1 Samweli 18
1 Daudi alipokuwa amemaliza kuongea na Sauli, roho ya Yonathani ilishikana na roho ya Daudi, na Yonathani akampenda kama roho 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 Sauli akamweka kazini Daudi siku hiyo, hakumwacha arudi nyumbani kwa baba yake.
From that day, Saul kept David with him, and did not let him return home.
3 Kisha Yonathani na Daudi wakafanya makubaliano ya urafiki kwa sababu Yonathani alimenda kama roho 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 kanzu aliyokuwa amevaa na kumpa Daudi, akampa na vazi lake la kivita, pamoja na upanga, upinde, na mshipi.
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 Daudi alikwenda popote ambapo Sauli alimtuma, naye alifanikiwa. Sauli akamteua Daudi awe mkuu wa wapiganaji. Jambo hili lilipendeza machoni pa watu na katika macho ya watumishi wa Sauli.
[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 Wakati wanarudi nyumbani kutoka kuwapiga Wafilisti, wanawake walitoka miji yote ya Israeli, wakiimba na kucheza, ili kukutana na mfalme Sauli, wakiwa na matowazi, wenye furaha, na wakiwa na ala za muziki.
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 Hao wanawake waliimba kwa kupokezana huku wakicheza; Wakiimba: “Sauli ameua maelfu yake, Na Daudi ameua 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 alikasirika sana, na wimbo huu haukumpendeza. Naye akasema, “Wamemsifia Daudi juu ya makumi elfu, lakini wamenisifia melfu tu mimi! Atapata kitu gani 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 siku hiyo na kuendelea, Sauli alimuangalia Daudi kwa mashaka.
From that time, Saul watched David very closely because he was suspicious [that David would try to become king].
10 Kesho yake yule roho ya ubaya kutoka kwa Mungu ikamwingia Sauli kwa nguvu. Naye akawa anafanya kama mwendawazimu nyumbani mwake. Hivyo Daudi akapiga kifaa chake, kama alivyofanya kila siku. Sauli alikuwa na mkuki wake mkononi.
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 Sauli akatupa mkuki wake, kwani alifikiri, “Nitampigilia ukutani.” Lakini Daudi mara mbili aliepa uwepo wa Sauli.
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 alimwogopa Daudi, kwa sababu BWANA alikuwa pamoja naye, lakini hakuwa na Sauli tena.
Because [it became evident that] Yahweh had abandoned Saul but [that] he was helping David, Saul was afraid of David.
13 Hivyo Sauli alimuondoa Daudi mbele yake na akamteua kuwa kamanda wa kikosi cha askari elfu moja. Kwa namna hii David alitoka na kuingia mbele ya watu.
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 Daudi alikuwa akistawi kwa mambo yake yote, maana BWANA alikuwa pamoja naye.
he always had great success, because Yahweh was helping him.
15 Sauli alipoona kwamba Daudi anastawi, alimwogopa.
When Saul heard that David [and his soldiers were] very successful, he became more afraid of David.
16 Lakini Israeli yote na Yuda walimpenda Daudi, maana alitoka na kuingia mbele yao.
But all the people of Israel and of Judah loved David, because he led the soldiers very successfully [in the battles].
17 Kisha Sauli akamwambia Daudi, “Huyu hapa ni binti yangu mkubwa Merabu. Nitakupatia awe mke wako. Ila tu uwe jasiri kwa ajili yangu na upigane vita vya BWANA.” Maana Sauli alifikiri, “Usije mkono wangu ukawa juu yake, ila 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 Daudi akamwambia Sauli, “Mimi ni nani, na maisha yangu yana nini, au hata maisha ya familia ya baba yangu katika Israeli, kiasi cha kuwa mkwe wa mfalme?” 1 Samweli 18-19-19
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 Lakini wakati ambao Merabu, binti Sauli, ilipasa kuwa ameolewa na Daudi, 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 Lakini Mikali, binti Sauli, alimpenda Daudi. Na watu walimwambia Sauli, na jambo hilo likampendeza.
But Saul’s other daughter, Michal, fell in love with David. When they told Saul about that, he was pleased.
21 Ndipo Sauli akafikiri, “Nitampatia huyu awe mke wake, ili uwe mtego kwake, na hivyo mkono wa Wafilisti pengine uwe juu yake.” Kwa hiyo Sauli akamwambia Daudi mara ya pili, “Wewe utakuwa 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 Sauli akawaamuru watumishi wake, “Ongeeni na Daudi kwa njia ya siri, na mseme, 'Tazama, mfalme anakufurahia, na watumishi wake wote wanakupenda. Sasa basi, uwe mkwe wa 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 Hivyo watumishi wa Sauli wakayasema maneno haya kwa Daudi. Na Daudi akasema, “Kwenu ninyi mnaona ni jambo dogo kuwa mkwe wa mfalme, mimi ni maskini, na heshima yangu ni ndogo.”
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 wakarudisha kwake taarifa ya maneno ambayo Daudi aliyasema.
When the servants told Saul what David had said,
25 Na Sauli akasema, “Hivi ndivyo mtakavyo mwambia Daudi, 'Mfalme haitaji mahari yoyote, isipokuwa govi mia moja za Wafilisti, ili ajilipize kisasi kwa adui wa mfalme.”' Basi Sauli alifikiri atamwangusha Daudi kwa mkono wa 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 wake walipomwambia maneno haya, yakamvutia Daudi awe mkwe wa mfalme.
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 Kabla siku hizo hazijapita, Daudi aliondoka na watu wake na kuwaua Wafilisti mia mbili. Daudi akazileta govi zao, na kumkadhi mfalme kulingana na idadi yake, ili aweze kufanyika mkwe wa mfalme. Kwa hiyo Sauli akamwoza Mikali, binti yake, awe mkewe.
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 Basi Sauli aliona na kufahamu kwamba BWANA alikuwa pamoja na Daudi. Mikali, binti Sauli, akampenda Daudi.
But when Saul realized that Yahweh was helping David, and that his daughter loved David,
29 Sauli akazidi kumwogopa Daudi. Sauli akawa adui wa Daudi daima.
he became more afraid of David. So, as long as Saul lived, he was David’s enemy.
30 Ndipo wakuu wa Wafilisti wakajitokeza kwa ajili ya vita, na mara zote walipojitokeza Daudi alifanikiwa zaidi kuliko watumishi wote wa Sauli, hivyo jina lake likapata heshima kubwa.
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.
