David Spares Saul's Life
1 When Saul came back from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David was in the wilderness near Engedi. 2 Saul took three thousand of the best soldiers in Israel and went looking for David and his men east of Wild Goat Rocks. 3 He came to a cave close to some sheep pens by the road and went in to relieve himself. It happened to be the very cave in which David and his men were hiding far back in the cave. 4 They said to him, “This is your chance! The Lord has told you that he would put your enemy in your power and you could do to him whatever you wanted to.” David crept over and cut off a piece of Saul's robe without Saul's knowing it. 5 But then David's conscience began to hurt, 6 and he said to his men, “May the Lord keep me from doing any harm to my master, whom the Lord chose as king! I must not harm him in the least, because he is the king chosen by the Lord!” 7 So David convinced his men that they should not attack Saul.
Saul got up, left the cave, and started away. 8 Then David went out after him and called to him, “Your Majesty!” Saul turned around, and David bowed down to the ground in respect 9 and said, “Why do you listen to people who say that I am trying to harm you? 10 You can see for yourself that just now in the cave the Lord put you in my power. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I felt sorry for you and said that I would not harm you in the least, because you are the one whom the Lord chose to be king. 11 Look, my father, look at the piece of your robe I am holding! I could have killed you, but instead I only cut this off. This should convince you that I have no thought of rebelling against you or of harming you. You are hunting me down to kill me, even though I have not done you any wrong. 12 May the Lord judge which one of us is wrong! May he punish you for your action against me, for I will not harm you in the least. 13 You know the old saying, ‘Evil is done only by evil people.’ And so I will not harm you. 14 Look at what the king of Israel is trying to kill! Look at what he is chasing! A dead dog, a flea! 15 The Lord will judge, and he will decide which one of us is wrong. May he look into the matter, defend me, and save me from you.”
16 When David had finished speaking, Saul said, “Is that really you, David my son?” And he started crying. 17 Then he said to David, “You are right, and I am wrong. You have been so good to me, while I have done such wrong to you! 18 Today you have shown how good you are to me, because you did not kill me, even though the Lord put me in your power. 19 How often does someone catch an enemy and then let him get away unharmed? The Lord bless you for what you have done to me today! 20 Now I am sure that you will be king of Israel and that the kingdom will continue under your rule. 21 But promise me in the Lord's name that you will spare my descendants, so that my name and my family's name will not be completely forgotten.” 22 David promised that he would.
Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went back to their hiding place.
David ta xupifa omwenyo waSaul
1 Ndele Saul eshi a aluka kokushikula Ovafilisti, ye a hepaululilwa nokutya David oku li mombuwa yaEngedi. 2 Opo nee Saul a kufa ovakwaita ovahoololwa omayovi atatu muIsrael ashishe nokwa ya a ka konge David novalumenhu vaye langhele kwinya yOmamanya eemenye. 3 Ye eshi e uya koyuunda yeedi pondjila apa pa kala ekololo lomhunda, Saul okwa ya mo a ye koixwa, fimbo David novanhu vaye va li omutumba kofindo yekololo. 4 Novalumenhu vaDavid tava ti kuye: “Tala, efiku eli olo tuu olo Omwene te ku lombwele: ‘Paife Ame ohandi yandje omutondadi woye meke loye, ndele mu ningila ngaashi she ku wapalela.’ ” Opo nee David ta fikama ndee ta ende ta hondjaunine ndee ta tete okavando komunghulo woshikutu shaSaul. 5 Ndelenee eliudo laDavid le mu vela ombedi ye eshi a teta okavando komunghulo woshikutu shaSaul, 6 ndele ye okwa lombwela ovalumenhu: “Omwene na amene nge, ndiha ningile sha omuvaekwa wOmwene wange, ndi mu kume neke lange. Osheshi ye omuvaekwa wOmwene.” 7 Ndele David okwa ilikana ovalumenhu vaha nhukile Saul. Ndele Saul a dja mo mekololo nokwa ya nondjila yaye. 8 Opo nee naDavid yo okwa fikama, a dja mo mekololo nokwa ingida Saul ndee ta ti: “Ohamba, omwene wange! Saul eshi ta keuka konima yaye, David te linyongamene oshipala shaye pedu ndee ta wile eombe.” 9 Ndele David ta ti kuSaul: “Omolwashike to pwilikine eendjovo dovanhu hava ti: ‘Tala, David te ku kongele omupya?’ 10 Tala, nena eli omesho oye mwene taa mono nokutya, nena eli Omwene e ku yandja meke lange mekololo lomhunda. Ndele ovanhu vange vamwe va lombwela nge ndi ku dipae, ndele ame nde ku xupifa ndee handi ti: ‘Eke lange itali ka kuma omwene wange, osheshi oye omuvaekwa wOmwene.’ 11 Ndele tala, tate, heeno, tala okavando komunghulo woshikutu shoye meke lange! Osheshi ame eshi nda teta okavando komunghulo woshikutu shoye, ame inandi ku dipaa. Kala hano u shi shii nokutya, mwaame kamu na owii ile etauluko ndele inandi nyona kwoove, nande ove ho holamene nge u shiive okudipaa nge. 12 Omwene na tokole pokati ketu naave, nOmwene ne ku handukile omolwange. Ndelenee eke lange itali ke ku kuma. 13 Ngaashi eyeletumbulo lootatekulu tali ti: ‘Ouhenakalunga tau di movahenakalunga.’ Ndelenee eke lange itali ke ku kuma. 14 Ohamba yaIsrael tai shikula lyelye? Ove to taataele lyelye? Omutunhu wombwa ile ona imwe!” 15 Ndelenee Omwene na kale omutokoli, Ye na tokole pokati ketu. Heeno, Ye na tale nokuyukifa oshinima shange. Ye na xupife nge meke loye.
16 David eshi a mana okupopya kuSaul eendjovo odo Saul ta ti: “Ondaka oyoye tuu, omumwange David?” Saul okwa yelula ondaka yaye ndee ta lili. 17 Ndele ta ti kuDavid: “Ove u dule nge ouyuki, osheshi ove wa ningila nge ouwa, fimbo nde ku ninga nai. 18 Ndele nena eli we shi ulikila nge, shaashi wa ningila nge ouwa, osheshi Omwene a yandja nge meke loye, ndelenee ove ino dipaa nge. 19 Osheshi umwe ngeenge te litu omutondadi waye, ote mu efa tuu a ye nondjila iwa? Ndelenee Omwene ote ke ku alulila ouwa ou we u ningila nge nena. 20 Ndele paife tala, ondi shi shii shili nokutya, ove oto ka ninga ohamba, nouhamba waIsrael otau ka kala wa pama meke loye. 21 Anene nge hano paife kOmwene nokutya, ito ka komba po epata lange konima yefyo lange, ndele ito dimi po edina lange filufilu.” 22 Opo nee David okwa anena Saul. Ndele Saul okwa ya keumbo, ndelenee David novalumenhu vaye va ya kohotengulu yokeemhunda.
