¹Zvino Sauro wakati adzoka pakutevera vaFirisitia, akaudzwa zvichinzi, Tarirai, Dhavhidhi uri murenje reEnigedhi.

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.`

²Ipapo Sauro akatora varume vane zviuru zvitatu vakanga vatsaurwa kuvaIsiraeri vose, akandotsvaka Dhavhidhi navanhu vake pamatombo engururu.

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,

³Akasvika pamatanga amakwai panzira pakanga pane bako, Sauro akapindamo kuti afukidze tsoka dzake. Zvino Dhavhidhi navanhu vake vakanga vagere mukati-kati mebako.

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.

⁴Vanhu vaDhavhidhi vakati kwaari, Iri ndiro zuva ramakaudzwa naJehovha, achiti, Tarira, ndichaisa muvengi wako muruoko rwako, umuitire sezvaunoda. Ipapo Dhavhidhi akasimuka, akagura mupendero wenguvo yaSauro iye asingazivi.

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.

⁵Asi pashure hana yaDhavhidhi yakamutambudza, nemhaka yokuti wakange agura nguvo yaSauro.

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,

⁶Akati kuvanhu vake, Jehovha ngaandidzivise, ndirege kuitira ishe wangu, muzodzwa waJehovha, chinhu chakadai, nditambanudzire ruoko rwangu kwaari, nekuti ndiye muzodzwa waJehovha.

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].`

⁷Naizvozvo Dhavhidhi akadzivisa vanhu vake namashoko iwayo, akasavatendera kumukira Sauro. Sauro akasimuka, akabuda mubako, akaenda hake.

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;

⁸NaDhavhidhi wakasimukawo, akabuda mubako, akadanidzira kuna Sauro akati, Ishe wangu, mambo! Zvino Sauro wakati achicheuka, Dhavhidhi akakotamira pasi nechiso, akapfugama.

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.

⁹Dhavhidhi akati kuna Sauro, Munoteerereiko mashoko avanhu, vanoti, Tarira, Dhavhidhi unotsvaka kukukuvadzai?

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

¹⁰Tarirai, zuva rino meso enyu akaona kuti Jehovha wakakuisai nhasi mumaoko angu mubako; vamwe vakati ndikuurayei, asi ndakakuregai ndikati, Handingatambanudzi ruoko rwangu kuna ishe wangu, nekuti ndiye muzodzwa waJehovha.

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].

¹¹Zvino baba vangu, tarirai, hoyo mupendero wenguvo yenyu, muruoko rwangu; nekuti zvandakagura mupendero wenguvo yenyu, ndikasakuurayai, muzive, muwone, kuti hakuna chakaipa kana kudarika kwandiri; handina kukutadzirai, kunyange makandivhima kuti munditorere upenyu hwangu.

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!

¹²Jehovha ngaatonge pakati pangu nemi, Jehovha ngaanditsive kwamuri; asi ruoko rwangu harungarwi nemi.

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

¹³Sezvinoreva tsumo yavekare, Kune wakaipa kunobuda zvakaipa; asi ruoko rwangu harungarwi nemi.

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

¹⁴Ko mambo waIsiraeri wakabuda achitsvaka aniko? Munodzingana naniko? Imbwa yakafa, rutata harwo.

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

¹⁵Naizvozvo Jehovha ngaave mutongi, ngaatonge pakati pangu nemi, awone, andireverere pamhosva yangu, andirwire paruoko rwenyu.

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.`

¹⁶Dhavhidhi wakati apedza kutaura mashoko iwayo kuna Sauro, Sauro akati, inzwi rako here, mwana wangu; Dhavhidhi? Sauro akachema kwazvo.

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.

¹⁷Akati kuna Dhavhidhi, Iwe unondikunda pakururama, nekuti iwe wakandiitira zvakanaka, asi ini ndakakuitira zvakaipa.

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

¹⁸Warondedzera nhasi pawakandiitira zvakanaka, nekuti hauna kundiuraya, kunyange Jehovha akandiisa muruoko rwako.

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,

¹⁹Nekuti kana munhu achinge awana muvengi wake, ungamurege akaenda hake here? Naizvozvo Jehovha ngaakuripire zvakanaka nokuda kwezvawakandiitira nhasi.

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.

²⁰Zvino tarira, ndinoziva kuti iwe uchazova mambo zvirokwazvo, uye kuti ushe hwaIsiraeri huchasimbiswa muruoko rwako.

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

²¹Naizvozvo pika zvino kwandiri naJehovha kuti haungaparadzi vana vangu vanonditevera, uye kuti haungaparadzi zita rangu mumba mababa vangu.

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.`

²²Ipapo Dhavhidhi akapika kuna Sauro. Sauro akaenda kumusha kwake, asi Dhavhidhi navanhu vake vakaenda kunhare yavo.

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