and he] recognized that it was David’s voice. He called out, saying, “My son David, is that your voice?” David replied, “Yes, your majesty it is my voice.”
18 Wathi njalo: Inkosi yami ixotshanelani lenceku yayo? Ngoba ngenzeni? Kulobubi bani esandleni sami?
Then David added, “Sir, why are you pursuing me [RHQ]? What wrong have I done [RHQ]?
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.
Your majesty, listen to me! If Yahweh has caused you to be angry with me, I should offer a sacrifice [in order to appease him]. But if it is people who have caused you to be angry with me, I hope/desire that Yahweh will curse them. They have forced me to leave the land that Yahweh gave to me. They have told me, ‘Go somewhere else and worship other gods!’
20 Ngakho-ke igazi lami kalingaweli emhlabathini lisuke phambi kobuso beNkosi; ngoba inkosi yakoIsrayeli iphumele ukudinga indwebundwebu eyodwa, njengozingela ithendele ezintabeni.
Now do not force me to die [MTY] far from [where we worship] Yahweh. You, the king of Israel, have come here searching for me. [But I do not want to harm you]! I am [as harmless as] a flea [MET]. You are searching for me like people hunt for a bird in the mountains! [MET]”
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 Saul said, “David, my son. I have sinned [by trying to kill you]. So come back home. Today you have considered my life to be very valuable [and so you have not killed me]. So I will not try to harm you. I have made a big mistake and have acted foolishly.”
22 UDavida wasephendula wathi: Khangela, umkhonto wenkosi! Kalichaphe elinye lamajaha, liwuthathe.
David replied, [“will leave] your spear here. Send one of your young men here to get it.
23 INkosi kayibuyisele kulowo lalowo ukulunga kwakhe lokuthembeka kwakhe; ngoba iNkosi ibikunikele esandleni sami lamuhla, kodwa kangithandanga ukwelulela isandla sami kogcotshiweyo weNkosi.
Yahweh rewards us for the things that we do that are right and for being loyal [to him]. Even when Yahweh placed me where I could easily have killed you, I refused to do that, because you are the one whom Yahweh has appointed [MTY] to be the king.
24 Khangela-ke, njengoba impilo yakho ibinkulu emehlweni ami lamuhla, ngokunjalo impilo yami ayibe nkulu emehlweni eNkosi, kayingophule ekuhluphekeni konke.
Just like I considered your life to be valuable [and spared your life] today, I hope/desire that Yahweh will consider my life to be valuable and [spare my life and] save me from all my troubles.”
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, “My son David, I pray that Yahweh will bless you. You will do great things very successfully.” Then David returned to his men, and Saul went back home.
