1 Samuel 24
1 Philisti hnuk lamloh Saul a mael van neh a taengla puen uh tih, “Engedi khosoek ah David om ke,” a ti nah.
When Saul returned from chasing the Philistines, it was reported to him, “David is in the Desert of En-gedi.”
2 Te dongah Saul loh Israel boeih khui lamkah hlang coelh thawng thum te a khuen tih sathai lungpang dan kah David neh a hlang rhoek te tlap ham cet.
So Saul took three thousand specially-picked men from all Israel and went searching for David and his men in the area around Wild Goats' Rocks.
3 Saul loh boiva kah tanglung longpuei kaep te a paan. Te vaengah lungko tapkhoeh a om dongah a kho khuk hamla Saul loh a kun thil. Te vaengah David neh a hlang rhoek tah lungko kah a hlaep ah om uh.
As Saul passed the sheep pens on the way, there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. David and his men were hiding deep inside the cave.
4 Te vaengah David kah hlang rhoek loh, “BOEIPA loh nang taengah, 'Tihnin ah Na thunkha, na thunkha te na kut dongla kai loh kam paek coeng he,’ a ti he. Te dongah na mik neh then na ti bangla anih te saii laeh,” a ti nauh. Te dongah David te thoo tih Saul kah hnikul hmoi te a muel la a hlueng pah.
David's men said to him, “Today's the day the Lord promised you when he told you, ‘Listen, I'm going to hand over your enemy to you, so you can do to him whatever you want.’” Then David crept up quietly and cut a piece from the edge of Saul's robe.
5 Saul kah hni hmoi a hlueng pah dongah David khaw a lungbuei loh a ngawn van.
But afterwards David felt really bad because he'd cut off a piece of Saul's robe.
6 Te dongah a hlang rhoek taengah, “Anih he BOEIPA kah a koelh la om tih BOEIPA kah a koelh ka boei taengah ka kut thueng thil ham hno he ka saii aya? Te bang te BOEIPA taengah kai lamkah tah savisava,” a ti nah.
He told his men, “May the Lord prevent me from doing anything like this to my master, the Lord's anointed one. I will never attack him, for he is the Lord's anointed one.”
7 Tedae a hlang rhoek te David loh ol neh a daeh tih amih loh Saul a tlai uh thil ham khaw ngaih puei pawh. Saul ngawn tah lungko lamloh thoo tih longpuei te a paan.
He reprimanded his men and didn't allow them to attack Saul. Saul stood up and went on his way.
8 Te phoeiah David khaw thoo van tih lungko, longko ah cet. Saul te a hnuk longah a khue tih, “Ka boeipa manghai aw,” a ti nah. Te dongah Saul loh a hnuk la a paelki. Te vaengah David loh a tal neh diklai la buluk tih a bawk.
A little later David came out of the cave and shouted, “My master the king!” When Saul looked around, David bowed down with his face to the ground.
9 David loh Saul te, “Hlang loh, 'David loh nang kah a thae ni a tlap ke,’ a ti ol te ba ham lae na hnatun.
“Why do you pay attention to people who say, ‘Watch out, David wants to harm you’?” David asked.
10 Ti hnin ah na mik loh a hmuh coeng he. Ti hnin ah lungko khuiah ni nang he BOEIPA loh ka kut dongla m'paek coeng tih nang te ngawn ham pataeng a thui coeng. Tedae nang te kang rhen dongah, 'Ka boeipa he ka kut ka hlah thil boel eh. Anih tah BOEIPA kah a koelh ni, ' ka ti.
“Just look! You've seen with your own eyes today that the Lord handed you over to me in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I showed you compassion, and said, ‘I refuse to attack my master, for he is the Lord's anointed one.’
11 A pa so lah he, ka kut dongkah na hnikul hmoi he so. Na hnikul hmoi ka ah dae nang kang ngawn pawt te ming. Ka kut dongah boethae neh boekoek a om pawt te khaw hmuh. Nang soah ka tholh pawt dae nang longtah ka hinglu loh ham na rhaem.
Take a look, my father! You see this piece of your robe I'm holding. Yes, I did I cut it off, but I didn't kill you. Now you can see for yourself and you can be sure that I have done nothing evil or rebellious. I have not sinned against you, but you are hunting me down, trying to kill me.
12 Kai laklo neh nang laklo ah BOEIPA loh laitloek nawn saeh. Nang lamkah kah khaw BOEIPA loh kai taengah phulo nawn saeh. Tedae ka kut loh nang n'cuuk thil boel saeh.
May the Lord decide between you and me as to who of us is right, and may the Lord punish you, but I myself will never try to harm you.
13 Yan kah loh a thui vanbangla halang lamloh halangnah ni a thoeng. Te dongah ka kut loh nang n'cuuk thil boel saeh.
As the old saying goes, ‘From the wicked comes wickedness,’ but I myself will never try to harm you.
14 Israel manghai loh ulae a thoeng thil? U hnuk lae na hloem? Ui duek hnuk neh uihli hnuk a?
Who is the king of Israel coming after? Who are you chasing? A dead dog! Just a flea!
15 Te dongah BOEIPA he laitloekkung la om saeh lamtah kai laklo neh nang laklo ah laitloek nawn saeh. Ka tuituknah khaw hmu saeh lamtah ho saeh. Nang kut lamkah pataeng kai n'tang sak nawn saeh,” a ti nah.
May the Lord decide and choose between you and me. May he pay attention to my case and support it; may he save me from you.”
16 Hekah ol he David loh Saul taengah a thui boeih phoeiah tah Saul loh, “Ka ca David nang ol dae a?” a ti nah. Te phoeiah Saul loh a ol a huel tih rhap.
After David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that you speaking, David my son?” and he wept out loud.
17 Te phoeiah David te, “Nang tah kai lakah na dueng. Nang loh kai taengah hnothen neh nan thuung vaengah kai loh nang taengah boethae neh kan thuung.
He told David, “You are a better person than I am, because you have repaid me with good, but I have repaid you with evil.
18 Tihnin kah na phoe vanbangla kai taengah a then ni na saii pai. Kai he nang kut dongah BOEIPA loh n'det coeng dae kai nang ngawn pawh.
Today you have demonstrated how well you have treated me—for when the Lord handed me over to you, you didn't kill me.
19 Hlang pakhat loh a thunkha te a hmuh coeng atah longpuei ah a then la a tueih a? Tihnin ah kai taengah na saii te BOEIPA loh nang taengah a then neh n'thuung saeh.
For if a man caught hold of his enemy, would he let him escape unharmed? The Lord reward you well for how you've treated me today.
20 Manghai rhoela na manghai vetih na kut ah Israel ram pai ni tila ka ming coeng ne.
Listen, I know you definitely will be king, and your rule over the kingdom of Israel will be secure.
21 Te dongah kamah hnukah ka tii ka ngan na saii pawt ham neh, kai ming te a pa imkhui lamloh na diil sak pawt ham BOEIPA minh neh kamah taengah toemngam laeh,” a ti nah.
Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not destroy my descendants who follow me, and that you will not wipe out my name from my family line.”
22 Te dongah David loh Saul taengah ol a caeng. Te phoeiah Saul te amah im la cet tih David neh a hlang rhoek tah rhalvong la cet uh.
So David promised this to Saul with an oath. Then Saul went back home, but David and his men returned to the stronghold.
