1 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors. 2 Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. 3 And David’s men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? 4 Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. 5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. 6 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 ¶ And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. 8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 ¶ And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod. 10 Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. 11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down. 12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up.
13 ¶ Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
14 And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. 15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
16 ¶ And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. 18 And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 ¶ Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? 20 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand. 21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me. 22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly. 23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah. 24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul also and his men went to seek him . And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that , he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.
27 ¶ But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land. 28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.
29 ¶ And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at En-gedi.
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.