David Saves the People of Keilah
1David was told, “The Philistines are fighting against the town of Keilah. They are stealing grain from the threshing floors.” 2So he asked the Lord for advice. He said, “Should I go and attack those Philistines?”
The Lord answered him, “Go and attack them. Save Keilah.”
3But David’s men said to him, “We’re afraid here in Judah. Suppose we go to Keilah and fight against the Philistine army. Then we’ll be even more afraid.”
4Once again David asked the Lord what he should do. The Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah. I am going to hand the Philistines over to you.” 5So David and his men went to Keilah. They fought against the Philistines and carried off their livestock. David wounded and killed large numbers of Philistines. And he saved the people of Keilah. 6Abiathar, the son of Ahimelek, had brought down the sacred linen apron with him from Nob. He did it when he ran away to David at Keilah.
Saul Chases David
7Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. He said, “God has handed him over to me. David has trapped himself by entering a town that has gates with metal bars.” 8So Saul brought together all his soldiers to go to battle. He ordered them to go down to Keilah. He told them to surround David and his men. He told them to get ready to attack them.
9David learned that Saul was planning to attack him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the linen apron.” 10Then David said, “Lord, you are the God of Israel. I know for sure that Saul plans to come to Keilah. He plans to destroy the town because of me. 11Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down here, as I’ve heard he would? Lord, you are the God of Israel. Please answer me.”
The Lord said, “He will come down.”
12Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?”
And the Lord said, “They will.”
13So David and his men left Keilah. The total number of them was about 600. They kept moving from place to place. Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah. So he didn’t go there.
14Sometimes David stayed in places of safety in the desert. At other times he stayed in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul looked for him. But God didn’t hand David over to him.
15David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph. There he learned that Saul had come out to kill him. 16Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh. He told David that God would make him strong. 17“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul won’t harm you. You will be king over Israel. And I will be next in command. Even my father Saul knows this.” 18The two of them made a covenant of friendship in front of the Lord. Then Jonathan went home. But David remained at Horesh.
19The people of Ziph went up to Saul at Gibeah. They said, “David is hiding among us. He’s hiding in places of safety at Horesh. Horesh is south of Jeshimon on the hill of Hakilah. 20Your Majesty, come down when it pleases you to come. It will be our duty to hand David over to you.”
21Saul replied, “May the Lord bless you because you were concerned about me. 22Make sure you are right. Go and check things out again. Find out where David usually goes. Find out who has seen him there. People tell me he’s very tricky. 23Find out about all the hiding places he uses. Come back to me with all the facts. I’ll go with you. Suppose he’s in the area. Then I’ll track him down among all the family groups of Judah.”
24So they started out. They went to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the Desert of Maon. Maon is south of Jeshimon in the Arabah Valley. 25Saul and his men started out to look for David. David was told about it. So he went down to a rock in the Desert of Maon to hide. Saul heard he was there. So he went into the Desert of Maon to chase David.
26Saul was going along one side of the mountain. David and his men were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul. Saul and his army were closing in on David and his men. They were about to capture them. 27Just then a messenger came to Saul. He said, “Come quickly! The Philistines are attacking the land.” 28So Saul stopped chasing David. He went to fight against the Philistines. That’s why they call that place Sela Hammahlekoth. 29David left that place. He went and lived in places of safety near En Gedi.
Daudi Kũhonokia Keila
123:1 Josh 15:44; Ndar 18:27; Atiir 6:11Na rĩrĩ, Daudi akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ, “Atĩrĩrĩ, Afilisti nĩmararũa na itũũra rĩa Keila, na magatunyana ngano ĩrĩa ĩrĩ mahuhĩro-inĩ.” 223:2 1Sam 23:4, 12; Thab 50:15; 2Sam 2:1Nake agĩtuĩria ũhoro harĩ Jehova, akĩũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩnjagĩrĩirwo nĩgũthiĩ gũtharĩkĩra Afilisti acio?”
Nake Jehova akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Thiĩ ũgatharĩkĩre Afilisti nĩguo ũhonokie Keila.”
3No andũ a Daudi makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Gũkũ Juda nĩtũretigĩra. Githĩ tũtigũgĩĩtigĩra makĩria twathiĩ Keila tũkarũe na mbũtũ cia Afilisti!”
423:4 1Sam 9:16; Josh 8:17O rĩngĩ Daudi agĩtuĩria ũhoro harĩ Jehova, nake Jehova akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Ikũrũka ũthiĩ Keila, nĩ ũndũ nĩngũneana Afilisti guoko-inĩ gwaku.” 5Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Daudi na andũ ake magĩthiĩ Keila, makĩrũa na Afilisti, na makĩmataha mahiũ mao. Akĩrehera Afilisti hathara nene, na akĩhonokia andũ a Keila. 623:6 1Sam 22:20; 1Sam 2:28(Na rĩrĩ, Abiatharu mũrũ wa Ahimeleku nĩokĩte akuuĩte ebodi rĩrĩa aikũrũkire, akĩũrĩra kũrĩ Daudi kũu Keila.)
Saũlũ Kũingatithia Daudi
723:7 Gũcook 32:30; Thab 31:21Saũlũ akĩĩrwo atĩ Daudi nĩathiĩte Keila, nake akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ngai nĩamũneanĩte kũrĩ niĩ, nĩgũkorwo Daudi nĩehingĩrĩirie na ũndũ wa gũtoonya itũũra rĩrĩ na ihingo na mĩgĩĩko.” 8Nake Saũlũ agĩĩta mbũtũ ciake ciothe mathiĩ mbaara, nĩguo maikũrũke Keila makahingĩrĩrie Daudi na andũ ake.
923:9 1Sam 22:20; 1Sam 21:8Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa Daudi aamenyire atĩ Saũlũ nĩaciirĩire kũmwĩka ũũru-rĩ, akĩĩra Abiatharu mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai atĩrĩ, “Rehe ebodi ĩyo.” 10Daudi akiuga atĩrĩ, “Wee Jehova, Ngai wa Isiraeli, ndungata yaku nĩ ĩiguĩte hatarĩ nganja atĩ Saũlũ nĩarooka Keila aniine itũũra rĩĩrĩ nĩ ũndũ wakwa. 11Hihi aikari a Keila nĩmekũũneana kũrĩ we? Hihi Saũlũ nĩegũikũrũka gũkũ, ta ũrĩa ndungata yaku ĩiguĩte? Wee Jehova, Ngai wa Isiraeli, menyithia ndungata yaku ũhoro.”
Nake Jehova akiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩegũikũrũka.”
1223:12 1Sam 23:20O rĩngĩ Daudi akĩũria atĩrĩ, “Hihi aikari a Keila nĩmekũneana, niĩ na andũ akwa, kũrĩ Saũlũ?”
Nake Jehova akiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩmegũkũneana.”
1323:13 1Sam 22:2Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Daudi na andũ ake, andũ ta magana matandatũ, makiuma Keila, na magĩikara magĩcangacangaga kũndũ na kũndũ. Rĩrĩa Saũlũ eerirwo atĩ Daudi nĩorĩte akoima Keila, agĩtiga gũthiĩ kuo.
1423:14 Josh 15:24; Thab 54:3-4Nake Daudi agĩikara ciĩhitho cia werũ-inĩ na irĩma-inĩ cia Werũ wa Zifu. O mũthenya Saũlũ nĩamũcaragia, no Ngai ndaaneanire Daudi moko-inĩ make.
15Rĩrĩa Daudi aarĩ Horeshu kũu Werũ wa Zifu, akĩmenya atĩ Saũlũ okĩte nĩguo amũũrage. 1623:16 1Sam 30:6; Thab 18:2Nake Jonathani mũrũ wa Saũlũ agĩthiĩ kũrĩ Daudi kũu Horeshu na akĩmũteithia kwĩyũmĩrĩria thĩinĩ wa Ngai. 1723:17 1Sam 20:31Nake akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Tiga gwĩtigĩra, Baba Saũlũ ndagakũhutia na guoko gwake. Wee nĩũgathamakĩra Isiraeli, na niĩ nduĩke mũnini waku. O na Baba Saũlũ, nĩoĩ ũguo.” 1823:18 1Sam 18:3; 2Sam 9:1Nao eerĩ makĩgĩa kĩrĩkanĩro mbere ya Jehova. Thuutha ũcio Jonathani akĩinũka, no Daudi agĩtigwo kũu Horeshu.
1923:19 1Sam 26:1; 1Sam 26:3Nao andũ a Azifu makĩambata magĩthiĩ kũrĩ Saũlũ kũu Gibea makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Githĩ Daudi ndehithĩte gatagatĩ-inĩ gaitũ ciĩhitho-inĩ cia gũkũ Horeshu, kĩrĩma-igũrũ kĩa Hakila, mwena wa gũthini wa Jeshimoni? 20Na rĩrĩ, wee mũthamaki, ikũrũka ũũke o rĩrĩa rĩothe ũngĩenda gũũka, na ithuĩ nĩ igũrũ riitũ kũmũneana kũrĩ mũthamaki.”
2123:21 Ruth 2:20; 1Sam 22:8Saũlũ akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Jehova aromũrathima nĩ ũndũ wa kwĩĩnjiiria. 22Thiĩi mũkehaarĩrie makĩria. Tuĩriai nĩ kũ Daudi amenyerete gũthiiaga, na nũũ ũmuonete kuo. Njĩrĩĩtwo atĩ nĩ mũndũ mwara mũno. 2323:23 Kĩam 31:36Tuĩriai ũhoro wa kũrĩa guothe ehithaga na mũndehere ũhoro mũkinyanĩru. Na niĩ nĩngũcooka thiĩ na inyuĩ; angĩkorwo arĩ kũndũ gũkũ-rĩ, nĩngamũcaria mĩhĩrĩga-inĩ yothe ya Juda.”
2423:24 Josh 15:55; 1Sam 26:1Nĩ ũndũ ũcio makiumagara magĩthiĩ kũu Zifu, magĩkinya mbere ya Saũlũ. Na rĩrĩ, Daudi na andũ ake maarĩ kũu Werũ-inĩ wa Maoni, kũu Araba mwena wa gũthini wa Jeshimoni. 25Nake Saũlũ na andũ ake makĩambĩrĩria kũmacaria, na rĩrĩa Daudi eerirwo ũhoro ũcio, agĩikũrũka agĩthiĩ rwaro-inĩ rwa ihiga, agĩikara kũu Werũ-inĩ wa Maoni. Rĩrĩa Saũlũ aiguire ũhoro ũcio-rĩ, o nake agĩthiĩ kũu Werũ-inĩ wa Maoni aingatithĩtie Daudi na ihenya.
2623:26 Thab 17:9Saũlũ aagerete mwena ũmwe wa kĩrĩma, nake Daudi na andũ ake makagerera mwena ũrĩa ũngĩ, mahiũhĩte nĩguo morĩre Saũlũ. Na rĩrĩa Saũlũ na thigari ciake maakuhagĩrĩria Daudi na andũ ake nĩguo mamanyiite-rĩ, 27hagĩũka mũndũ watũmĩtwo kũrĩ Saũlũ, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũka na ihenya! Afilisti nĩmatharĩkĩire bũrũri.” 28Hĩndĩ ĩyo Saũlũ agĩtiga kũrũmĩrĩra Daudi, agĩthiĩ agacemanie na Afilisti. Nĩkĩo metaga handũ hau Sela-Hamalekothu. 2923:29 Josh 15:62; 2Maũ 20:2; 1Sam 24:22Nake Daudi akĩambata akiuma kũu agĩthiĩ gũtũũra ciĩhitho-inĩ cia Eni-Gedi.
