1 Samweli 18
1 Baada ya Daudi kumaliza kuongea na Sauli, roho ya Yonathani ikaambatana na roho ya Daudi, naye akampenda kama nafsi yake mwenyewe.
After David finished talking with Saul, [he met Saul’s son, Jonathan.] Jonathan [immediately] liked David; in fact, he began to love/like him as much as he loved/liked himself.
2 Kuanzia siku ile Sauli akamchukua Daudi naye hakumruhusu kurudi nyumbani kwa baba yake.
From that day, Saul kept David with him, and did not let him return home.
3 Yonathani akafanya agano na Daudi kwa sababu alimpenda kama nafsi yake mwenyewe.
Because Jonathan loved David so much, he made a solemn agreement with David. [They promised each other that they would always be loyal friends].
4 Yonathani akavua joho alilokuwa amevaa na kumpa Daudi, pamoja na koti lake, silaha zake, hata pamoja na upanga wake, upinde wake na mshipi wake.
Jonathan took off his own outer robe and gave it to David. He also gave David his soldier’s tunic, his sword, his bow [and arrows], and his belt.
5 Lolote Sauli alilomtuma Daudi kufanya, alitenda kwa hekima, hata Sauli akampa cheo cha juu katika jeshi. Jambo hili likawapendeza watu wote, hata maafisa wa Sauli pia.
[David went wherever Saul sent him. And] whatever Saul told him to do, David did it very successfully. As a result, Saul appointed David to be a commander in the army. All the officers and other men in the army (approved of/were very pleased with) that.
6 Watu walipokuwa wanarudi nyumbani baada ya Daudi kumuua yule Mfilisti, wanawake wakaja kutoka pande zote za miji ya Israeli kumlaki Mfalme Sauli kwa kuimba na kucheza, kwa nyimbo za furaha na kwa matari na zeze.
But, when the men in the army were returning home after David had killed Goliath, the women came out from many [HYP] towns in Israel to meet/greet King Saul. They were singing and dancing very joyfully, playing tambourines and lyres.
7 Walipokuwa wanacheza, wakaimba: “Sauli amewaua elfu zake, naye Daudi makumi elfu yake.”
As they danced, they sang this song to each other: “Saul has killed 1,000 [enemy soldiers], But David has killed 10,000 [of them].”
8 Sauli akakasirika sana; sehemu hii ya kurudia rudia ya wimbo huu ilimkasirisha sana. Akafikiri kuwa, “Wamempa Daudi makumi elfu, lakini mimi wamenipa elfu tu. Apate nini zaidi isipokuwa ufalme?”
[When] Saul [heard them singing that, he] did not like it. He became very angry. He said [to himself], “They are saying that David [killed] 10,000 men, but that I [have killed] only 1,000. Soon they will want to make him their king!” [RHQ]
9 Kuanzia wakati ule na kuendelea Sauli akawa na jicho la wivu juu ya Daudi.
From that time, Saul watched David very closely because he was suspicious [that David would try to become king].
10 Kesho yake roho mbaya iliyoachiwa nafasi na Mungu ikaja kwa nguvu juu ya Sauli. Alikuwa akitabiri nyumbani mwake, wakati Daudi alikuwa akipiga kinubi, kama alivyozoea. Sauli alikuwa na mkuki mkononi mwake;
The next day, an evil spirit sent by God suddenly took control of Saul. He began to act like a madman, inside his house. David was playing the lyre for him, as he did every day. Saul was holding a spear in his hand,
11 akautupa kwa nguvu, akijiambia mwenyewe, “Nitamchoma kwa mkuki abaki hapo ukutani.” Lakini Daudi akamkwepa mara mbili.
and he hurled it [at David], saying to himself, “I will fasten David to the wall with the spear!” He did that two times, but David jumped aside [both times].
12 Sauli akamwogopa Daudi, kwa sababu Bwana alikuwa pamoja na Daudi, lakini alikuwa amemwacha yeye.
Because [it became evident that] Yahweh had abandoned Saul but [that] he was helping David, Saul was afraid of David.
13 Kwa hiyo Sauli akamwondoa Daudi mbele yake na kumpa kuwa kiongozi wa watu elfu moja, naye Daudi akatoka na kuingia akiongoza vikosi katika vita.
So he appointed David as a commander of 1,000 soldiers and sent David away from him, [hoping that David would be killed in a battle]. But when David led his soldiers [in their battles],
14 Katika kila kitu alichofanya, Daudi alipata mafanikio makubwa, kwa sababu Bwana alikuwa pamoja naye.
he always had great success, because Yahweh was helping him.
15 Sauli alipoona jinsi alivyokuwa akifanikiwa, akamwogopa.
When Saul heard that David [and his soldiers were] very successful, he became more afraid of David.
16 Lakini Israeli wote na Yuda walimpenda Daudi, kwa sababu ndiye alikuwa akiwaongoza katika vita vyao.
But all the people of Israel and of Judah loved David, because he led the soldiers very successfully [in the battles].
17 Sauli akamwambia Daudi, “Huyu hapa binti yangu mkubwa Merabu. Nitakupa umwoe, endapo tu utanitumikia kwa ushujaa na kupigana vita vya Bwana.” Kwa maana Sauli alisema moyoni mwake, “Sitainua mkono wangu dhidi yake. Acha mkono wa Wafilisti uwe juu yake.”
One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my oldest daughter, Merab, to be your wife. I will do that if you serve me bravely by fighting battles for Yahweh [against the Philistines]”. He said that because he thought, “I will not try to get rid of David by myself. I will allow the Philistines to do that.”
18 Lakini Daudi akamwambia Sauli, “Mimi ni nani, nayo jamaa yangu ni nini au ukoo wa baba yangu katika Israeli, kwamba mimi niwe mkwewe mfalme?”
But David said to Saul, “I am not [RHQ] a very important person, and my family is not very important, and my clan is not a very important Israeli clan. So I do not deserve to become your son-in-law.” [RHQ]
19 Basi ulipofika wakati wa Daudi kupewa Merabu, binti Sauli, huyo binti aliozwa kwa Adrieli, Mmeholathi.
So, when it was time for Merab to be given to David to become his wife, instead, Saul gave her to a man named Adriel, from Meholah [town].
20 Basi Mikali binti Sauli alimpenda Daudi, nao walipomwambia Sauli juu ya jambo hili, likampendeza.
But Saul’s other daughter, Michal, fell in love with David. When they told Saul about that, he was pleased.
21 Sauli akawaza, “Nitampa Daudi binti yangu, ili apate kuwa mtego kwake, ili kwamba mkono wa Wafilisti upate kuwa juu yake.” Hivyo Sauli akamwambia Daudi, “Sasa unayo nafasi ya pili ya kuwa mkwe wangu.”
He thought, “I will let Michal marry him, in order that she may trap him, and the Philistines will be able to kill him.” So he said to David, [“You can marry Michal],” and by saying that, he indicated for the second time that David would become his son-in-law.
22 Ndipo Sauli akawaagiza watumishi wake, akisema, “Zungumzeni na Daudi kwa siri na kumwambia, ‘Tazama, mfalme amependezwa nawe, nao watumishi wake wote wanakupenda. Basi na uwe mkwewe mfalme.’”
Saul told his servants, “Talk to David privately, and say to him, ‘Listen, the king is pleased with you, and all of us his servants love you. So now [we think that] you should [marry Michal and] become the king’s son-in-law.’”
23 Watumishi wa Sauli wakarudia hayo maneno kwa Daudi. Lakini Daudi akasema, “Je, mnafikiri ni jambo dogo kuwa mkwewe mfalme? Mimi ni mtu maskini tu, na nisiyejulikana sana.”
So they told that to David. But David said, “It would be a great honor [RHQ] to become the king’s son-in-law. But [I do not think that I should do that, because] I am only a poor and insignificant man.”
24 Watumishi wa Sauli walipomweleza yale Daudi aliyoyasema,
When the servants told Saul what David had said,
25 Sauli akajibu, “Mwambieni Daudi, ‘Mfalme hataki zawadi nyingine kuwa mahari isipokuwa magovi 100 ya Wafilisti, ili kulipiza kisasi juu ya adui zake.’” Mawazo ya Sauli yalikuwa Daudi akaanguke mikononi mwa Wafilisti.
Saul replied, “Go and say to David, ‘[In order for] the king [to allow you to marry Michal, he] wants [you to kill] 100 Philistines [and cut off] their foreskins [and bring the foreskins to him to prove that you have killed them]. In that way he will get revenge on his enemies.’” But what Saul wanted was that the Philistines would kill David [while David was trying to kill them].
26 Watumishi walipomwambia Daudi mambo haya, ikampendeza kuwa mkwewe mfalme. Basi kabla siku iliyopangwa haijafika,
When the servants told that to David, he was very pleased that he could become the king’s son-in-law [by doing that. The king had said how many days he would allow for David to do that]. But before that time ended,
27 Daudi na watu wake walitoka na kuwaua Wafilisti mia mbili. Akayaleta magovi yao na kupeleka hesabu kamilifu kwa mfalme, ili kwamba apate kuwa mkwewe mfalme. Ndipo Sauli akamwoza Daudi Mikali binti yake.
David and his men went and killed, [not 100, but] 200 Philistines! He brought their foreskins to Saul, and counted them [while Saul was watching], in order to prove that he had [done what the king required so that he could become Saul’s son-in-law. So then Saul was obligated] to allow David to marry his daughter Michal.
28 Sauli alipotambua kuwa Bwana alikuwa pamoja na Daudi na kwamba Mikali binti yake anampenda Daudi,
But when Saul realized that Yahweh was helping David, and that his daughter loved David,
29 Sauli akazidi kumwogopa Daudi, naye Sauli akabaki kuwa adui yake siku zote za maisha yake.
he became more afraid of David. So, as long as Saul lived, he was David’s enemy.
30 Majemadari wa jeshi la Wafilisti waliendelea kupigana vita na kadiri walivyoendelea kupigana, Daudi akazidi kutenda kwa hekima kuliko maafisa wengine wa Sauli, nalo jina lake likajulikana sana.
The Philistine armies repeatedly came to fight the Israelis, but every time they fought, David and his soldiers were more successful than any of Saul’s other army commanders. As a result, David became very famous.
