David Spares Saul's Life Again
1 Some men from Ziph came to Saul at Gibeah and told him that David was hiding on Mount Hachilah at the edge of the Judean wilderness. 2 Saul went at once with three thousand of the best soldiers in Israel to the wilderness of Ziph to look for David, 3 and camped by the road on Mount Hachilah. David was still in the wilderness, and when he learned that Saul had come to look for him, 4 he sent spies and found out that Saul was indeed there. 5 He went at once and located the exact place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, slept. Saul slept inside the camp, and his men camped around him.
6 Then David asked Ahimelech the Hittite, and Abishai the brother of Joab (their mother was Zeruiah), “Which of you two will go to Saul's camp with me?”
“I will,” Abishai answered.
7 So that night David and Abishai entered Saul's camp and found Saul sleeping in the center of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the troops were sleeping around him. 8 Abishai said to David, “God has put your enemy in your power tonight. Now let me plunge his own spear through him and pin him to the ground with just one blow—I won't have to strike twice!”
9 But David said, “You must not harm him! The Lord will certainly punish whoever harms his chosen king. 10 By the living Lord,” David continued, “I know that the Lord himself will kill Saul, either when his time comes to die a natural death or when he dies in battle. 11 The Lord forbid that I should try to harm the one whom the Lord has made king! Let's take his spear and his water jar, and go.” 12 So David took the spear and the water jar from right beside Saul's head, and he and Abishai left. No one saw it or knew what had happened or even woke up—they were all sound asleep, because the Lord had sent a heavy sleep on them all.
13 Then David crossed over to the other side of the valley to the top of the hill, a safe distance away, 14 and shouted to Saul's troops and to Abner, “Abner! Can you hear me?”
“Who is that shouting and waking up the king?” Abner asked.
15 David answered, “Abner, aren't you the greatest man in Israel? So why aren't you protecting your master, the king? Just now someone entered the camp to kill your master. 16 You failed in your duty, Abner! I swear by the living Lord that all of you deserve to die, because you have not protected your master, whom the Lord made king. Look! Where is the king's spear? Where is the water jar that was right by his head?”
17 Saul recognized David's voice and asked, “David, is that you, my son?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” David answered. 18 And he added, “Why, sir, are you still pursuing me, your servant? What have I done? What crime have I committed? 19 Your Majesty, listen to what I have to say. If it is the Lord who has turned you against me, an offering to him will make him change his mind; but if some people have done it, may the Lord's curse fall on them. For they have driven me out from the Lord's land to a country where I can only worship foreign gods. 20 Don't let me be killed on foreign soil, away from the Lord. Why should the king of Israel come to kill a flea like me? Why should he hunt me down like a wild bird?”
21 Saul answered, “I have done wrong. Come back, David, my son! I will never harm you again, because you have spared my life tonight. I have been a fool! I have done a terrible thing!”
22 David replied, “Here is your spear, Your Majesty. Let one of your men come over and get it. 23 The Lord rewards those who are faithful and righteous. Today he put you in my power, but I did not harm you, whom the Lord made king. 24 Just as I have spared your life today, may the Lord do the same to me and free me from all troubles!”
25 Saul said to David, “God bless you, my son! You will succeed in everything you do!”
So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.
Davidi ge ǁkhawa Sauli ûiba ra sâu
1 Sifǁîgu ge ǁkhawa Gibeas ǃnâ Sauli tawa hā tsî ge mî: “Davidi ge Haxilaǃnoms, ǃgaroǃhūb amǃgâb ai hâs tawa gau hâ.” 2 Ob ge Saula ǁnātimîsi ǂhomisen tsî Sifǃgaroǃhūb ǃoa ge ǃgû, ǃnonaǀoadisi toroǃkhamaogu, Israela xu ǁhûiǂuihe hâgu ǀkha Davida gu sī nî ôase. 3 Tsîb ge Saula Haxilaǃnoms, ǃgaroǃhūb ǃoa-ai hâs ai ǁgoe daob xōǀkhā sī hâǃkhaiba ge ǂnaumâi. Davidi ge noxopa ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ ge hâ i, tsî Sauli ge ǃgaroǃhūb kōse ǁîba ôasī ǃkhaisab ge ǂanǃnâ, 4 ob ge Davida ǃkhē-aoga sî tsî ge ǂanǂui ama hāb ge Saula ǃkhaisa. 5 Ob ge Davida ǂhomisen tsî Sauli ge hâ i ǃkhais tawa ge sī; tsîb ge ǁnā ǃkhais Sauli tsî Abneri ôab Neri, Sauli toroǂnubis danab tsîkha ǁîs ai ǁomǁgoesa ge mû. Sauli ge hâǃkhaib ǁaegu ge ǁgoe i tsî aogu âb ge ǁîb ǂnamipe ge ǁgoe i.
6 Ob ge Davida Hetǁîb Ahimelexi tsî Abisaib Joab ǃgâsab, Serujas ôab tsîkha ge dî: “Tariba tita ǀkha Saula ǃoa hâǃkhaib ǃoa nî ǃgû?”
Ob ge Abisaiba “Tita ge sats ǀkha nî ǃgû” ti ge ǃeream.
7 Davidi tsî Abisaib tsîkha ge ǁnā tsuxuba hâǃkhaib tawa ge sī, tsî Sauli ge ǁaegub ǃnâ ge ǁomǁgoe i, ǁhâigôab âb ǃhūb ǃnâ ǁîb danaǂams tawa ǃkhāǂgāmâihe hâse. Abneri tsî toroǃkhamaogu tsîn ge ǁîb ǂnamipe ge ǁomǁgoe i. 8 Ob ge Abisaiba ǂause Davidi ǃoa ge mî: “Elob ge nētsē khākhoeb âtsa sa ǃomǁae go māǁnâ. A ta nēsi ǁhâigôab ǀkha ǀgui ǃnās ama ǃhūb ǃnâ ǃkhāǁgui bi, ǀgamǁî ǃnāsa ta nî dīs ǂhâbasa tidese.”
9 Xaweb ge Davida Abisaib ǃoa ge mî: “Tā ǃgam bi. Tari-e kha ǃKhūb ǀnausabeba ǂkhôadī tsî ǁkharahe tide?” 10 ǃAruǀîb ge Davida ge mî: “ǃKhūb a ûitsama ǃkhais ao; ǃKhūb ge amase aitsama nî ǃgam bi, ǁnaetihesa ǁōb ǀkhas kas, torob ǃnâb ka ǁōs hoasa. 11 Ab ǃKhūba ti ǃomma ta ǃKhūb ǀnausabeb ǃoagu nî ūkhâisa xu ǁkhae te. ǁHâigôab danaǂams âb tawa mâb tsî ǁgamxapas tsîra ǀguira ū î khom ǃgû.” 12 Ob ge Davida ǁhâigôab tsî ǁgamxapas tsîra Sauli danaǂamsa xu ge ū; tsî kha ge ǁîkha ge ǃgû, ǀguib Sauli digu dib tsîn mû tama tsî ǂanǃnâ tama tsî ǂkhaiǃnâs tsîna hî tamase. Hoagu ge ge ǁom hâ i, ǃKhūb ge ǁîga ǃgam ǂomsa ǁom kai hâ i amaga.
13 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Davida nauǀkhāb ǃoa ǃgâu tsî ǃhommi ǂaob ai sī ge mâ, kai soab ǁîgu ǁaegu hâse. 14 Tsîb ge Davida Sauli ǂnubis tsî Neri ôab Abneri tsîgu ǁga ge ǃhao: “Abnertse, ǃereamts tide?” ǁnâu tets ra?
Ob ge Abnera ge ǃeream: “Taritsa sats gao-aob ǃoa ra ǃhaotsa?”
15 Ob ge Davida Abnera ǃoa ge mî: “ǁĒ-ao tamatsa kha ǁnâi satsa? Tariba sats khami ī, Israeli ǃnâ? Tare xū-i ǃaromats sa gao-aoba go ǃûi tama hâ i? ǀGuib toroǂnubis dib kom sa gao-aobab nî ǃgamga ǀase go sī hâ io. 16 Nēts go dī ǃkhais ge ǃgâi tama hâ. ǃKhūb a ûitsama ǃkhais ao, sago ge ǁōba anu hâ, sadu gao-aob, ǃKhūb di ǀnausabeba go go ǃûi tama hâ i amaga. Kō re nēsi. Mâpa ra ǁhâigôab tsî ǁgamxapas tsîra ǁîb danaǂams tawa go mâ i ra hâ?”
17 Sauli ge ǂkhai tsî Davidi domma ǁnâuǃā tsî ge mî: “Satsa nē ra ǃhoatsa ti ôa Davitse?”
Ob ge Davida: “Tita ge, gao-aotse” ti ge mî. 18 Tsîb ge ǃaruǀî ge mî: “Tare xū-i ǃaromats kha ti gao-aotsa sa ǃgāta ra ǃgôaǃgon? Tare xū-e ta dī hâ? Mâ ǂkhabadī-e ta ge dī? 19 Xawe ti gao-aotse, nēsi ǁnâi toxopa ǃgâ te re. ǃKhūb nîs karao, ti ǃoagu ra khâikhâiǃnâ tsiba, o ǁguiba-e hā-ūba bi re; khoen nîs karao, an ǀâxarexūhe ǃKhūb di ais aiǃâ, titan go ǃKhūb di ǃhūba xu ǂhāǂui amaga, mî rase: ‘ǃGû, î ǃhao eloga sī ǃoaba’ ti. 20 Ab ti ǀaoba tā ǃnūse ǃKhūb di ǀgūsiba xu ǃhao ǃhūb ai ǂnâ. Israeli gao-aots ge go ǃgûǂoa ǀgui ǃaeda-ets nî ôase, ǃhomgu ǃnâts ra khoetsa ǃaub ani-e ǃau khami.”
21 Ob ge Saula ge mî: “Tsūse ta ge go dī. Oaǀkhī re ti ôa Davitse. ǁKhawa ta ge tsūdī tsi tide, ti ûibats go nē tsuxuba sâu amaga. Tita ge gârese go dī, ǁgaisi tsūdī-e ta ge go dī.”
22 Ob ge Davida ge mî: “Nēb ge gao-aots di ǁhâigôaba. Ab sa khoegu di ǀguiba ǃgâuxa tsî ǁîba hā ū re. 23 Ab ǃKhūba mâ khoeb hoaba ǁîb ǂhanu-aisib tsî ǂgomǂgomsasiba ǃoa mādawa-am. ǃKhūb ge nē tsuxuba satsa ti ǃomǁae go māǁnâ, xawe ta ge tita ti ǃomma sats ǃKhūb ǀnausabets ǃoagu ūkhâi ǂgao tama go i. 24 Sa ûiba ta go nē tsuxuba sâus ǁkhās khami ab ǃKhūba ti ûib ona sâu re, îb tita ǂōǂōsigu hoaga xu huiǂui.”
25 Ob ge Saula Davidi ǃoa ge mî: “Ab ǃKhūba ǀkhae tsi re ti ôa Davitse. Sats ge dīts ra xūn hoan ǃnâ nî ǃgâiǃgâ tsî nî dan.”
ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Davida ǁîb daoba ge ǃgû tsî Sauli ge oms âb ǃoa ge ǁaru.
