Dafite unolambiwa nge Bafilisitiya
1 Bafilisitiya bakakubunganyila babhayani babo bose ku Apheki, Baiziraela ibo bakakotokela pa nsenya umu Jezerele. 2 Kwakati batungamili be babhayani be Bafilisitiya Bakalongoloka nge mizila ye mazana nenge zwiwulu, Dafite ne bathu babe bakapinda bali shule na Akhishi. 3 Balauli be babhayani be Bafilisitiya bakabe beti, “Bahebheru ibaba banoshingani ipapa kene?”
Akhishi kadabila balauli be Bafilisitiya kati, “Apa iwoyu ate ali Dafite, wakabe ali gulukota la Saulo mambo we Iziraela, wakabe nami tjibaka tjingapinda gole? Kwetjinga kwa akadwa kuna Saulo andizotongowana nlandu munli kuswikila nasi.”
4 Koga balauli be babhayani be Bafilisitiya bakan'gwadzila moyo bakati kunli, “Shandusa nlume iwoyu, abgwilile ku bugalo gwawakambiga. Asitongo ngina naswi mu ngwa, ungadwa etishandukila titji pakati kwe ngwa. Ini tjingandziba kuzwihwananya na tetshi uwe ngobulaya balume ibaba bedu kene? 5 Apa ate iye Dafite iwoyu, wabakamba bedabidzana mu mizano kene? Beti, ‘Saulo wakabulaya zwiwulu zwizwe, ngono Dafite wakabulaya zwiwulu zwili gumi kene?’ ”
6 Ndizo Akhishi kadana Dafite kandwa kati, “Tjoselele ndotuna na Yahwe banotjila, wabe ugalika bgwe mundili, kakale ndabe ndishathila kuti ungashinga nami mu ngwa, ngobe akuna tjandakawana tjinlandu mukuli kudwa mu zhuba lawakazha kundili kuswikila nasi. Ngono batungamili abatokudumila. 7 Shandukazo, uyende nge mbakiso, kuti usidwe ukopodza batungamili be Bafilisitiya.”
8 Dafite kabhuzwa eti, “Ndakathamani kene? Ini tjamakabona mu nlanda wenyu kudwa mu zhuba landakatangisa kungina mu nshingo wenyu kowoti nasi? Ngono ini tjingandikonedza kunogwa ne zwita zwa tetshi wangu mambo kene?”
9 Akhishi kadabila Dafite eti, “Ndoziba kuti wakalulwama mu mesho angu se ntumwa we kudzimu, koga balauli be Bafilisitiya baleba beti, ‘Angayende naswi ku ngwa.’ 10 Ndizo ngwenu mumuke mubinduke mangwanana, iwe ne balanda ba tetshi uwo bawakazha nabo, mu milike kutji mangwanana koga akuyedza.”
11 Ndizo Dafite ne balanda babe bakabinduka kutji mangwanana bakabgwilila ku shango ye Bafilisitiya, ngono Bafilisitiya ibo bayenda ku Jezerele.
The Philistines Send David Back
1 The Philistines had brought their whole army to Aphek, while Israel's army was camping near Jezreel Spring. 2-3 The Philistine rulers and their troops were marching past the Philistine army commanders in groups of 100 and 1,000. When David and his men marched by at the end with Achish, the commanders said, “What are these worthless Israelites doing here?”
“They are David's men,” Achish answered. “David used to be one of Saul's officers, but he left Saul and joined my army a long time ago. I've never had even one complaint about him.”
4 The Philistine army commanders were angry and shouted:
Send David back to the town you gave him. We won't have him going into the battle with us. He could turn and fight against us! Saul would take David back as an officer if David brought him the heads of our soldiers. 5 The Israelites even dance and sing,
“Saul has killed
a thousand enemies;
David has killed
ten thousand!”
6 Achish called David over and said:
I swear by the living Lord that you've been honest with me, and I want you to fight by my side. I don't think you've done anything wrong from the day you joined me until this very moment. But the other Philistine rulers don't want you to come along. 7 Go on back home and try not to upset them.
8 “But what have I done?” David asked. “Do you know of anything I've ever done that would keep me from fighting the enemies of my king?”
9 Achish said:
I believe that you're as good as an angel of God, but our army commanders have decided that you can't fight in this battle. 10 You and your troops will have to go back to the town I gave you. Get up and leave tomorrow morning as soon as it's light. I'm pleased with you, so don't let any of this bother you.
11 David and his men got up early in the morning and headed back toward Philistia, while the Philistines left for Jezreel.