Dafite unoletjedza Saulo etjila
1 Bazifu bakazha kuna Saulo ku Gibiya bakandwa bakati, “Apa Dafite azobgwata mu Dombo le Hakhila, lakalingisana ne Jeshimoni kene?” 2 Ndizo Saulo kabe emilika edelukila ku tjilambanyika tje Zifu, ana balume be Iziraela bakashalugwa bali Zwiwulu zwitatu (3 000), kunoshaka Dafite mu tjilambanyika tje Zifu. 3 Saulo wakakotokela pa wunde ne zila mu duthu le Hakila, lakalingisana ne Jeshimoni, koga Dafite kagala mu tjilambanyika. Wakati asinoziba kuti Saulo wakanlonda mu tjilambanyika, 4 Dafite katuma shodzi, kaziba dumbu kuti Saulo wakaswika. 5 Ndizo Dafite kamilika kazha pakabe Saulo akakotokelapo, kabona panolala Saulo na Abineri nkololo wa Neri nlauli we ikwata tjitje. Saulo wakabe alilele mukati kwe bukotokelo, babhayani ibo bakampoteleka.
6 Ndizo Dafite kabhuzwa muna Ahimeleke we Nhiti ne ku nnung'una wa Joabu Abishayi nkololo wa Zeruya kati, “Apa ndiani unowodelukila nami mu bukotokelo kuna Saulo kene?”
Abishayi kadabila eti, “Ndowoyenda namwi.”
7 Dafite na Abishayi bakabe beyenda ku ikwata busiku, Saulo kabe akaizela mu bukotokelo ne thumo lile lakabhayila pasi ku misholo iye, ngono Abeneri ne babhayani bakayizela bakampoteleka. 8 Abishayi kadwa Dafite kati, “Nasi Ndzimu walonga tjita tjenyu mu maboko enyu, ndizo ngwenu tjimani ndinkothomelele pasi kang'ompela nge thumo, anditowombhaya kabili!”
9 Koga Dafite kadwa Abishayi kati, “Usimbulaye! Apa ndiani ungamilidzila nzhodziwa wa Yahwe luboko, ebe asingabe nlandu kene?” 10 Dafite kabe eti, “Ndowotuna ndi Yahwe banotjila, unowolobgwa ndi Yahwe nge kwabo, kene zhuba lile le kufa lowoswika, pamwe unowongina mu ngwa ebe efa. 11 Yahwe badziba kuti ndisimilidzile nzhodziwa wa Yahwe luboko, koga ngwenu, tola thumo ne ikuyu tje vula zwipa misholo iye tiyende.” 12 Ndizo Dafite katola thumo ne ikuyu tje vula zwakabe zwili pa misholo ya Saulo, bakabe bezwiyendila zwabo. Akuna wakabona kene wakaziba nge kwaikoku, nakuto ali nng'ompela wakamuka, bose bakabe bakafa nge hwope, ngobe Yahwe bakabe babatshambilidza nge hwope.
13 Ndizo Dafite katjolukila seli kwe nkuku, kama pezhugwi kwe duthu kuli kuthambgwana, kwakabe kwakaashama pakati kwabo. 14 Dafite kakambidza ikwata na Abineri nkololo wa Neri, kati, “Abineri! Autodabila kene?” Abeneri kadabila eti, “Uani iwe unodana mambo kene?” 15 Dafite kwadwa Abineri kati, “Apa auteli nlume kene? Ndiani unofanana nawe mu Iziraela kene? Hwutini usagala ukalinda tetshi uwo mambo kene? Ngobe kuna nthu wazha kangina awobulaya she mambo. 16 Kuthu ikoku kwawathama akuzolulwama, ndotuna na Yahwe banotjila, wakafanilofa iwe ne bathu babo, ngobe auzotjengeta tetshi uwo, nzhodziwa wa Yahwe. Thumo ne ikuyu tje vula zwa mambo zwingayi zwabe zwili pa misholo yabo kene?”
17 Saulo kaziba hwi la Dafite, kabe eti, “Apa i hwi lilo ilele kene, nkololo wangu Dafite?”
Dafite kabe eti, “Ee, i hwi langu, tetshi wangu mambo wangu.” 18 Kapapha kakale kati, “Hwutini tetshi wangu betobelele nlanda wabo kene? Ndakathamani, nlandu wandathama ndiupi kene? 19 Ndizo ngwenu tetshi wangu mambo, teedzani matama e nlanda wenyu. Ha kuli kuti Yahwe ndibo bakamudzonga kundigwisanya namwi, ngabaamutjile tjipo, koga ha kwakathamwa nge bathu, ngababe nge bhiso mbeli kwa Yahwe! Ngobe bandidusa mu gobe langu mu thaka ya Yahwe, bebe beti, ‘Yenda unoshingila midzimu ipoga.’ 20 Ngono ngwenu, musiletje malopa angu etebukila pasi kulekule pasipo Yahwe. Ini mambo be Iziraela bangabhuda benovima butata gunonga imi? Ini bangandivima kungapa se hwali mu matombo.” 21 Ndizo Saulo kabe eti, “Ndakatjinya, shanduka, nkololo wangu Dafite, ngobe nasi watola butjilo gwangu guli gunosheteka, andingatjagwise kukubulaya kakale. Ndakathama bulengwe, ndaleyanya kukulu kulu kwazo.” 22 Dafite kadabila eti, “Thumo la mambo wangu yele! Tumani mmwe bazhuzha benyu azhe alitole. 23 Yahwe banolipila mmwe ne mmwe ndulamo iye ne kugalikabgwe kukwe, ngobe Yahwe babe bamulonga mu maboko angu nasi, koga ndabe ndisingake amilidzila nzhodziwa wa Yahwe luboko gwangu. 24 Sekwa ndabigilidza butjilo gwenyu nasi, sa ikoku, Yahwe ngababigilidzi butjilo gwangu babuye bandigwile mu mbatsha dzose.” 25 Ndizo Saulo kadwa Dafite kati, “Ukombolegwe iwe, nkololo wangu Dafite! Unowothama zwithu zwikulu kwazo ubuya ukunda nge malebeswa.” Ndizo Dafite kabe ezwiyendigwazwe na Saulo kabgwilila kanyi kukwe.
David Again Lets Saul Live
1 Once again, some people from Ziph went to Gibeah to talk with Saul. “David has a hideout on Mount Hachilah near Jeshimon out in the desert,” they told him.
2 Saul took 3,000 of Israel's best soldiers and went to look for David there in Ziph Desert. 3 Saul set up camp on Mount Hachilah, which is across the road from Jeshimon. But David was hiding out in the desert.
When David heard that Saul was following him, 4 he sent some spies to find out if it was true. 5 Then he sneaked up to Saul's camp. He noticed that Saul and his army commander Abner the son of Ner were sleeping in the middle of the camp, with soldiers sleeping all around them. 6 David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Joab's brother Abishai, “Which one of you will go with me into Saul's camp?”
“I will!” Abishai answered.
7 That same night, David and Abishai crept into the camp. Saul was sleeping, and his spear was stuck in the ground not far from his head. Abner and the soldiers were sound asleep all around him.
8 Abishai whispered, “This time God has let you get your hands on your enemy! I'll pin him to the ground with one thrust of his own spear.”
9 “Don't kill him!” David whispered back. “The Lord will punish anyone who kills his chosen king. 10 As surely as the Lord lives, the Lord will kill Saul, or Saul will die a natural death or be killed in battle. 11 But I pray that the Lord will keep me from harming his chosen king. Let's grab his spear and his water jar and get out of here!”
12 David took the spear and the water jar, then left the camp. None of Saul's soldiers knew what had happened or even woke up—the Lord had made all of them fall sound asleep. 13 David and Abishai crossed the valley and went to the top of the next hill, where they were at a safe distance. 14 “Abner!” David shouted toward Saul's army. “Can you hear me?”
Abner shouted back. “Who dares disturb the king?”
15 “Abner, what kind of a man are you?” David replied. “Aren't you supposed to be the best soldier in Israel? Then why didn't you protect your king? Anyone who went into your camp could have killed him tonight. 16 You're a complete failure! I swear by the living Lord that you and your men deserve to die for not protecting the Lord's chosen king. Look and see if you can find the king's spear and the water jar that were near his head.”
17 Saul could tell it was David's voice, and he called out, “David, my son! Is that you?”
“Yes it is, Your Majesty. 18 Why are you hunting me down? Have I done something wrong, or have I committed a crime? 19 Please listen to what I have to say. If the Lord has turned you against me, maybe a sacrifice will make him change his mind. But if some people have turned you against me, I hope the Lord will punish them! They have forced me to leave the land that belongs to the Lord and have told me to worship foreign gods. 20 Don't let me die in a land far away from the Lord. I'm no more important than a flea! Why should the king of Israel hunt me down as if I were a bird in the mountains?”
21 “David, you had the chance to kill me today. But you didn't. I was very wrong about you. It was a terrible mistake for me to try to kill you. I've acted like a fool, but I'll never try to harm you again. You're like a son to me, so please come back.”
22 “Your Majesty, here's your spear! Let one of your soldiers come and get it. 23 The Lord put you in my power today, but you are his chosen king and I wouldn't harm you. The Lord rewards people who are faithful and live right. 24 I spared your life today, and I pray that the Lord will spare my life and keep me safe.”
25 “David, my son, I pray that the Lord will bless you and make you successful!”
David in Philistia
Saul went back home. David also left,