1 uSamuweli 22

₁UDavide wayesesuka khona, wabaleka, waya emhumeni wase-Adulamu; 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.

₆USawule wezwa ukuthi uDavide uyaziwa nabantu ababe naye; 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 wakwa-Edomi owayemi ngakuzo izinceku zikaSawule waphendula wathi: “Ngabona indodana kaJese iza eNobi ku-Ahimeleki indodana ka-Ahithubi. ₁₀Wambuzela kuJehova, wamnika umphako, wamnika nenkemba kaGoliyati umFilisti.”

₁₁Inkosi yayisithumela ukubiza u-Ahimeleki umpristi, indodana ka-Ahithubi, nendlu yonke kayise, abapristi ababeseNobi; beza bonke enkosini. ₁₂USawule wathi: “Yizwa-ke, wena ndodana ka-Ahithubi.”

Waphendula wathi: “Ngilapha, nkosi.”

₁₃USawule wathi kuye: “Ningenzeleleni ugobe, wena nendodana kaJese, ngokuyinika isinkwa nenkemba, uyibuzele kuNkulunkulu ukuba ingivukele, ingiqamekele njenganamuhla, na?”

₁₄U-Ahimeleki waphendula inkosi, wathi: “Ngubani kuzo zonke izinceku zakho othembekile njengoDavide, umkhwenyana wenkosi, nenduna yabalindi bakho, nodumileyo endlini yakho, na? ₁₅Ngiqale namuhla yini ukumbuzela kuJehova na? Makube kude nami; inkosi mayingabeki cala encekwini yayo, nakuyo yonke indlu kababa, ngokuba inceku yakho ayazi lutho lwayo yonke le ndaba, 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 wabakwa-Edomi wasondela, wabasukela abapristi, wabulala ngalolo suku 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 lingu-Abiyathara wabaleka, wamlandela uDavide. ₂₁U-Abiyathara wamtshela uDavide ukuthi uSawule ubulele abapristi bakaJehova. ₂₂UDavide wathi ku-Abiyathara: “Ngazi ngalolo suku mhla uDowegi wakwa-Edomi 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.”