1 USamuyeli 29

1 AmaFilisti ayebuthanise-ke wonke amabutho awo eAfeki; lamaIsrayeli ayemise inkamba ngasemthonjeni oseJizereyeli.

Now the Philistines gathered together all their army at Aphek; the Israelites camped by the spring that is in Jezreel.

2 Iziphathamandla zamaFilisti zasezidlula ngamakhulu langezinkulungwane, kodwa uDavida labantu bakhe bedlula emuva loAkishi.

The princes of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands; David and his men passed on in the rear guard with Achish.

3 Induna zamaFilisti zasezisithi: Ayini lamaHebheru? UAkishi wasesithi kuzo induna zamaFilisti: Lo kayisuye uDavida yini, inceku kaSawuli inkosi yakoIsrayeli, obelami lezinsuku kumbe liminyaka? Njalo kangitholanga lutho kuye kusukela kusuku lokuwa kwakhe kuze kube lamuhla.

Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” Achish said to the other princes of the Philistines, “Is not this David, the servant of Saul, the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault with him since he came away to me to this day?”

4 Kodwa induna zamaFilisti zamthukuthelela; izinduna zamaFilisti zathi kuye: Mbuyisele lumuntu ukuthi abuyele endaweni yakhe owambeka khona. Njalo kangehleli empini lathi, ukuze angabi yisitha sethu empini. Ngoba lo angazenza athandeke ngani enkosini yakhe? Hatshi ngamakhanda alamadoda yini?

But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him and said, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He will not go down with us into battle, for he will turn against us during the fighting. For how else could he make himself acceptable to his master than by taking the heads of our own men?

5 Lo kayisuye uDavida yini ababevumelana ngaye emigidweni besithi: USawuli utshaye izinkulungwane zakhe, kodwa uDavida inkulungwane zakhe ezingamatshumi?

Is this not David of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?”

6 UAkishi wasebiza uDavida wathi kuye: Kuphila kukaJehova, isibili wena uqondile, lokuphuma kwakho lokungena kwakho lami enkambeni kuhle emehlweni ami; ngoba kangitholanga ububi kuwe kusukela osukwini lokufika kwakho kimi kuze kube lamuhla; kodwa emehlweni eziphathamandla kawumuhle.

Then Achish called David and said to him, “As Yahweh lives, you have been good, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my view; for I have found nothing wrong with you since the day of your coming to me to this very day. Nevertheless, the princes are not favorable to you.

7 Ngakho-ke buyela uhambe ngokuthula, ukuze ungenzi ububi emehlweni eziphathamandla zamaFilisti.

So now return and go in peace, so that you do not displease the princes of the Philistines.”

8 UDavida wasesithi kuAkishi: Kodwa ngenzeni? Uficeni encekwini yakho, kusukela osukwini engangiphambi kwakho ngalo kuze kube lamuhla, ukuthi ngingayikulwa lezitha zenkosi yami, inkosi?

David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant as long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my master the king?”

9 UAkishi wasephendula wathi kuDavida: Ngiyazi ukuthi ulungile emehlweni ami njengengilosi kaNkulunkulu; kodwa izinduna zamaFilisti zithe: Kayikwenyukela empini lathi.

Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless, the princes of the Philistines have said, 'He must not go up with us to the battle.'

10 Ngakho-ke ubovuka ekuseni kakhulu kanye lenceku zenkosi yakho ezifike lawe; selivuke ekuseni kakhulu sekukhanya kini, lihambe.

So now rise up early in the morning with the servants of your master who have come with you; as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, go away.”

11 Ngakho uDavida wavuka ngovivi, yena labantu bakhe, ukuhamba ekuseni, ukuthi babuyele elizweni lamaFilisti. AmaFilisti asesenyukela eJizereyeli.

So David rose up early, he and his men, to leave in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.