1 Samweli 24
1 Baada ya Sauli kurudi kuwafuatia Wafilisti, akaambiwa kwamba, “Daudi yuko katika Jangwa la En-Gedi.”
After Saul [and his soldiers] returned [home] after fighting against the Philistia army, someone reported to Saul that David [and his men] had gone into the desert near En-Gedi.
2 Basi Sauli akachukua watu hodari 3,000 kutoka Israeli yote kwenda kumsaka Daudi na watu wake karibu na Majabali ya Mbuzi-Mwitu.
[When] Saul [heard that, he] chose 3,000 men from various areas in Israel, and they went to search for David and his men at a place named Rocks of Wild Goats.
3 Akaja mpaka kwenye mazizi ya kondoo kando ya njia, hapo palikuwa na pango, na Sauli akaingia ndani kujipumzisha. Daudi na watu wake walikuwa wamo mle pangoni kwa ndani zaidi.
At a place where the road was alongside some sheep pens, Saul [left the road and] entered a cave to defecate [EUP]. [He did not know that] David and his men were hiding further inside that same cave!
4 Watu wa Daudi wakasema, “Hii ndiyo siku aliyonena Bwana akikuambia, ‘Nitamtia adui yako mikononi mwako ili wewe umtendee utakavyo.’” Basi Daudi akanyemelea bila kuonekana na kukata upindo wa joho la Sauli.
David’s men [saw Saul and] whispered to David, “Today is the day that Yahweh spoke about when he said, ‘I will enable you to defeat your enemy.’ You can do to him whatever you want to!” So David crept toward the entrance of the cave and [with his knife] he cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
5 Baada ya hilo, dhamiri ya Daudi ikataabika kwa kukata upindo wa joho la Sauli.
[And then he returned to his men]. But then David felt guilty for having cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
6 Akawaambia watu wake, “Bwana na apishie mbali nisije nikafanya jambo kama hilo kwa bwana wangu, yeye ambaye ni mpakwa mafuta wa Bwana, au kuinua mkono wangu dhidi yake; kwani yeye ni mpakwa mafuta wa Bwana.”
He said to his men, “I should not have done that to the king! I hope/desire that Yahweh will never allow me to attack the one whom God has appointed, because Yahweh is the one who chose him [to be the king].”
7 Kwa maneno haya Daudi akawaonya watu wake na hakuwaruhusu wamshambulie Sauli. Naye Sauli akaondoka pangoni na kwenda zake.
By saying that, David restrained his men, and did not allow them to kill Saul.
8 Ndipo Daudi naye akatoka pangoni na kumwita Sauli akisema, “Mfalme, bwana wangu!” Sauli alipotazama nyuma, Daudi akainama na kusujudu uso wake mpaka nchi.
After Saul left the cave and started to walk on the road again, David came out of the cave and shouted to Saul, “King Saul!” Saul turned around and looked, and David bowed down with his face touching the ground.
9 Akamwambia Sauli, “Kwa nini unasikiliza wakati watu wanapokuambia, ‘Daudi amenuia kukudhuru’?
Then he said to Saul, “(Why do you pay attention to people when they say ‘David wants to harm you’?/You should not pay attention to people when they say ‘David wants to harm you’.) [RHQ]
10 Leo umeona kwa macho yako mwenyewe jinsi Bwana alivyokutia mikononi mwangu huko pangoni. Watu wengine walisisitiza nikuue, lakini nilikuacha, nikisema, ‘Sitainua mkono wangu dhidi ya bwana wangu, kwa sababu yeye ni mpakwa mafuta wa Bwana.’
Today you can see with your own eyes that [what they say is not true]. Yahweh put you in a place where my men and I could have killed you when you were in this cave. Some of my men told me that I should do that, but I did not do that. I said to them, ‘I will not harm my master, because he is the king whom Yahweh appointed.’
11 Tazama, baba yangu, ona kipande hiki cha joho lako mkononi mwangu! Nilikata upindo wa joho lako lakini sikukuua. Basi ujue na kutambua kuwa sina hatia ya kutenda mabaya wala ya kuasi. Wewe sijakukosea, lakini wewe unaniwinda mimi ili kuuondoa uhai wangu.
Your majesty, look at this piece of your robe that is in my hand! I cut it from your robe, but I did not kill you. So now you should be able to understand that I am not planning to do anything evil to you. I have not done anything wrong to you, but you are searching for me to kill me.
12 Bwana na ahukumu kati yangu na wewe. Naye Bwana alipize mabaya unayonitendea, lakini mkono wangu hautakugusa.
I hope/desire that Yahweh will judge and decide which of us ([is doing what is right/pleases him]). And I hope/desire that he will punish you for the wrong things that you have done to me. But I will not try to harm you.
13 Kama msemo wa kale usemavyo, ‘Kutoka kwa watenda maovu hutoka matendo maovu,’ kwa hiyo mkono wangu hautakugusa wewe.
There is a proverb that has the words, ‘Evil things are done by evil people.’ But [I am not evil, so] I will not do evil things to you.
14 “Je, mfalme wa Israeli ametoka dhidi ya nani? Ni nani unayemfuatia? Je, ni mbwa mfu? Ni kiroboto?
“You are the king of Israel. So (why are you pursuing me?/you should not be pursuing me.) [RHQ] I am [as harmless as] [MET] a dead dog or a flea.
15 Bwana na awe mwamuzi wetu, yeye na aamue kati yetu. Yeye na anitetee shauri langu; anihesabie haki kwa kuniokoa mkononi mwako.”
I hope/desire that Yahweh will judge which of us [is doing what (he wants/is right)]. I trust that he will [act like a lawyer and] judge (my case/what I have done), and that he will rescue me from your power [MTY].”
16 Daudi alipomaliza kusema haya, Sauli akamuuliza, “Je, hiyo ni sauti yako, Daudi mwanangu?” Ndipo Sauli akalia kwa sauti kuu, akisema,
When David finished speaking, Saul [called out to him and] asked, “My son David, is that your voice [that I am hearing]?” Then he began to cry loudly.
17 “Wewe ni mwenye haki kuliko mimi; umenitendea mema, lakini mimi nimekutendea mabaya.
He said, “You are a better man than I am. You have done something very good to me when I tried to do something very bad to you.
18 Sasa umeniambia juu ya mema uliyonitendea. Bwana alinitia mikononi mwako, lakini wewe hukuniua.
When Yahweh put me in a place [in that cave] where you could have easily killed me, you did not do that.
19 Je, mtu ampatapo adui yake, humwacha aende zake bila kumdhuru? Bwana na akulipe mema kwa jinsi ulivyonitenda leo.
(Who else would/No one else would) find his enemy and allow his enemy to escape [when he could kill him instead] [RHQ]. I hope/desire that Yahweh will reward you for being kindly to me today.
20 Ninajua kwamba hakika utakuwa mfalme na ya kwamba ufalme wa Israeli utakuwa imara mikononi mwako.
I know that [some day] you will surely become the king, and that your kingdom will prosper as you rule the Israeli people.
21 Sasa niapie kwa Bwana kwamba hutakatilia mbali uzao wangu wala kulifuta jina langu kutoka jamaa ya baba yangu.”
Now while Yahweh is listening, solemnly promise to me that you will not kill my family and get rid of all my descendants.”
22 Basi Daudi akamwapia Sauli. Kisha Sauli akarudi zake nyumbani, lakini Daudi na watu wake wakapanda kwenda ngomeni.
David solemnly promised Saul that he would not [harm Saul’s family]. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went back up into the place where they had been hiding.
