David ma yama omuinyo wa Saul
1 Saul tja kotoka okuza kotjirwa kuna Ovafilisti, wa raerwa nai: “Tara, David u ri mokuti onguza kwa Engedi.” 2 Saul otja toorora ovarumendu omayovi yetatu, imba ovarwe ovawa wovita mOisrael atjihe, nave kapaha David novarwe ve wovita komukuma wokomuhuka wOtuuwa twOmbwindja. 3 Neye weya ondimba popezu noviunda vyozonḓu mbya ri meṋe yondjira, na hiti mu yo okuyenda kosi yonganda, nungwari David novarumendu ve tjandje va haama kokure mokuara kwondimba. 4 Novarumendu va David va tja nai ku ye: “Tjiri, eyuva oro ndi Muhona nda tjere nai kove: ‘Ami me ku pe omunavita na ove meke roye kutja u yenene okutjita ku ye punga amape tjata kove.’ Tjazumba David otja sekama na kondo otjikoro tjombanda ya Saul mongumumu. 5 Nungwari kombunda David wa hihamisiwa i omeripura we momutima mena rokutja wa kondo otjikoro tjombanda ya Saul.” 6 Neye wa tja nai kovarumendu ve: “Muhona nge ndji ṱakamise, e ha tjiti otjiṋa otja ihi okutwa ko omake komuhona wandje, omutwirisiwa wa Muhona; eye tjinga e ri omutwirisiwa wa Muhona.” 7 Nu David wa tena ovarumendu ve kutja ave ha tjiti otjipo ku Saul.
Saul otja pita mondimba na twara ondjira ye. 8 David wina wa hakahana okupita mondimba, na ravaere kombunda ya Saul a tja: “Muhona wandje, mbara!” Nu Saul tja tanauka, David arire tja u onḓurumika ne rikotamene ku ye, 9 na tja: “Okutjavi tji u puratena kovandu mbe tja David u vanga okukutjita otjipo?” 10 Tara, ove omuini mo rimwine kutja Muhona ndino we ku yandja momake wandje mondimba. Nu tji mba popwa kutja hi ku zepe, mbe ku yama, ne tja: Ami himee twa omake wandje komuhona wandje, eye tjinga e ri omutwirisiwa wa Muhona. 11 Tate, nambano tara nguno! Tara, otjikoro tjombanda yoye tji ri meke randje. Ami mbe tji kondo, nu hi ku zepere; ihi tja sokukuraisira kutja hi nomeripuriro wokukupirukira poo wokukutjita otjipo. Nandarire kutja ove u ndji tjera okundjizepa, ami hi ku tjiti ouvi. 12 Muhona nga pangure pokati ketu na ove kutja owaṋi ngu nondjo. Eye nge ku verere ondjito yoye ku ami, tjinga ambi hi nakukutjita otjipo, nangarire kaṱiṱi. 13 Ove mo tjiwa omuano omukuru mbu mau tja: “Ouvi u tjitwa i ovandu ovanauvi porwe. Nungwari ami hi nakukutjita otjipo. 14 Ombara ya Israel mai tezere aṋi? Mai tjere omungendu? Ombwa ndja koka poo eze! 15 Muhona nga rire omupangure pokati ketu na ove; nga konḓonone otjiṋa hi, nu nge ndji yeure, nu nge ndji yame kove.”
16 David tja mana okuhungira omambo nga, Saul arire tja tja ku ye: “Eraka ndi karoye are, muatje wandje David?” Nu Saul wa uta okurira tjinene, 17 na tja nai ku David: “Ove oove omusemba pu ami, tjinga awe ndji raisira ouwa, ami ngunda ambe ku tjita ouvi. 18 Ndino we ndji raisire kutja we ndji tjiti ouwa; orondu Muhona we ndji twa meke roye, nungwari ove ko ndji zepere. 19 Omundu tja hakaene nomunavita na ye, nangwari u mu esa a kayende mondjira ye mohange are? Muhona nge ku sere ondaya mena raimbi mbi wa tjiti ku ami ndinondi. 20 Tara, nambano ami mba tjiwa kutja, tjiri, mo rire ombara mOisrael, nokutja ouhonapare mau karerere kehi youvara woye. 21 Nambano ndji yanena ku Muhona kutja kombunda yonḓiro yandje ko nakuzepa ozondekurona zandje nokutja ko nokuzemisa ena randje meṱunḓu randje.” 22 David otja yanena Saul.
Saul arire tja yaruka koye, nu David wa karonda kondundu puna ovandu ve.
David Lets Saul Live
1 When Saul got back from fighting off the Philistines, he heard that David was in the desert around En-Gedi. 2 Saul led 3,000 of Israel's best soldiers out to look for David and his men near Wild Goat Rocks at En-Gedi. 3 There were some sheep pens along the side of the road, and one of them was built around the entrance to a cave. Saul went into the cave to relieve himself.
David and his men were hiding at the back of the cave. 4 They whispered to David, “The Lord told you he was going to let you defeat your enemies and do whatever you want with them. This must be the day the Lord was talking about.”
David sneaked over and cut off a small piece of Saul's robe, but Saul didn't notice a thing. 5 Afterwards, David was sorry that he had even done that, 6-7 and he told his men, “Stop talking foolishly. We're not going to attack Saul. He's my king, and I pray that the Lord will keep me from doing anything to harm his chosen king.”
Saul left the cave and started down the road. 8 Soon, David also got up and left the cave. “Your Majesty!” he shouted from a distance.
Saul turned around to look. David bowed down very low 9 and said:
Your Majesty, why do you listen to people who say that I'm trying to harm you? 10 You can see for yourself that the Lord gave me the chance to catch you in the cave today. Some of my men wanted to kill you, but I wouldn't let them do it. I told them, “I will not harm the Lord's chosen king!” 11 Your Majesty, look at what I'm holding. You can see that it's a piece of your robe. If I could cut off a piece of your robe, I could have killed you. But I let you live, and that should prove I'm not trying to harm you or to rebel. I haven't done anything to you, and yet you keep trying to ambush and kill me.
12 I'll let the Lord decide which one of us has done right. I pray that the Lord will punish you for what you're doing to me, but I won't do anything to you. 13 An old proverb says, “Only evil people do evil things,” and so I won't harm you.
14 Why should the king of Israel be out chasing me, anyway? I'm as worthless as a dead dog or a flea. 15 I pray that the Lord will help me escape and show that I am in the right.
16 “David, my son—is that you?” Saul asked. Then he started crying 17 and said:
David, you're a better person than I am. You treated me with kindness, even though I've been cruel to you. 18 You've told me how you were kind enough not to kill me when the Lord gave you the chance. 19 If you really were my enemy, you wouldn't have let me leave here alive. I pray that the Lord will give you a big reward for what you did today.
20 I realize now that you will be the next king, and a powerful king at that. 21 Promise me with the Lord as your witness, that you won't wipe out my descendants. Let them live to keep my family name alive.
22 So David promised, and Saul went home. David and his men returned to their hideout.
