1 USamuyeli 23
1 Kwathi uDavida esetsheliwe ukuthi, “Khangela, amaFilistiya ahlasela iKheyila njalo aphanga leziza,”
David was told, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors.”
2 wabuza uThixo, esithi, “Ngingahamba ukuyahlasela amaFilistiya la na?” Uthixo wamphendula wathi, “Hamba uyehlasela amaFilistiya uhlenge iKheyila.”
Therefore David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” Yahweh said to David, “Go strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.”
3 Kodwa abantu bakaDavida bathi kuye, “Lapha koJuda thina siyesaba. Pho kuzakuba kukhulu kangakanani nxa sizakuyamelana lamabutho amaFilistiya eKheyila!”
David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”
4 UDavida waphinda wambuza futhi uThixo, njalo uThixo wamphendula wathi, “Hamba eKheyila, ngoba amaFilistiya ngizawanikela ezandleni zakho.”
Then David inquired of Yahweh yet again. Yahweh answered him, and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
5 Ngakho uDavida labantu bakhe baya eKheyila, walwa lamaFilistiya wathumba izifuyo zawo. Wabulala amaFilistiya amanengi kakhulu wahlenga abantu baseKheyila.
David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their livestock, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 (U-Abhiyathari indodana ka-Ahimeleki wayeze lesembatho semahlombe ekubalekeleni kwakhe kuDavida eKheyila.)
When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 USawuli watshelwa ukuthi uDavida wayeseye eKheyila, ngakho wathi, “UNkulunkulu usemnikele kimi, ngoba uDavida usezifake entolongweni ngokungena edolobheni elilamasango lemigoqo.”
Saul was told that David had come to Keilah. Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he is shut in by entering into a town that has gates and bars.”
8 USawuli wamemeza amabutho akhe wonke empini ukuba aye eKheyila ukuyavimbezela uDavida labantu bakhe.
Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9 Kwathi uDavida esizwa ukuthi uSawuli wayeceba okubi ngaye, wathi ku-Abhiyathari umphristi, “Letha isembatho samahlombe.”
David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him. He said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”
10 UDavida wasesithi, “Awu Thixo, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, inceku yakho isizwile impela ukuthi uSawuli uceba ukuza eKheyila achithe idolobho ngenxa yami.
Then David said, “O Yahweh, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Abantu baseKheyila banganginikela kuye na? USawuli uzakuza na njengalokhu inceku yakho ekuzwileyo? Awu Thixo Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, itshele inceku yakho.” UThixo wathi, “Uzakuza.”
Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Yahweh, the God of Israel, I beg you, tell your servant.” Yahweh said, “He will come down.”
12 UDavida wabuza njalo wathi, “Abantu baseKheyila bazanginikela labantu bami kuSawuli na?” UThixo wathi, “Bazakunikela.”
Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” Yahweh said, “They will deliver you up.”
13 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.
Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah and went wherever they could go. Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah; and he gave up going there.
14 UDavida wahlala ezinqabeni zasenkangala lasezintabeni zeNkangala yaseZifi. Nsuku zonke uSawuli wamdinga, kodwa uNkulunkulu kamnikelanga uDavida ezandleni zakhe.
David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God didn’t deliver him into his hand.
15 Kwathi uDavida eseHoreshi eNkangala yaseZifi, wezwa ukuthi uSawuli wayephumele ukuyambulala.
David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the woods.
16 Njalo indodana kaSawuli uJonathani waya kuDavida eHoreshi wamsiza ukuba athole amandla kuNkulunkulu.
Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God.
17 Wathi kuye, “Ungesabi. Ubaba uSawuli kasoze abeke isandla phezu kwakho. Wena uzakuba yinkosi yako-Israyeli, njalo mina ngizakuba ngumsekeli wakho. Lobaba uSawuli uyakwazi lokhu.”
He said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father won’t find you; and you will be king over Israel, and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also.”
18 Bobabili benza isivumelwano phambi kukaThixo. Emva kwalokho uJonathani waya ekhaya, kodwa uDavida wasala eHoreshi.
They both made a covenant before Yahweh. Then David stayed in the woods and Jonathan went to his house.
19 Abantu baseZifi baya kuSawuli eGibhiya bathi kuye, “Kanti uDavida kacatshanga phakathi kwethu ezinqabeni eHoreshi, entabeni yaseHakhila, eningizimu kweJeshimoni na?
Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doesn’t David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert?
20 Ngakho-ke woza Nkosi nxa kukuthokozisa ukwenzanjalo, thina sizakuba yithi esizamnikela enkosini.”
Now therefore, O king, come down. According to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part will be to deliver him up into the king’s hand.”
21 USawuli waphendula wathi, “Uthixo alibusise ngokungikhathalela kwenu.
Saul said, “You are blessed by Yahweh, for you have had compassion on me.
22 Hambani liyekwenza amanye amalungiselelo. Dingani ukwazi lapho uDavida ajayele ukuya khona lokuthi ngubani owambonayo khonapho. Bangitshela ukuthi uliqili kakhulu.
Please go make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for I have been told that he is very cunning.
23 Funani ukwazi ngazozonke izindawo zokucatsha azisebenzisayo beselibuya kimi lilolwazi oluqinisekileyo. Emva kwalokho ngizahamba lani; nxa ekhona esigabeni, ngizamdinga phakathi kwezizwana zonke zakoJuda.”
See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides himself; and come again to me with certainty, and I will go with you. It shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”
24 Ngakho-ke basuka baya eZifi besandulela uSawuli. Ngalesosikhathi uDavida labantu bakhe babeseNkangala yaseMawoni, e-Arabha eningizimu kweJeshimoni.
They arose, and went to Ziph before Saul; but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert.
25 USawuli labantu bakhe baqalisa ukudinga, njalo kwathi uDavida esetsheliwe ngakho wehlela edwaleni wahlala eNkangala yaseMawoni. Kwathi uSawuli esekuzwile lokhu, waya eNkangala yaseMawoni elandela uDavida.
Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.
26 USawuli wayehamba ngakwelinye icele lentaba, uDavida labantu bakhe bengakwelinye icele bephangisa ukuba babalekele uSawuli. Kwathi uSawuli lamabutho akhe sebezamfica uDavida labantu bakhe ukuba babathumbe,
Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David hurried to get away for fear of Saul, for Saul and his men surrounded David and his men to take them.
27 kwafika isithunywa kuSawuli, sisithi, “Woza ngokuphangisa! AmaFilistiya ahlasela ilizwe.”
But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land!”
28 Lapho-ke uSawuli wayekela ukulandela uDavida wasesiyakulwa lamaFilistiya. Yikho-nje indawo le beyibiza ngokuthi Sela Hamalekhothi.
So Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela Hammahlekoth.
29 UDavida wahamba esuka lapho wayahlala ezinqabeni zase-Eni-Gedi.
David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.
