¹Zvino vaZifi vakauya kuna Sauro paGibhiya, vakati, Ko Dhavhidhi haazikunovanda pachikomo cheHakira, chiri pamberi perenje here?

¹And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, facing the waste?

²Ipapo Sauro akasimuka, akaburukira kurenje reZifi, ana varume vane zviuru zvitatu, vakanga vakatsaurwa kuvaIsiraeri, kuti atsvake Dhavhidhi murenje reZifi.

²And Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

³Sauro akavaka misasa yake pachikomo cheHakira, chiri pamberi perenje, kurutivi rwenzira. Asi Dhavhidhi wakange agere murenje, akaona Sauro achimutevera murenje.

³And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which faces the waste, by the way side. And David abode in the wilderness; and when he saw that Saul had come after him into the wilderness,

⁴Zvino Dhavhidhi akatuma vashori, akanzwa kuti Sauro wasvika zvirokwazvo.

⁴David sent out spies, and learned that Saul was certainly come.

⁵Dhavhidhi akasimuka, akasvika pakanga pakavaka Sauro misasa yake, Dhavhidhi akaona pakanga pavete Sauro, ana Abhineri mwanakomana waNeri, mukuru wehondo yake; Sauro wakange avete pakati pengoro dzakanga dzakarongedzwa, asi vanhu vakanga vavaka misasa yavo vakamupoteredza.

⁵And David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host; and Saul lay within the wagon-defence, and the people were encamped round about him.

⁶Zvino Dhavhidhi akapindura, akati kuna Ahimereki muHiti, nokuna Abhishai mwanakomana waZeruya, munin'ina waJoabhu, akati, Ndianiko uchaburuka neni kuna Sauro kumisasa? Abhishai akati, Ini ndichaburuka nemi.

⁶And David spake and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

⁷Naizvozvo Dhavhidhi naAbhishai vakasvika kuvanhu usiku, vakawana Sauro avete pakati pengoro dzakanga dzarongedzwa, pfumo rake rakabayirwa pasi kumusoro kwake; Abhineri navamwe vanhu vakanga vavete vakamupoteredza.

⁷And David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the wagon-defence, and his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay round about him.

⁸Zvino Abhishai akati kuna Dhavhidhi, Nhasi Mwari wakaisa muvengi wako pamaoko ako; naizvozvo nditendere ndimubayire pasi nepfumo kamwe chete, handingamubayi rwechipiri.

⁸And Abishai said to David, God has delivered thine enemy into thy hand this day; and now let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear, even to the ground once, and I will not do it the second time.

⁹Dhavhidhi akati kuna Abhishai, Usamuuraya, nekuti ndianiko ungagona kutambanudzira ruoko rwake kumuzodzwa waJehovha, akasava nemhosva?

⁹And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can stretch forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed, and be guiltless?

¹⁰Dhavhidhi akati, NaJehovha mupenyu, Jehovha ndiye uchamuuraya, zvimwe zuva rake rokufa, richasvika zvimwe uchaburukira kundorwa akaparadzwapo.

¹⁰And David said, [As] Jehovah liveth, Jehovah will surely smite him; either his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle and perish.

¹¹Jehovha ngaandidzivise, ndirege kutambanudzira ruoko rwangu kumuzodzwa waJehovha; asi zvino tora hako pfumo riri kumusoro kwake, nechirongo chemvura, tiende.

¹¹Jehovah forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed! But now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go.

¹²Naizvozvo Dhavhidhi akatora pfumo nechirongo chemvura, zvakanga zviri pamusoro waSauro, vakaenda; hakuna munhu wakazviona, kana kuzviziva, hakuna wakapepuka, nekuti vakanga vavete vose, nekuti vakanga vakabatwa nehope kwazvo, dzakanga dzatumwa naMwari.

¹²And David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head; and they went away, and no man saw [it], and none knew [it], and none awaked, for they were all asleep; for a deep sleep from Jehovah had fallen upon them.

¹³Zvino Dhavhidhi akayambukira mhiri, akamira pamusoro pegomo ari kure; asi pakati pavo pakanga pane nhambo huru.

¹³And David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off; a great space [being] between them.

¹⁴Dhavhidhi akashevedzera kuvanhu nokuna Abhineri mwanakomana waNeri, akati, Nhai Abhineri, haudaviri here? Ipapo Abhineri akadavira, akati, Ndiwe aniko unoshevedzera kuna mambo.

¹⁴And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?

¹⁵Dhavhidhi akati kuna Abhineri, Ko iwe hausi murume wemhare here? Ndianiko wakafanana newe kuvaIsiraeri? Wakaregereiko kurinda ishe wako mambo? nekuti mumwe munhu wakange apinda kuzoparadza mambo, ishe wako.

¹⁵And David said to Abner, Art not thou a man? and who is like to thee in Israel? and why hast thou not guarded thy lord the king? for one of the people came in to destroy the king thy lord.

¹⁶Ichi chinhu chawaita hachina kunaka. NaJehovha mupenyu, maifanira kufa, nekuti hamuna kurinda ishe wenyu, muzodzwa waJehovha. Zvino chitarira, pfumo ramambo nechirongo chemvura chakanga chiri kumusoro kwake zviripiko?

¹⁶This thing is not good which thou hast done. As Jehovah liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not guarded your master, Jehovah's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.

¹⁷Sauro akaziva inzwi raDhavhidhi, akati, Ndiro inzwi rako here, mwanangu Dhavhidhi? Dhavhidhi akati, inzwi rangu, ishe wangu, mambo.

¹⁷And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

¹⁸Akati, Ko Ishe wangu unoteverereiko muranda wake? Nekuti ndakaiteiko? Zvakaipa zviri mandiri ndezveiko?

¹⁸And he said, Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?

¹⁹Naizvozvo zvino ishe wangu mambo chidonzwai mashoko omuranda wenyu. Kana ari Jehovha wakakukurudzirai kurwa neni, ngaapiwe chipiriso; asi kana vari vana vavanhu, ngavave vakatukwa pamberi paJehovha, nekuti vakandidzinga nhasi, kuti ndirege kugara panhaka yaJehovha, vachiti, Enda, undoshumira vamwe vamwari.

¹⁹And now, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If Jehovah have moved thee against me, let him accept an oblation; but if the sons of men, cursed be they before Jehovah; for they have driven me out this day from adhering to the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods.

²⁰Naizvozvo zvino ropa rangu ngarirege kuwira pasi kure naJehovha, nekuti mambo waIsiraeri wabuda kuzotsvaka rutata rumwe, somunhu unovhima hwari mumakomo.

²⁰And now, let not my blood fall to the earth far from the face of Jehovah; for the king of Israel is come out to seek a single flea, as when they hunt a partridge on the mountains.

²¹Ipapo Sauro akati, Ndatadza, dzoka hako, mwanangu Dhavhidhi, nekuti handichazokuitiri zvakaipa, nekuti upenyu hwangu hwakanga huchikosha pameso pako nhasi; tarira, ndaita sebenzi, ndatadza kwazvo.

²¹And Saul said, I have sinned: return, my son David; for I will no more do thee harm, because my life was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have acted foolishly, and have erred exceedingly.

²²Ipapo Dhavhidhi akapindura akati, Tarirai pfumo ramambo! Mumwe wamajaya ngaayambukire kuno aritore.

²²And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear, and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.

²³Jehovha unoripira munhu mumwe nomumwe kururama kwake nokutendeka kwake; nekuti Jehovha wakakuisai nhasi kwandiri, asi ndakaramba kutambanudzira ruoko rwangu kumuzodzwa waJehovha.

²³And Jehovah will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for Jehovah gave thee into [my] hand this day, and I would not stretch forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed.

²⁴Zvino tarirai, upenyu bwenyu sezvandakahukudza nhasi, saizvozvowo hupenyu hwangu ngahukudzwe naJehovha, iye andirwire pakutambudzika kwangu kose.

²⁴And behold, as thy life was highly esteemed this day in mine eyes, so let my life be highly esteemed in the eyes of Jehovah, that he may deliver me out of all distress.

²⁵Ipapo Sauro akati kuna Dhavhidhi, Wakaropafadzwa iwe mwanangu Dhavhidhi; uchava nesimba, uye uchakunda kwazvo. Naizvozvo Dhavhidhi akaenda hake, naSauro akadzokera kumusha kwake.

²⁵And Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt certainly do [great things], and shalt certainly prevail. And David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.