Dafite unoletjedza Saulo etjila
1 Kwakati Saulo edwa kugwa ne Bafilisitiya, kabudziwa kuyi, “Dafite umu tjilambanyika tje Enegidi.” 2 Ndizo Saulo katola balume bali zwiwulu zwili zwitatu (3 000) bakashalugwa kudwa mu Iziraela yose, kunoshaka Dafite ne bathu babe pejo ne Thombo dze Mbudzi dze Shango. 3 Saulo kaswika pa matanga e pkhwizi akabe ali pa hwunde ne zila, pakabe kuna guwu, ngono Saulo kangina mukati kazwituma. Ipapo Dafite ne bathu babe bakabe baligele mukatikati kwe guwu. 4 Bathu ba Dafite bakandwa bakati, “Ele ndilo zhuba lakalebgwa ndi Yahwe bekudwa beti, ‘Ndowokupa tjita tjitjo mu maboko awo, ngono unowoshinga tjaunoda mutjili.’ ” Dafite kanyanga Saulo, katjeka kadusa lipeto gwe tjiambalo tja Saulo asinganhwe. 5 Shule kwa ipapo, Dafite kadziyidzika mu moyo, ngobe atjeka kadusa lipeto gwe tjiambalo tja Saulo. 6 Kadwa bathu babe kati, “Yahwe ngabandidzibe kuti ndisi thame kuthu ikoku muna tetshi wangu, nzhodziwa wa Yahwe, ndisitongo mmilidzila luboko, ngobe nzhodziwa wa Yahwe.” 7 Ndizo nge mahwi iyawa, Dafite katjemela bathu babe kuti basitongobe bakabulaya Saulo.
Ndizo Saulo kamilika kabhuda mu guwu, kazwiyendigwazwe.
8 Shule kwa ipapo Dafite na iyebo kamilika kabhudila kuzhe kwe guwu, kadana Saulo kati, “Tetshi wangu, mambo!” Kwakati Saulo etjebuka shule, Dafite kathigama, kakotamisa nsholo. 9 Dafite kabhuzwa Saulo kati, “Apa hwutini muteedza makwayi anoti Dafite unoshaka kumubulaya kene?” 10 Nasi mesho enyu abona sekwa Yahwe babe bamundipa mu maboko muli mu guwu, ene bamwe babe bendidwa beti ndimubulaye, koga amuletjedza. Abe nditi, “Andingamilidzile tetshi wangu luboko, ngobe nzhodziwa wa Yahwe. 11 Bonani, tate, bonani ndakabhata mpeto we tjiambalo tjenyu nge luboko, malebeswa ndianoti ndatjeka mpeto we tjiambalo tjenyu, koga asimubulaye, mungabona kuti lebeswa lose ndelinoti andina bubi kene bupanduki mu maboko angu. Andizomutjinyila, koga moshwa mundivima mushaka kundibulaya. 12 Yahwe ngabathubukanye pakati kwangu namwi! Yahwe ngabamubgwilize zwamakandithama, koga andingafe ndamulonga gwangu luboko. 13 Sekwa bakulukugwe bakati, ‘Bubiibi godwa mu mishingo mibibi,’ koga andingamubhate nge gwangu luboko. 14 Apa mambo we Iziraela wabhudila ani itethela kene? Apa makatobelela ani kene? Apa makatobelela mbgwa yakafa kene? Kene makatobelela butata? 15 Ndizo Yahwe ngababe ibo nsumikilisi, batiangulanye imi namwi. Banowolinga bakatola thambo nge kwangu, bandigwile nge kundisunungula mu muli.” 16 Kwakati Dafite epedza kulebeleka na Saulo, Saulo kabhuzwa kati, “Apa hwi ileli ndelilo kene, nkololo wangu Dafite?” Saulo kadila guwo. 17 Saulo kadwa Dafite kati, “Wakayengemala kundipinda, wandishingila ndulamo, ipapa imi ndakuthamila mbipo. 18 Utjadwa pandibudza ndulamo yawandithamila, Yahwe babe bandilonga mu maboko awo, koga auzondibulaya. 19 Apa ndiani ungati awana tjita, katjiletjedza tjiyenda asingatjibulaye kene? Ndizo Yahwe bakupe mbhayilo mbuya, muna sekwa wathama mu ndili nasi. 20 Ndoziba kuti tjoselele unowobe mambo, ne kuti mbuso we Iziraela unowolumbidziwa uli mu maboko awo. 21 Ndizo tuna ndi Yahwe mbeli kwangu, kuti autobulaya tjizekugwana tjangu kene kubukusha zina langu kulidusa mu ng'umba ya tate bangu kene.” 22 Ndizo Dafite katuna mbeli kwa Saulo. Saulo kabgwilila kanyi, koga Dafite ne bathu babe bakatathila pezhugwi ku matizhilo.
David Lets Saul Live
1 When Saul got back from fighting off the Philistines, he heard that David was in the desert around En-Gedi. 2 Saul led 3,000 of Israel's best soldiers out to look for David and his men near Wild Goat Rocks at En-Gedi. 3 There were some sheep pens along the side of the road, and one of them was built around the entrance to a cave. Saul went into the cave to relieve himself.
David and his men were hiding at the back of the cave. 4 They whispered to David, “The Lord told you he was going to let you defeat your enemies and do whatever you want with them. This must be the day the Lord was talking about.”
David sneaked over and cut off a small piece of Saul's robe, but Saul didn't notice a thing. 5 Afterwards, David was sorry that he had even done that, 6-7 and he told his men, “Stop talking foolishly. We're not going to attack Saul. He's my king, and I pray that the Lord will keep me from doing anything to harm his chosen king.”
Saul left the cave and started down the road. 8 Soon, David also got up and left the cave. “Your Majesty!” he shouted from a distance.
Saul turned around to look. David bowed down very low 9 and said:
Your Majesty, why do you listen to people who say that I'm trying to harm you? 10 You can see for yourself that the Lord gave me the chance to catch you in the cave today. Some of my men wanted to kill you, but I wouldn't let them do it. I told them, “I will not harm the Lord's chosen king!” 11 Your Majesty, look at what I'm holding. You can see that it's a piece of your robe. If I could cut off a piece of your robe, I could have killed you. But I let you live, and that should prove I'm not trying to harm you or to rebel. I haven't done anything to you, and yet you keep trying to ambush and kill me.
12 I'll let the Lord decide which one of us has done right. I pray that the Lord will punish you for what you're doing to me, but I won't do anything to you. 13 An old proverb says, “Only evil people do evil things,” and so I won't harm you.
14 Why should the king of Israel be out chasing me, anyway? I'm as worthless as a dead dog or a flea. 15 I pray that the Lord will help me escape and show that I am in the right.
16 “David, my son—is that you?” Saul asked. Then he started crying 17 and said:
David, you're a better person than I am. You treated me with kindness, even though I've been cruel to you. 18 You've told me how you were kind enough not to kill me when the Lord gave you the chance. 19 If you really were my enemy, you wouldn't have let me leave here alive. I pray that the Lord will give you a big reward for what you did today.
20 I realize now that you will be the next king, and a powerful king at that. 21 Promise me with the Lord as your witness, that you won't wipe out my descendants. Let them live to keep my family name alive.
22 So David promised, and Saul went home. David and his men returned to their hideout.