UDavide uyisibaleki emhumeni waseAdulamu nakwaMowabi
1UDavide wayesesuka khona, wabaleka, waya emhumeni waseAdulamu; lapho abafowabo nabo bonke abendlu kayise bekuzwa, behlela khona kuye.
2Kwabuthana kuye bonke abanosizi, nabo bonke abanesikwenetu, nabo bonke abanenhliziyo enomunyu, waba-yinduna phezu kwabo; kwakukhona naye kungathi abantu abangamakhulu amane.
3UDavide wasuka khona, waya eMispa lakwaMowabi, wathi enkosini yakwaMowabi: Ake beze ubaba nomame, bahlale kini, ngize ngazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyakwenzani kimi.
4Wabaletha phambi kwenkosi yakwaMowabi, bahlala kuye zonke izinsuku uDavide esenqabeni.
5Umprofethi uGadi wathi kuDavide: Ungahlali enqabeni; hamba uye ezweni lakwaJuda. Wayesesuka uDavide, wafika ehlathini laseHereti.
USawule ubulala abaseNobi
6USawule wezwa ukuthi uDavide uyaziwa nabantu ababenaye; uSawule wayehlezi eGibeya phansi komtamariske* egqumeni ephethe umkhonto esandleni sakhe, zonke izinceku zimi ngakuye.
7USawule wathi ezincekwini zakhe ezazimi ngakuye: Yizwani nina-bakwaBenjamini; indodana kaJese iyakuninika nonke amasimu nezivini, inenze nonke nibe-yizinduna zezinkulungwane nezinduna zamakhulu,
8ngokuba ningenzele nonke ugobe, akwababikho ongitshelileyo lapho indodana yami yenza isivumelwano nendodana kaJese, akwababikho kini ongidabukelayo nongitshelayo ukuthi indodana yami ingivusele inceku yami ukuba ingiqamekele njenganamuhla.
9UDowegi wakwaEdomi owayemi ngakuzo izinceku zikaSawule waphendula wathi: Ngabona indodana kaJese iza eNobi kuAhimeleki indodana ka-Ahithubi.
10Wambuzela kuJehova, wamnika umphako, wamnika nenkemba kaGoliyati umFilisti.
11Inkosi yayisithumela ukubiza uAhimeleki umpristi, indodana ka-Ahithubi, nendlu yonke kayise, abapristi ababeseNobi; beza bonke enkosini.
12USawule wathi: Yizwa-ke, wenandodana ka-Ahithubi. Waphendula wathi: Ngilapha, nkosi.
13USawule wathi kuye: Ningenzeleni ugobe, wena nendodana kaJese, ngokuyinika isinkwa nenkemba, uyibuzele kuNkulunkulu ukuba ingivukele, ingiqamekele njenganamuhla, na?
14UAhimeleki waphendula inkosi, wathi: Ngubani kuzo zonke izinceku zakho othembekile njengoDavide, umkhwenyana wenkosi, nenduna yabalindi bakho, nodumileyo endlini yakho, na?
15Ngiqalé namuhla yini ukumbuzela kuJehova na? Makube-kude nami; inkosi mayingabeki-cala encekwini yayo, nakuyo yonke indlu kababa, ngokuba inceku yakho ayazi-lutho lwayo yonke lendaba, oluncane noma olukhulu.
16Inkosi yayisithi: Uyakufa nokufa, Ahimeleki, wena nayo yonke indlu kayihlo.
17Inkosi yathi kuzo izigijimi ezazimi ngakuyo: Sondelani, nibulale abapristi bakaJehova, ngokuba nesandla sabo sinaye uDavide nangokuba bazi ukuthi uDavide wabaleka, bengakwambulelanga kimi. Kepha izinceku zenkosi azivumanga ukwelula isandla sazo ukuba zisukele abapristi bakaJehova.
18Inkosi yathi kuDowegi: Sondela wena, usukele abapristi. UDowegi wabakwaEdomi wasondela, wabasukela abapristi, wabulala ngalolosuku abantu abangamashumi ayisishiyagalombili nanhlanu, abembethe ingubo yamahlombe yelineni.
19INobi, umuzi wabapristi, walichitha ngosiko lwenkemba, abesilisa nabesifazane, izingane nabancelayo, izinkabi nezimbongolo nezimvu, ngosiko lwenkemba.
20Omunye wamadodana ka-Ahimeleki indodana ka-Ahithubi ogama lakhe linguAbiyathara wabaleka, wamlandela uDavide.
21UAbiyathara wamtshela uDavide ukuthi uSawule ubulele abapristi bakaJehova.
22UDavide wathi kuAbiyathara: Ngazi ngalolosuku mhla uDowegi wakwaEdomi elapho ukuthi uyakumtshela nokumtshela uSawule; yimi engibangele ukuba bafe abantu bonke bendlu kayihlo.
23Hlala kimi, ungesabi, ngokuba ofuna ukuphila kwami ufuna ukuphila kwakho, kepha uyakulondolozeka kimi.
