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.
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.
