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

¹And it came to pass when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.

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

²And Saul took three thousand men, chosen out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon 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 came to the sheepfolds by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet; and David and his men were abiding in the recesses of the cave.

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 David's men said to him, Behold the day of which Jehovah said to thee, Behold, I will give thine enemy into thy hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good to thee. And David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe secretly.

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

⁵And it came to pass afterwards that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.

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

⁶And he said to his men, Jehovah forbid that I should do this thing to my master, Jehovah's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, for he is the anointed of Jehovah.

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

⁷And David checked his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on [his] way.

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

⁸David also arose afterwards, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.

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

⁹And David said to Saul, Why dost thou listen to words of men, saying, Behold, David seeks thy hurt?

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.

¹⁰Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that Jehovah had given thee this day into my hand in the cave; and they bade me kill thee; but [mine eye] spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord, for he is the anointed of Jehovah.

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.

¹¹And see, my father, yes, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand. For in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou liest in wait for my life to take it.

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

¹²Jehovah judge between me and thee, and Jehovah avenge me of thee; but my hand shall not be upon thee.

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

¹³As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked; but my hand shall not be upon thee.

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

¹⁴After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a single flea.

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

¹⁵Jehovah therefore shall be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and do me justice [in delivering 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 as soon as David had ended speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.

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

¹⁷And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.

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

¹⁸And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me, forasmuch as when Jehovah had delivered me up into thy hand, thou didst not kill me.

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

¹⁹For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore Jehovah reward thee good for that thou hast done to me this day.

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

²⁰And now behold, I know that thou shalt certainly be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand.

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

²¹Swear now therefore to me by Jehovah, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.

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

²²And David swore to Saul. And Saul went home; and David and his men went up to the stronghold.