UDavide uzimela eMowabhi
1Emva koko wemka eGati uDavide, ebalekela kumqolomba ongaseAdulam. Abantakwabo nendlu yonke kayise baya kugaleleka apho bakuba bevile ngomkhondo wakhe. 2Kwakudla ngokuya kuye abantu ababandezelekileyo, nabaneengxaki zamatyala, nabanganelisekanga, waba yinkokheli yabo. Amadoda anaye ayemalunga namakhulu amane ewonke.
3Wesuka apho uDavide, waya kwelaseMowabhi eMizpa, wabhekisa kukumkani walapho wenjenje: “Mhlekazi, ubawo nomama ndibacelela indawo apha kuwe, ndide ndiqonde ukuba uThixo iinjongo zakhe ziyintoni na ngam.” 4Wabashiya apho ke uyise nonina, baza bahlala khona phantsi kokumkani waseMowabhi wonke lo gama yena Davide wayezimele enqabeni.
5Emva koko kwafika *umshumayeli uGadi kuDavide, wathi: “Musa ukuhlala kule nqaba. Buyela kwaJuda.” Wemka ke apho uDavide, waya kuhlala kwihlathi laseHerete.
Ukubulawa kwababingeleli
6Ke uSawule weva ukuba uDavide kunye namadoda akhe babhaqiwe. USawule wayeseGibheya, echophe phantsi komthi womtamariske, ephethe umkhonto. Kwakuthe nqwadalala, amaphakathi akhe emngqongile. 7Wathi uSawule kumaphakathi akhe amngqongileyo: “Khanindiphe iindlebe, mawethu akwaBhenjamin! Nicinga ukuba kanene unyana kaJese uza kuninika amasimi nezidiliya, animise nonke nibe ngabaphathi bamabutho namaqela? 8Ngaba yiyo loo nto nonke senindenzela amayelenqe? Yiyo loo nto kungabangakho namnye kuni okhe wandithela thsuphe ngemvumelwano yonyana wam nonyana kaJese? Bekungasekho mntu na undikhathaleleyo kangangokuba andixelele ukuba uDavide, isicaka sam, ndithethanje undilalele, efuna ukundibulala, exhaswa ngunyana wam?”
9UDowegi owayengomnye waloo maphakathi ayengqonge uSawule, wangenelela wenjenje: “Ndambona uDavide eye eNobhi kuAhimeleki unyana ka-Ahitubhi. 10UAhimeleki wabuzela uDavide *kuNdikhoyo, waza wamnika umphako nekrele lomFilistiya uGoliyati.”
11Emva koko ukumkani uSawule wathumela ukuba kuye kubizwa uAhimeleki unyana ka-Ahitubhi nezalamane zakhe ezazingababingeleli eNobhi. Bonke ke beza kukumkani.
12Wathi uSawule: “Phulaphula, nyana ka-Ahitubhi!”
“Ewe, mhlekazi,” waphendula watsho uAhimeleki.
13Uqhube wathi uSawule: “Liyelenqe lani eli nindenzela lona wena nonyana kaJese? Umnikeleni ukutya, nekrele, wada wambuzela kuThixo, ukuze asuke andilalele njengokuba kunjalo ngoku?”
14Uphendule wenjenje uAhimeleki: “Mhlekazi, kungekho sicaka unaso sithembeke ngaphezu kukaDavide nje? Kaloku uDavide ngumyeni wentombi yakho, engumphathi wabagadi bakho, yaye uhlonitshwa ngumntu wonke wakomkhulu. 15Ndimbuzele kuNdikhoyo, ndaye ndingaqali kwenjenjalo phofu. Nalo mba athetha ngawo umhlekazi andazani nawo mna, nditsho namawethu ephela akazi nto ngawo.”
16Ukumkani uphethe ngelithi: “Umelwe kukufa, wena Ahimeleki, kunye nomzi wonke kayihlo.” 17Watsho ebhekisa kubagadi esithi: “Bulalani ababingeleli bakaNdikhoyo! Babebhunga noDavide, abandixelela naxa asabileyo, ukanti babeyazi loo nto.” Bala bona abagadi ukusa isandla kubabingeleli bakaNdikhoyo.
18Wathi ke uSawule kuDowegi: “Bahlasele aba babingeleli!” Waza uDowegi wabahlasela wababulala bonke. Yayingamashumi asibhozo ababingeleli ababenelungelo lokuphatha *isidanga ababulawa nguDowegi ngaloo mini. 19Wada wabulala bonke abemi baseNobhi, eyayisisixeko sababingeleli. Kwafa amadoda nabafazi, abantwana neentsana; kwafa zinkomo, zidonki, zigusha, akwasala nto.
20Kwasinda kuphela uAbhiyatare unyana ka-Ahimeleki, owabalekela kuDavide. 21Wafika wambalisela ukuba uSawule ubaxabele ababingeleli bakaNdikhoyo. 22Wathi uDavide kuAbhiyatare: “Ndaqonda kakuhle ndakumbona uDowegi phaya eNobhi ukuba akanakuze angamxeleli uSawule. Ndim obabeke esichengeni abantu bakuni. 23Seluhlala apha kunye nam, ungaxhali; akukho nto iya kukuthi cha apha. Lowo uzungula ubomi bakho uzungula nobam.”
