¹[Ny tsy netezan'i Davida hahafaty an'i Saoly, na dia azony tao an-johy aza] Ary Davida niakatra niala teo ka nitoetra tao amin'ny batery fiarovana tany En-jedy.

¹And it cometh to pass when Saul hath turned back from after the Philistines, that they declare to him, saying, `Lo, David [is] in the wilderness of En-gedi.`

²Ary rehefa niverina avy nanenjika ny Filistina Saoly, dia nisy nanambara taminy hoe; Indro, Davida any an-efitr'i En-jedy.

²And Saul taketh three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and goeth to seek David and his men, on the front of the rocks of the wild goats,

³Ary Saoly naka telo arivo lahy voafantina tamin'ny Isiraely rehetra ka lasa nitady an'i Davida sy ny olony tany amin'ny vatolampin'ny osi-dia.

³and he cometh in unto folds of the flock, on the way, and there [is] a cave, and Saul goeth in to cover his feet; and David and his men in the sides of the cave are abiding.

⁴Ary tonga teo amin'ny valan'ondry tamoron-dalana izay nisy zohy izy, ka niditra tao Saoly mba hiavela; nefa Davida sy ny olony efa nipetraka tao anatin'ny zohy.

⁴And the men of David say unto him, `Lo, the day of which Jehovah said unto thee, Lo, I am giving thine enemy into thy hand, and thou hast done to him as it is good in thine eyes;` and David riseth and cutteth off the skirt of the upper robe which [is] on Saul — gently.

⁵Ary hoy ny olon'i Davida taminy: Izao no andro nolazain'i Jehovah taminao hoe: Indro, hatolotro eo an-tananao ny fahavalonao hataonao araka izay sitrakao. Dia nitsangana Davida ka nitsaitsaika nanapaka ny sisin'ny kapôtin'i Saoly.

⁵And it cometh to pass afterwards that the heart of David smiteth him, because that he hath cut off the skirt which [is] on Saul,

⁶Nefa nony efa vita izany, dia namely an'i Davida ny eritreriny noho ny nanapahany ny sisin'ny kapôtin'i Saoly,

⁶and he saith to his men, `Far be it from me, by Jehovah; I do not do this thing to my lord — to the anointed of Jehovah — to put forth my hand against him, for the anointed of Jehovah he [is].`

⁷ka hoy izy tamin'ny olony: Sanatria amiko eo anatrehan'i Jehovah, raha hanao izany zavatra izany amin'ny tompoko izay voahosotr'i Jehovah ka haninjitra ny tanako aminy, fa voahosotr'i Jehovah izy.

⁷And David subdueth his men by words, and hath not permitted them to rise against Saul; and Saul hath risen from the cave, and goeth on the way;

⁸Dia nampijanona ny mpanompony tamin'izany teny izany Davida ka tsy namela azy hitsangana hamely an'i Saoly. Ary Saoly nitsangana ka niala tao an-johy, dia nandeha tamin'izay nalehany.

⁸and David riseth afterwards, and goeth out from the cave, and calleth after Saul, saying, `My lord, O king!` And Saul looketh attentively behind him, and David boweth — face to the earth — and doth obeisance.

⁹Ary rehefa afaka izany, dia mba nitsangana koa Davida ka niala tao an-johy koa, dia niantso an'i Saoly ka nanao hoe: Ry mpanjaka tompoko ô! Ary nony nitodika azy Saoly, dia niondrika tamin'ny tany Davida ka niankohoka.

⁹And David saith to Saul, `Why dost thou hear the words of man, saying, Lo, David is seeking thine evil?

¹⁰Ary hoy Davida tamin'i Saoly: Nahoana ianao no maka vavan'olona hoe: Indro, Davida mitady hanisy ratsy anao?

¹⁰Lo, this day have thine eyes seen how that Jehovah hath given thee to-day into my hand in the cave; and [one] said to slay thee, and [mine eye] hath pity on thee, and I say, I do not put forth my hand against my lord, for the anointed of Jehovah he [is].

¹¹Indro, hitan'ny masonao androany ny nanoloran'i Jehovah anao ho eo an-tanako tao an-johy; ary nisy nilaza hevitra hamonoana anao, saingy niantra anao ny masoko, ka hoy izaho: Tsy haninjitra ny tanako amin'ny tompoko aho, fa voahosotr'i Jehovah izy.

¹¹`And, my father, see, yea see the skirt of thine upper robe in my hand; for by cutting off the skirt of thy upper robe, and I have not slain thee, know and see that there is not in my hand evil and transgression, and I have not sinned against thee, and thou art hunting my soul to take it!

¹²Ary koa, ry ikaky ô, jereo dia jereo ange ny sisin'ny kapôtinao etỳ an-tanako; fa raha nanapaka ny sisin'ny kapôtinao aho, fa tsy nahafaty anao, dia izahao ka fantaro fa tsy misy faharatsiana na fahadisoana amin'ny tanako, ary tsy nanota taminao aho, nefa ianao kosa mihaza ny aiko mba hahafaty azy.

¹²`Jehovah doth judge between me and thee, and Jehovah hath avenged me of thee, and my hand is not on thee;

¹³Jehovah no hitsara ahy sy ianao, ary Jehovah no hamaly anao noho ny amiko, fa ny tanako tsy mba haninona anao.

¹³as saith the simile of the ancients, From the wicked goeth out wickedness, and my hand is not on thee.

¹⁴Araka ny lazain'ny ohabolan'ny ntaolo hoe: Avy amin'ny ratsy fanahy no ivoahan'ny ratsy, nefa ny tanako tsy haninona anao.

¹⁴`After whom hath the king of Israel come out? after whom art thou pursuing? — after a dead dog! after one flea!

¹⁵Hitady an'iza no nivoahan'ny mpanjakan'ny Isiraely? Iza no enjehinao? Amboa maty; parasy iray.

¹⁵And Jehovah hath been for judge, and hath judged between me and thee, yea, he seeth and pleadeth my cause, and doth deliver me out of thy hand.`

¹⁶Aoka Jehovah no ho mpitsara, ka dia hitsara ahy sy ianao ary hijery sy handahatra ho ahy ka hanafaka ahy amin'ny tananao.

¹⁶And it cometh to pass, when David completeth to speak these words unto Saul, that Saul saith, `Is this thy voice, my son David?` and Saul lifteth up his voice, and weepeth.

¹⁷Ary nony vita izany teny nataon'i Davida tamin'i Saoly izany, dia hoy Saoly: Feonao va izany, ry Davida zanako ô? Ary Saoly nanandratra ny feony ka nitomany;

¹⁷And he saith unto David, `More righteous thou [art] than I; for thou hast done me good, and I have done thee evil;

¹⁸ary hoy izy tamin'i Davida: Marina noho izaho ianao; fa ianao dia nanisy soa ahy, fa izaho kosa namaly ratsy anao.

¹⁸and thou hast declared to-day how that thou hast done good with me, how that Jehovah shut me up into thy hand, and thou didst not slay me,

¹⁹Ary ianao dia naneho androany ny nanaovanao soa tamiko, fa na dia natolotr'i Jehovah teo an-tananao aza aho, dia tsy nahafaty ahy ianao.

¹⁹and that a man doth find his enemy, and hath sent him away in a good manner; and Jehovah doth repay thee good for that which thou didst to me this day.

²⁰Fa moa raha misy olona mahazo ny fahavalony, havelany handeha soa aman-tsara va izy? Koa hovalian'i Jehovah soa anie ianao noho ny nataonao tamiko androany.

²⁰`And, now, lo, I have known that thou dost certainly reign, and the kingdom of Israel hath stood in thy hand;

²¹Ary, indro, ankehitriny fantatro fa ho mpanjaka tokoa ianao, ary ny fanjakan'ny Isiraely ho tafatoetra tsara eo an-tananao.

²¹and, now, swear to me by Jehovah — thou dost not cut off my seed after me, nor dost thou destroy my name from the house of my father.`

²²Koa mianiàna amiko amin'i Jehovah ianao ankehitriny fa tsy handringana ny taranako mandimby ahy ianao, ary tsy hovonoinao amin'ny mpianakavin'ny raiko ny anarako.Ary Davida dia nianiana tamin'i Saoly; ary dia lasa nody Saoly, fa Davida sy ny olony kosa niakatra nankany amin'ny batery fiarovana.

²²And David sweareth to Saul, and Saul goeth unto his house, and David and his men have gone up unto the fortress.

²³Ary Davida dia nianiana tamin'i Saoly; ary dia lasa nody Saoly, fa Davida sy ny olony kosa niakatra nankany amin'ny batery fiarovana.