David Saves the Town of Keilah
1 David heard that the Philistines were attacking the town of Keilah and were stealing the newly harvested grain. 2 So he asked the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines?”
“Yes,” the Lord answered. “Attack them and save Keilah.”
3 But David's men said to him, “We have enough to be afraid of here in Judah; it will be much worse if we go to Keilah and attack the Philistine forces!” 4 So David consulted the Lord again, and the Lord said to him, “Go and attack Keilah, because I will give you victory over the Philistines.” 5 So David and his men went to Keilah and attacked the Philistines; they killed many of them and took their livestock. And so it was that David saved the town.
6 When Abiathar son of Ahimelech escaped and joined David in Keilah, he took the ephod with him.
7 Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has put him in my power. David has trapped himself by going into a walled town with fortified gates.” 8 So Saul called his troops to war, to march against Keilah and besiege David and his men.
9 When David heard that Saul was planning to attack him, he said to the priest Abiathar, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “Lord, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come to Keilah and destroy it on account of me, your servant. 11 Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to Saul? Will Saul really come, as I have heard? Lord, God of Israel, I beg you to answer me!”
The Lord answered, “Saul will come.”
12 “And will the citizens of Keilah hand my men and me over to Saul?” David asked again.
“They will,” the Lord answered.
13 So David and his men—about six hundred in all—left Keilah at once and kept on the move. When Saul heard that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up his plan.
David in the Hill Country
14 David stayed in hiding in the hill country, in the wilderness near Ziph. Saul was always trying to find him, but God did not turn David over to him. 15 David saw that Saul was out to kill him.
David was at Horesh, in the wilderness near Ziph. 16 Jonathan went to him there and encouraged him with assurances of God's protection, 17 saying to him, “Don't be afraid. My father Saul won't be able to harm you. He knows very well that you are the one who will be the king of Israel and that I will be next in rank to you.” 18 The two of them made a sacred promise of friendship to each other. David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19 Some people from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “David is hiding out in our territory at Horesh on Mount Hachilah, in the southern part of the Judean wilderness. 20 We know, Your Majesty, how much you want to capture him; so come to our territory, and we will make sure that you catch him.”
21 Saul answered, “May the Lord bless you for being so kind to me! 22 Go and make sure once more; find out for certain where he is and who has seen him there. I hear that he is very cunning. 23 Find out exactly the places where he hides, and be sure to bring back a report to me right away. Then I will go with you, and if he is still in the region, I will hunt him down, even if I have to search the whole land of Judah.”
24 So they left and returned to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in a desolate valley in the southern part of the Judean wilderness. 25 Saul and his men set out to look for David, but he heard about it and went to a rocky hill in the wilderness of Maon and stayed there. When Saul heard about this, he went after David. 26 Saul and his men were on one side of the hill, separated from David and his men, who were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul and his men, who were closing in on them and were about to capture them. 27 Just then a messenger arrived and said to Saul, “Come back at once! The Philistines are invading the country!” 28 So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to fight the Philistines. That is why that place is called Separation Hill. 29 David left and went to the region of Engedi, where he stayed in hiding.
Dafite unotjidza nzi we Keila
1 Kwakati Dafite ebudziwa kuyi, “Bona, Bafilisitiya banogwa ne Keila, kakale bakabatolela mbuwa.” 2 Dafite kabhuzwa kuna Yahwe kati, “Apa ndingayenda anonginilila Bafilisitiya ibaba kene?” Yahwe bakashandula Dafite beti, “Yenda unonginilila Bafilisitiya ibaba, utjidze Keila.” 3 Koga bathu ba Dafite bakandwa bakati, “Iswi totja imomu mu Juda, ngono kutja kwedu kowobe kungapani, ha tingayenda ku Keila, kunogwa ne ngwa dze Bafilisitiya kene?” 4 Ndizo Dafite kakumbila Yahwe kakale, Yahwe bakan'dabila beti, “Ee, delukila ku Keila, ndowothama kuti ukunde Bafilisitiya.” 5 Ndizo Dafite ne bathu babe bakayenda ku Keila, bakagwa ne Bafilisitiya, bakatakula zwithuwo zwabo, bakabakulila kukulu kwazo. Dafite kagwila bathu be Keila. 6 Kwakati Abiathari nkololo wa Ahimeleki etizhila kuna Dafite ku Keila, kazha akabhata efodi. 7 Saulo wakabudziwa kuti Dafite wabe ku Keila, ngono kabe eti, “Ndzimu wandipa iye mu maboko, wazwizhalilila ngongina mu nzi una mikoba ne mazhalilo.” 8 Saulo kadanila bathu bose ku ngwa, kunokombeledza Keila, kulalila Dafite ne bathu babe. 9 Kwakati Dafite asinoziba kuti Saulo unonlukila gwanga gwe kumbulaya, akadwa Mpirisiti Abiathari kati, “Zhisa efodi ngeno.” 10 Dafite kati, “Ndomutembezela, Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela, nlanda wenyu wahwa kuti Saulo unoshakazha ku Keila, kowokolomodza nzi nkulu nge kwangu. 11 Ngono ngwenu, apa Saulo unowozha sekwa akahwa nlanda wenyu kene? Ndomutembezela, Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela, ndomukumbila, budzani nlanda wenyu.” Yahwe bakadabila beti, “Unowozha.” 12 Ndizo Dafite kabhuzwa eti, “Apa bagali be Keila banowotipa Saulo mu maboko imi ne bathu bangu kene?” Yahwe bakashandula beti, “Banowomulonga mu maboko awe.” 13 Ndizo Dafite ne bathu babe, bakabe bangabe mazana ali kutathatu (600), bakamilika bakabhuda mu Keila, bakayenda bengina ntuthu ne ntuthu. Kwakati Saulo asinobudziwa kuti Dafite watizha mu Keila, kasitjayendeko. 14 Dafite kagala mu matizhilo mu tjilambanyika, mu matuthu e Tjilambanyika tje Zifu. Saulo kanshaka mazhuba wose, koga Yahwe bakasithame kuti ambone. 15 Kukati Dafite atji mu Tjilambanyika tje Zifu ku Horeshi, kaziba kuti Saulo unoshaka kumbulaya. 16 Nkololo wa Saulo Jonatani kamilika kayenda kuna Dafite ku Horeshi, kambatsha kuti awane simba muna Yahwe. 17 Kandwa kati, “Usitje, ngobe tate bangu Saulo abatjowokubulaya, unowobe mambo we Iziraela, imi ndowokubhata thudzi, na ibo tate bangu Saulo banoziba kuthu ikoku.” 18 Bubili gwabo bakathama tjidumano mbeli kwa Yahwe, Jonatani kabe ebgwilila kanyi, Dafite kabe esala ku Horeshi. 19 Ndizo Bazifu bakatathila ku Gibiya kuna Saulo kunon'dwa beti, “Dafite wakabgwata kanyi kwedu, mu matizhilo e Horeshi mu duthu le Hakhila, liku burwa gwe Jeshimoni. 20 Ngwenu mambo, mungazha zwenyu pamunowobe mawana tjibaka, iswi kowobe mu mathudzi edu kunlonga mu maboko a mambo.” 21 Saulo kabadwa kati, “Yahwe bamukombolele, ngobe mandiyitila hanya. 22 Yendani munobona kakale, ipo paayapo dumbu, ne kuti wakabong'wa ndiani ikweno, ngobe ndakabudziwa kuti i jenjedu gulu. 23 Mushake kose, mu zibe mabgwatilo awe wose kwaanozwisumbikako, mube mubuya mowondibudza ha motjizibisisa. Ndizo ndowoyenda namwi, ngono ha kuli kuti uyapo mu shango, ndowonvima pakati kwe zwiwulu (10 000) zwe Juda.”
24 Bakamilika bakayenda ku Zifu kutangila Saulo. Dafite ne bathu babe bakabe bali mu tjilambanyika tje Maoni, mu Araba ku burwa gwe Jeshimoni. 25 Saulo ne balanda babe bakatangisa kunshaka. Kwakati Dafite abudziwa ngekwako, kadelukila ku shongwe kanogala mu tjilambanyika tje Maoni. Kukati Saulo ehwa ikoku, katobela Dafite mu tjilambanyika tje Maoni. 26 Saulo wakabe eyenda ali ntha imwe ye dombo, Dafite ne bathu babe beyendabo bali ntha imwe ye dombo, beyenda belibilidza kuti batizhe basiye Saulo, koga Saulo ne balanda bakakomba Dafite ne bathu babe kuti bababhate. 27 Kukaswika ntumwa kuna Saulo, kandwa kati, “Tjimbidza ubuye, Bafilisitiya bangina nge ngwa mu shango kuwoitapa.”
28 Ndizo Saulo kaletjedza kulonda Dafite, kabe eyenda enogwa ne Bafilisitiya, Ndizo wale pathu ipapo pakadang'wa kuyi Shongwe ye Kupudzumuka. 29 Kudwa ipapo Dafite wakayenda kanogala mu matizhilo ye Enigedi.