1 USamuyeli 23

1 Basebebika kuDavida besithi: Khangela, amaFilisti alwa emelene leKeyila, aphanga amabala okubhulela.

David was told, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors."

2 UDavida wasebuza eNkosini esithi: Ngihambe yini ngitshaye lamaFilisti? INkosi yasisithi kuDavida: Hamba uyetshaya amaFilisti, usindise iKeyila.

Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and strike these Philistines?" Then the LORD replied, "Go strike the Philistines, and save Keilah."

3 Kodwa abantu bakaDavida bathi kuye: Khangela, siyesaba khonapha koJuda; pho, kangakanani uba sisiya eKeyila emaviyweni amaFilisti?

David's men said to him, "Look, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"

4 UDavida wasephinda futhi ukubuza eNkosini. INkosi yasimphendula yathi: Sukuma wehlele eKeyila, ngoba ngizanikela amaFilisti esandleni sakho.

Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. The LORD answered him, and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand."

5 Ngakho uDavida labantu bakhe baya eKeyila, balwa lamaFilisti, baqhuba inkomo zawo, bawatshaya ngokutshaya okukhulu. Ngalokho uDavida wasindisa abahlali beKeyila.

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 Kwasekusithi lapho uAbhiyatha indodana kaAhimeleki ebalekela kuDavida eKeyila, wehla ele-efodi esandleni sakhe.

It happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David, that he went down with David to Keilah, having an ephod in his hand.

7 Kwasekubikwa kuSawuli ukuthi uDavida ungenile eKeyila. USawuli wasesithi: UNkulunkulu umnikele esandleni sami, ngoba uvalelwe ngokungena emzini olamasango lemigoqo.

Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. So Saul said, "God has sold him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering into a town that has gates and bars."

8 USawuli wasebizela bonke abantu empini ukwehlela eKeyila, ukuvimbezela uDavida labantu bakhe.

Then Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

9 UDavida wasesazi ukuthi uSawuli wenza iqhinga elibi ngasese ngaye, wathi kuAbhiyatha umpristi: Letha lapha i-efodi.

David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."

10 UDavida wasesithi: Nkosi, Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, inceku yakho izwile lokuzwa ukuthi uSawuli udinga ukuza eKeyila ukuchitha umuzi ngenxa yami.

Then David said, "LORD, God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

11 Abahlali beKeyila bazanginikela esandleni sakhe yini? USawuli uzakwehla yini njengokuzwa kwenceku yakho? Nkosi, Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, akuyitshele inceku yakho. INkosi yasisithi: Uzakwehla.

And now, will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? LORD, God of Israel, tell your servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down."

12 UDavida wasesithi: Abahlali beKeyila bazanginikela mina labantu bami esandleni sikaSawuli yini? INkosi yasisithi: Bazalinikela.

Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?" The LORD said, "They will deliver you up."

13 Wasesukuma uDavida labantu bakhe, phose abangamakhulu ayisithupha, baphuma eKeyila, baya lapho ababengaya khona. Lapho uSawuli esetshelwa ukuthi uDavida usephephile eKeyila, wayekela ukuphuma.

Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. And Saul was told that David had escaped Keilah; so he gave up the pursuit.

14 UDavida wasehlala enkangala ezinqabeni, wahlala ezintabeni enkangala yeZifi. LoSawuli wayemdinga insuku zonke, kodwa uNkulunkulu kamnikelanga esandleni sakhe.

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 the LORD did not deliver him into his hand.

15 UDavida wasebona ukuthi uSawuli wayephumele ukudinga impilo yakhe. UDavida wayesenkangala yeZifi eguswini.

Now David was afraid that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

16 UJonathani, indodana kaSawuli, wasesukuma waya kuDavida eguswini, waqinisa isandla sakhe kuNkulunkulu.

Jonathan, Saul's son, set out and came to David at Horesh and encouraged him in the LORD.

17 Wathi kuye: Ungesabi, ngoba isandla sikaSawuli ubaba kasiyikukuthola, njalo uzakuba yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli, mina-ke ngibe ngowesibili kuwe, loSawuli laye ubaba ukwazi kunjalo.

He said to him, "Do not be afraid; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you; and that also Saul my father knows."

18 Basebesenza isivumelwano bobabili phambi kweNkosi; uDavida wasehlala eguswini, loJonathani waya endlini yakhe.

They both made a covenant before the LORD: and David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went to his house.

19 AbeZifi basebesenyukela kuSawuli eGibeya bathi: UDavida kacatshanga lathi yini ezinqabeni eguswini, eqaqeni lweHakila engeningizimu kweJeshimoni?

Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Doesn't David hide himself with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

20 Ngakho-ke, ngokwesifiso sonke somphefumulo wakho sokwehla, nkosi, yehla; njalo kungokwethu ukumnikela esandleni senkosi.

Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of your soul to come down. It will be our responsibility to deliver him up into the king's hand."

21 USawuli wasesithi: Libusisiwe yiNkosi ngoba liyangizwela.

Saul said, "You are blessed by the LORD; for you have had compassion on me.

22 Ake lihambe, libe lilungisa, lazi libone indawo yakhe lapho unyawo lwakhe lukhona, ngubani ombone lapho, ngoba ngitsheliwe ukuthi wenza ngobuqili isibili.

Please go investigate again, and look around and learn the place where his swift foot is, for I am told that he is very clever.

23 Bonani-ke, lizazi zonke indawo zokucatsha lapho acatsha khona, libuye kimi lileqiniso, ngizahamba-ke lani; kuzakuthi-ke nxa ekhona elizweni, ngizamdinga phakathi kwazo zonke inkulungwane zakoJuda.

See therefore, and find out all the hiding places where he hides himself, and come back to me when you know for certain, and I will go with you. And it shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search for him among all the thousands of Judah."

24 Basebesukuma baya eZifi phambi kukaSawuli; kodwa uDavida labantu bakhe babesenkangala yeMahoni, emagcekeni, ngeningizimu 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 Jeshimon.

25 USawuli labantu bakhe basebesiyamdinga. Basebemtshela uDavida, wasesehla edwaleni, wahlala enkangala yeMahoni. Kwathi uSawuli esekuzwile, waxotshana loDavida enkangala yeMahoni.

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 wasehamba nganeno kuloluhlangothi lwentaba, loDavida labantu bakhe bahamba ngakolunye uhlangothi lwentaba. Kwasekusithi uDavida waphangisa ukusuka ebusweni bukaSawuli, ngoba uSawuli labantu bakhe bahanqa uDavida labantu bakhe ukubabamba.

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men surrounded David and his men to take them.

27 Kodwa kwafika isithunywa kuSawuli sisithi: Phangisa ubuye, ngoba amaFilisti asehlasele ilizwe.

But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on the land."

28 Ngakho uSawuli waphenduka ekuxotshaneni loDavida, wayamelana lamaFilisti. Ngakho bayibiza leyondawo bathi yiSela-Hamalekoti.

So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Rock of Divisions.

29 UDavida wasesenyuka esuka lapho, wahlala ezinqabeni zeEngedi.

David went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.