David Again Lets Saul Live
1 Once again, some people from Ziph went to Gibeah to talk with Saul. “David has a hideout on Mount Hachilah near Jeshimon out in the desert,” they told him.
2 Saul took 3,000 of Israel's best soldiers and went to look for David there in Ziph Desert. 3 Saul set up camp on Mount Hachilah, which is across the road from Jeshimon. But David was hiding out in the desert.
When David heard that Saul was following him, 4 he sent some spies to find out if it was true. 5 Then he sneaked up to Saul's camp. He noticed that Saul and his army commander Abner the son of Ner were sleeping in the middle of the camp, with soldiers sleeping all around them. 6 David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Joab's brother Abishai, “Which one of you will go with me into Saul's camp?”
“I will!” Abishai answered.
7 That same night, David and Abishai crept into the camp. Saul was sleeping, and his spear was stuck in the ground not far from his head. Abner and the soldiers were sound asleep all around him.
8 Abishai whispered, “This time God has let you get your hands on your enemy! I'll pin him to the ground with one thrust of his own spear.”
9 “Don't kill him!” David whispered back. “The Lord will punish anyone who kills his chosen king. 10 As surely as the Lord lives, the Lord will kill Saul, or Saul will die a natural death or be killed in battle. 11 But I pray that the Lord will keep me from harming his chosen king. Let's grab his spear and his water jar and get out of here!”
12 David took the spear and the water jar, then left the camp. None of Saul's soldiers knew what had happened or even woke up—the Lord had made all of them fall sound asleep. 13 David and Abishai crossed the valley and went to the top of the next hill, where they were at a safe distance. 14 “Abner!” David shouted toward Saul's army. “Can you hear me?”
Abner shouted back. “Who dares disturb the king?”
15 “Abner, what kind of a man are you?” David replied. “Aren't you supposed to be the best soldier in Israel? Then why didn't you protect your king? Anyone who went into your camp could have killed him tonight. 16 You're a complete failure! I swear by the living Lord that you and your men deserve to die for not protecting the Lord's chosen king. Look and see if you can find the king's spear and the water jar that were near his head.”
17 Saul could tell it was David's voice, and he called out, “David, my son! Is that you?”
“Yes it is, Your Majesty. 18 Why are you hunting me down? Have I done something wrong, or have I committed a crime? 19 Please listen to what I have to say. If the Lord has turned you against me, maybe a sacrifice will make him change his mind. But if some people have turned you against me, I hope the Lord will punish them! They have forced me to leave the land that belongs to the Lord and have told me to worship foreign gods. 20 Don't let me die in a land far away from the Lord. I'm no more important than a flea! Why should the king of Israel hunt me down as if I were a bird in the mountains?”
21 “David, you had the chance to kill me today. But you didn't. I was very wrong about you. It was a terrible mistake for me to try to kill you. I've acted like a fool, but I'll never try to harm you again. You're like a son to me, so please come back.”
22 “Your Majesty, here's your spear! Let one of your soldiers come and get it. 23 The Lord put you in my power today, but you are his chosen king and I wouldn't harm you. The Lord rewards people who are faithful and live right. 24 I spared your life today, and I pray that the Lord will spare my life and keep me safe.”
25 “David, my son, I pray that the Lord will bless you and make you successful!”
David in Philistia
Saul went back home. David also left,
David ma yama omuinyo wa Saul rukwao
1 Ovasif tjiva ve ya ku Saul mOgibea nave mu tjivisa nai: “David wa kaṱara mondunda Hakila kotjikoro tjokuti onguza kwa Judea.” 2 Saul arire tja sekama tjimanga novarumendu omayovi yetatu wOvaisrael ovatoororwa, nave i mokuti onguza Sif okukapaha David. 3 Nu Saul wa tona ozondanda meṋe yondjira kondunda ya Hakila. David tjandje ingee u ri mokuti onguza; neye tja zuva kutja Saul weya mbo okumupaha, 4 otja tuma ozohoze okukakonḓonona kutja Saul, tjiri, weya mbo. 5 David otja sekama, a i poṋa Saul pa tona ozondanda, na kamuna poṋa pu pa rarere Saul nomuhongore we wovita Abner, omuzandu wa Ner. Saul wa rara moukoto worumbo rwozondanda, ovarwe ve wovita ngunda ava tono ozondanda okumukondoroka.
6 Nu David wa pura Omuhetite Ahimelek na Abisai, omuzandu womukazendu Seruja, omuangu wa Joab, na tja: “Owaṋi pu eṋe, ngu ma i puna ami kozondanda za Saul?”
Nu Abisai wa zira a tja: “Owami ngu me i puna ove.”
7 Ouṱuku mbo David na Abisai otji va hita mozondanda, nave vaza Saul a rara moukoto worumbo, nenga re ara twerewa mehi meṋe yotjiuru tje. Nu Abner novarwe va Saul wovita tjandje va rara okumukondoroka. 8 Nu Abisai wa tja nai ku David: “Ouṱuku mbunombwi Ndjambi wa twa omunavita na ove momake woye. Ndji esa nambano mbi tuvakanise enga re mu ye omuini, mbi mu papere mehi otjikando tjimwe uriri. Ami hi nakuhepa okumutwera tuvari.”
9 Nungwari David wa tja ku ye: “O mu zepa! Owaṋi ngu ma twa eke kombara ya Muhona ondwirisiwa na kara nokuhaverwa?” 10 Tjazumba David a tja komeho: “Tjimbe tja Muhona omunamuinyo, tjiri, Muhona omuini me mu vere poo eyuva ronḓiro ye mari ya poo ma kaṱa movita. 11 Muhona nge ndji tjaere kutja e ha ṱunu komutwirisiwa we! Ngatu toore enga, ndi ri meṋe yotjiuru tje, nondjupa ye yomeva wina nu tu yende.” 12 David otja toora enga ndi nondjupa yomeva mbya ri meṋe yotjiuru tja Saul, nave i. Kape na umwe ngwa muna poo ngwa tjiza kutja pa tjitwa tjike poo ngwa yanḓimuka; avehe tjinga ava rarere ozomboṱu ozonḓeu Muhona nḓe ve pere.
13 David wa konda komukuma mbwina wotjana, na kakurama kondomba yondundu ohumburuko; nu pa ri oruveze orunene pokati kawo. 14 David arire tja ravaere kovarwe wovita va Saul na ku Abner, omuzandu wa Ner, a tja: “Abner! Mo ndji zuu?”
Abner arire tja ziri a tja: “Ove oovyaṋi ngu mo kwenene ombara?”
15 Nu David wa ziri Abner a tja: “Kaove omurumendu watjiri are? Kaove omurumendu omunene pu avehe mOisrael are? Okutjavi tji u ha tjeverere omuhona woye ombara? Umwe wotjiwaṋa wa zu nokuhita nambano nai mozondanda okukazepa omuhona woye ombara. 16 Otjiṋa tji wa tjiti hi, katji nakukuetera ohivo! Tjimbe tja Muhona omunamuinyo, eṋe mwa pu okuṱa, tjinga amu ha tjeverere omuhona weṋu, ingwi omutwirisiwa wa Muhona. Nambano tara, enga rombara ri ri pi? Nondjupa yomeva ndja ri potjiuru tje i ri pi?”
17 Saul wa zemburuka eraka ra David na tja: “Eraka ndi oroye are, muatje wandje David?”
Nu David wa zira a tja: “Otji pe ri, tjiri, muhona wandje ombara.” 18 Neye wa hungira nai komurungu: “Okutjavi, muhona wandje, ingee tji u tjera omukarere woye? Mba ungura tjike? Nu otjivi tji mba tjita, otjikeṋa? 19 Nambano omuhona wandje ombara nga puratene komambo womukarere we nga: Tjinangara Muhona ongwe ku hingira ku ami, mu punguhira ombunguhiro. Nungwari tjinangara ovandu ombe tjita nao, ngave sengwe komurungu wa Muhona, orondu ve ndji ramba motjirumatwa tja Muhona kutja mbi yende kehi ku me kakarera oomukuru varwe uriri! 20 O ndji esa mbi ṱire mehi rozonganda, kokure na Muhona. Ombara ya Israel ya kumuka okutjinga omuinyo wandje tjimuna orukoze ndu maru yeve ongwari mozondunda.”
21 Saul arire tja ziri a tja: “Mba tjita ouvi, kotoka uri, muatje wandje David. Himee ku tjiti navi rukwao, tjinga awa yama omuinyo wandje ndinondi. Tara, ami mba tjita ouyova, nu mba tataiza navi tjinene.”
22 David wa zira a tja: “Tara, enga rombara oro ndi. Omurumendu umwe weṋu nge ye okurieta! 23 Muhona ma sutu auhe kouṱakame nousemba we. Ndino Muhona we ku yandja momake wandje, nungwari ami hi tjitire otjipo komutwirisiwa wa Muhona. 24 Otja punga amba yama omuinyo woye ndino, Muhona nga rire punga a tjiti ku ami wina, nu nge ndji kuture kombamisiro aihe.”
25 Saul opa tjera nai ku David: “Serwa ondaya, muatje wandje David! Ove mo tjiti oviṋa ovinene, nu tjiri, mo ṋingapara.”
Tjazumba David otja twara ondjira ye, nu Saul wa yaruka koye.
