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 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.
