1 Samuel 23
1 One day David heard the news, “The Philistines are attacking Keilah and stealing the grain from the threshing floors.”
Kwathi uDavida esetsheliwe ukuthi, “Khangela, amaFilistiya ahlasela iKheyila njalo aphanga leziza,”
2 So he asked advice from the Lord, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” The Lord told David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
wabuza uThixo, esithi, “Ngingahamba ukuyahlasela amaFilistiya la na?” Uthixo wamphendula wathi, “Hamba uyehlasela amaFilistiya uhlenge iKheyila.”
3 But David's men told him, “Even here in Judah we feel afraid. If we went to Keilah to fight the Philistine armies we'd be absolutely terrified!”
Kodwa abantu bakaDavida bathi kuye, “Lapha koJuda thina siyesaba. Pho kuzakuba kukhulu kangakanani nxa sizakuyamelana lamabutho amaFilistiya eKheyila!”
4 So David asked advice from the Lord again, and the Lord told him, “Go immediately to Keilah, for I will give you victory over the Philistines.”
UDavida waphinda wambuza futhi uThixo, njalo uThixo wamphendula wathi, “Hamba eKheyila, ngoba amaFilistiya ngizawanikela ezandleni zakho.”
5 Then David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. They slaughtered them and drove off their livestock. By doing this David saved the people of Keilah.
Ngakho uDavida labantu bakhe baya eKheyila, walwa lamaFilistiya wathumba izifuyo zawo. Wabulala amaFilistiya amanengi kakhulu wahlenga abantu baseKheyila.
6 (When Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, ran away to David at Keilah he brought the ephod with him.)
(U-Abhiyathari indodana ka-Ahimeleki wayeze lesembatho semahlombe ekubalekeleni kwakhe kuDavida eKheyila.)
7 When Saul found out that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has handed him over to me, because he has locked himself inside a town with gates that can be barred shut.”
USawuli watshelwa ukuthi uDavida wayeseye eKheyila, ngakho wathi, “UNkulunkulu usemnikele kimi, ngoba uDavida usezifake entolongweni ngokungena edolobheni elilamasango lemigoqo.”
8 So Saul called up his whole army to go and attack Keilah and to besiege David and his men.
USawuli wamemeza amabutho akhe wonke empini ukuba aye eKheyila ukuyavimbezela uDavida labantu bakhe.
9 When David learned that Saul was plotting to attack him, he asked Abiathar the priest, “Please bring the ephod.”
Kwathi uDavida esizwa ukuthi uSawuli wayeceba okubi ngaye, wathi ku-Abhiyathari umphristi, “Letha isembatho samahlombe.”
10 David prayed, “Lord, God of Israel, I your servant have been clearly told that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me.
UDavida wasesithi, “Awu Thixo, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, inceku yakho isizwile impela ukuthi uSawuli uceba ukuza eKheyila achithe idolobho ngenxa yami.
11 Are the town leaders of Keilah going to hand me over to him? Is Saul going to come, as I have heard? Lord, God of Israel, please tell me.” “Yes, he'll come,” the Lord replied.
Abantu baseKheyila banganginikela kuye na? USawuli uzakuza na njengalokhu inceku yakho ekuzwileyo? Awu Thixo Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, itshele inceku yakho.” UThixo wathi, “Uzakuza.”
12 “And will the town leaders of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” David asked. “Yes, they will,” the Lord replied.
UDavida wabuza njalo wathi, “Abantu baseKheyila bazanginikela labantu bami kuSawuli na?” UThixo wathi, “Bazakunikela.”
13 So David and his men, who numbered around six hundred, left Keilah and moved around from place to place. When Saul discovered that David had escaped from Keilah, he didn't bother going there.
Ngakho uDavida labantu bakhe, ababengaba ngamakhulu ayisithupha ubunengi babo, basuka eKheyila baqhubeka behamba besuka kwenye indawo baye kwenye. USawuli esezwile ukuthi uDavida wayesebalekile eKheyila kasayanga khona.
14 David set up camp in the wilderness strongholds, staying in the mountains of the Desert of Ziph. Saul searched for him continually, but God did not let David be captured.
UDavida wahlala ezinqabeni zasenkangala lasezintabeni zeNkangala yaseZifi. Nsuku zonke uSawuli wamdinga, kodwa uNkulunkulu kamnikelanga uDavida ezandleni zakhe.
15 While David was staying at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he found out that Saul was on his way to murder him.
Kwathi uDavida eseHoreshi eNkangala yaseZifi, wezwa ukuthi uSawuli wayephumele ukuyambulala.
16 Saul's son Jonathan went to see David in Horesh and encouraged him to go on trusting in God, telling him,
Njalo indodana kaSawuli uJonathani waya kuDavida eHoreshi wamsiza ukuba athole amandla kuNkulunkulu.
17 “Don't worry, because my father Saul is never going to find you. You're going to be king of Israel, and I'll be your deputy. Even my father Saul knows this.”
Wathi kuye, “Ungesabi. Ubaba uSawuli kasoze abeke isandla phezu kwakho. Wena uzakuba yinkosi yako-Israyeli, njalo mina ngizakuba ngumsekeli wakho. Lobaba uSawuli uyakwazi lokhu.”
18 The two of them made an agreement before the Lord. David stayed in Horesh and Jonathan went home.
Bobabili benza isivumelwano phambi kukaThixo. Emva kwalokho uJonathani waya ekhaya, kodwa uDavida wasala eHoreshi.
19 Then the people of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and told him, “David is hiding in our area, in the strongholds in Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, in the southern wastelands.
Abantu baseZifi baya kuSawuli eGibhiya bathi kuye, “Kanti uDavida kacatshanga phakathi kwethu ezinqabeni eHoreshi, entabeni yaseHakhila, eningizimu kweJeshimoni na?
20 So, Your Majesty, please come whenever you want, and we'll make sure to hand him over to you.”
Ngakho-ke woza Nkosi nxa kukuthokozisa ukwenzanjalo, thina sizakuba yithi esizamnikela enkosini.”
21 “The Lord bless you for thinking about me,” Saul replied.
USawuli waphendula wathi, “Uthixo alibusise ngokungikhathalela kwenu.
22 “Please go and make absolutely sure you know exactly where he is—where he stays and who has seen him there—because people tell me that he's very devious.
Hambani liyekwenza amanye amalungiselelo. Dingani ukwazi lapho uDavida ajayele ukuya khona lokuthi ngubani owambonayo khonapho. Bangitshela ukuthi uliqili kakhulu.
23 Look for and mark down all his hiding places. Then come back to me when you're sure, and I'll go back with you. If he's here in the country, I will hunt him down among all the people of Judah.”
Funani ukwazi ngazozonke izindawo zokucatsha azisebenzisayo beselibuya kimi lilolwazi oluqinisekileyo. Emva kwalokho ngizahamba lani; nxa ekhona esigabeni, ngizamdinga phakathi kwezizwana zonke zakoJuda.”
24 So the people of Ziph set off, returning to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the Desert of Maon in the Arabah Valley in the southern wastelands.
Ngakho-ke basuka baya eZifi besandulela uSawuli. Ngalesosikhathi uDavida labantu bakhe babeseNkangala yaseMawoni, e-Arabha eningizimu kweJeshimoni.
25 Saul and his men started hunting for him. When David found out, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he chased after David in the Desert of Maon.
USawuli labantu bakhe baqalisa ukudinga, njalo kwathi uDavida esetsheliwe ngakho wehlela edwaleni wahlala eNkangala yaseMawoni. Kwathi uSawuli esekuzwile lokhu, waya eNkangala yaseMawoni elandela uDavida.
26 Saul was traveling along one side of the mountain, while David and his men were on the other side, rushing to get away. But just as Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men, about to capture them,
USawuli wayehamba ngakwelinye icele lentaba, uDavida labantu bakhe bengakwelinye icele bephangisa ukuba babalekele uSawuli. Kwathi uSawuli lamabutho akhe sebezamfica uDavida labantu bakhe ukuba babathumbe,
27 a messenger arrived to tell Saul, “Come at once! The Philistines have invaded the country!”
kwafika isithunywa kuSawuli, sisithi, “Woza ngokuphangisa! AmaFilistiya ahlasela ilizwe.”
28 So Saul had to stop chasing David and went to confront the Philistines. That's why the place is called the “Rock of Escape.”
Lapho-ke uSawuli wayekela ukulandela uDavida wasesiyakulwa lamaFilistiya. Yikho-nje indawo le beyibiza ngokuthi Sela Hamalekhothi.
29 Then David left and went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.
UDavida wahamba esuka lapho wayahlala ezinqabeni zase-Eni-Gedi.
