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,
Dawuda balanta kotenke ka Sawulu faa
1 Sifunkoolu taata Sawulu yaa Kibeya, aduŋ ì ko a ye ko, “Dawuda be maaboriŋ Hakila konkoo le kaŋ, meŋ ye a ñaa tiliŋ Yesimoni la.” 2 Wo to le Sawulu taata Sifu Keñewuloo* kono, a niŋ a ye kee wuli saboo mennu tomboŋ Banisirayila kono, ka taa Dawuda ñini jee. 3 Sawulu ye a la daakaa loo siloo le daala Hakila konkoo kaŋ, a ye a ñaa tiliŋ Yesimoni la, bari Dawuda sabatita keñewuloo le kono. Kabiriŋ a ye a moyi ko, Sawulu ye a nooma jee le, 4 bituŋ a ye kullooñinilaalu kii, ka Sawulu la kuwo kisikisi. Aduŋ wolu ye a fo a ye le ko, “Tooñaa-tooñaa, Sawulu futata le.” 5 Bituŋ Dawuda naata i paree, a taata Sawulu be daakaariŋ daameŋ. A ye a je, Sawulu aniŋ Abuna, Neri dinkewo, kelediŋ kafoo la ñaatonkoo, be laariŋ daameŋ to, ì be siinoo la. Sawulu be laariŋ daakaa le kono, bituŋ a la kelediŋ kafoo ye a muru.
6 Dawuda naata Ahimeleki Hitinkoo niŋ Abisayi meŋ baamaa mu Seruya ti, Yowabu kotoomaa, ñininkaa ko, “Jumaa le niŋ m be taa ñoo la Sawulu yaa daakaa to?” Abisayi ko a ye ko, “Nte niŋ i be taa ñoo la le.”
7 Wo to le Dawuda niŋ Abisayi taata kelediŋ kafoo kaŋ suutoo, aduŋ ì ye Sawulu tara laariŋ daakaa to, a be siinoo la, a la sooroo be tupariŋ bankoo kono a kuŋo daala. Abuna niŋ kelediŋolu be laariŋ, ì ye a muru. 8 Abisayi ko Dawuda ye ko, “Bii Alla ye i jawoo duŋ i buloo kono le. Saayiŋ i batu, ŋa a soo sooroo la siiñaa kiliŋ, a ye duŋ bankoo kono. N te a soo la ko siiñaa fula.”
9 Bari Dawuda ko Abisayi ye ko, “Kana a kasaara. Jumaa le be a buloo maa la Yaawe* la tomboŋ moo la, a maŋ junuboo soto?” 10 A ko, “A be koyiriŋ ñaameŋ ko Yaawe be baluuriŋ ne, Yaawe faŋo le be a faa la. A la waatoo le be sii la, a ye faa, waraŋ a ye taa keloo la, a ye kasaara jee. 11 Bari Allamaa Yaawe ye n tanka ka m buloo maa a la tomboŋ moo la. Sooroo niŋ a la dumboo taa, meŋ be a kuŋo daala, ŋà taa.” 12 Wo to le Dawuda ye dumboo taa aniŋ sooroo, meŋ be Sawulu kuŋo daala, ì taata. Moo le maŋ ì je, sako ka a kalamuta, aduŋ moo le fanaa maŋ kuniŋ. Ì bee be siinoo le la, kaatu Yaawe le ye a ke, fo siinoo be diyaariŋ ì bulu.
13 Bituŋ Dawuda taata wulumbaŋo kara doo la konkoo santo, a jamfata ì la domandiŋ. Kene fanuŋo le tarata ì teema. 14 A ye kelediŋ kafoo kumandi aniŋ Abuna, Neri dinkewo. A ko, “Abuna, fo i maŋ taa n danku la baŋ?”
Abuna ye a jaabi ko, “Jumaa le mu ite ti, meŋ ka mansa kumandi?”
15 Dawuda ko, “Fo i maŋ ke kewo ti baŋ? Jumaa le be ko ite, Banisirayila kono? Muŋ ne ye a tinna, i maŋ i maarii mansa kanta? Moo doo le naata, ka i maarii mansa kasaara. 16 I ye meŋ ke, a maŋ beteyaa. A be koyiriŋ ñaameŋ ko Yaawe be baluuriŋ ne, ite niŋ i la kewolu ñanta le ka faa, kaatu ali maŋ ali la alifaa kanta, Yaawe ye meŋ tomboŋ. I maafaŋo juubee. Mansa la sooroo niŋ a la jiidumboo lee, meŋ be nuŋ a kuŋo daala?”
17 Sawulu ye Dawuda kaŋo suutee, a ko, “Fo ñiŋ mu n dinkewo Dawuda le kaŋo ti baŋ?”
Dawuda ye a jaabi ko, “Wo le mu, m maarii mansa.” 18 A kumata ko, “M maarii, muŋ ne ye a tinna, i ka i la dookuulaa bayindi? Ŋa muŋ ne ke? Ŋa muŋ kuu jawu le ke, m maŋ ñaŋ na meŋ ke la? 19 M maarii mansa, i lamoyi nte i la dookuulaa be naa meŋ fo la. Niŋ a ye a tara, Yaawe le ye i wulindi n kamma, a si ke, a ye sadaa* muta le. Bari niŋ moolu le ye a ke, Allamaa Yaawe la dankoo ye jii ì kaŋ, kaatu ì ye m fondi n niyo la le Yaawe la keetaafeŋo to, aduŋ ì ko, ‘Taa, i ye taa alla koteŋolu batu.’ 20 Kana a ke, ŋa faa a maŋ ke Yaawe ñaa la. Muŋ ne ye a tinna Banisirayilankoolu la mansa be jaatakoloo ñini la, meŋ be ko nte. Muŋ ne ye a tinna a be nte ñini la ko bereto woloo konkoolu kaŋ?”
21 Wo to le Sawulu ko, “Ŋa junuboo le ke. N dinkewo Dawuda, muruŋ naŋ. Kaatu bii i ye n niyo tankandi le, n te kuu kuruŋo ke la i la kotenke. Tooñaa-tooñaa ŋa kuntaŋyaa maañaa le ke, aduŋ a keta m bulu kuu jawu baa le ti.”
22 Dawuda ye a jaabi ko, “Mansa la sooroo fele. I la kee kiliŋ ye naa jaŋ, a ye naa a kamma. 23 Yaawe ka moo-wo-moo joo i la tiliŋo niŋ i la foroyaa le la. Yaawe ye i duŋ m buloo kono le bii, bari n te m buloo maa la Yaawe la tomboŋ moo la. 24 Ŋa i niyo tankandi ñaameŋ bii, Allamaa Yaawe ye m fanaa taa ke wo ñaama, ka n tankandi kataalu ma.”
25 Bituŋ Sawulu ko Dawuda ye ko, “N dinkewo Dawuda, Allamaa neema ke la i ye, i be kaawakuwolu le ke la, aduŋ i be ñaatotaa soto la le.”
Wo to le Dawuda taata a la siloo la, bituŋ Sawulu muruta suwo kono.
