Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
21 Kamuva uDavide wafika eNobi + ku-Ahimeleki umpristi. U-Ahimeleki wathuthumela lapho ebona uDavide, wathi kuye: “Kungani uhamba wedwa, kungekho muntu okanye nawe?” + 2 UDavide wathi ku-Ahimeleki umpristi: “Inkosi ingiyale ukuba ngenze okuthile, kodwa yathi kimi, ‘Ungatsheli muntu ngalokho engikuthume kona nangalokho engikuyale ngakho.’ Ngivumelane nezinsizwa zami ukuthi sizohlangana endaweni ethile. 3 Manje uma kukhona izinkwa ezinhlanu onazo, nginike zona noma unginike noma yini ekhona.” 4 Kodwa umpristi wamphendula uDavide wathi: “Asikho isinkwa esivamile enginaso, kodwa kukhona isinkwa esingcwele +—uma nje kuwukuthi izinsizwa azizange zilale nabesifazane.” *+ 5 UDavide wamphendula umpristi wathi: “Asizange nhlobo sibathinte abesifazane njengoba nje sasenzile ngaphambili lapho ngiphuma imikhankaso yempi. + Uma imizimba yezinsizwa isuke ingcwele ngisho nalapho zithunywe umsebenzi ojwayelekile, kufanele ibe ngcwele ngisho nakakhulu namuhla!” 6 Ngakho umpristi wamnika isinkwa esingcwele, + ngoba kwakungekho sinkwa lapho ngaphandle kwesinkwa sokubukwa esasisuswe phambi kukaJehova, ukuze kubekwe isinkwa esisha ngosuku esasisuswe ngalo.
7 Manje ngalolo suku kwakukhona enye yezinceku zikaSawule lapho, ibanjiwe phambi kukaJehova. Igama layo kwakunguDowegi + umEdomi, + induna yabelusi bakaSawule.
8 UDavide wathi ku-Ahimeleki: “Akukho mkhonto noma inkemba onganginika yona? Angikwazanga ukuthatha inkemba yami noma izikhali zami, ngoba indaba yenkosi ibiphuthuma.” 9 Umpristi wamphendula wathi: “Ikhona inkemba kaGoliyati umFilisti, + owambulala eSigodini* Sase-Elahi, + isongwe ngendwangu ngemva kwe-efodi. + Uma ufuna ukuzithathela yona, ungayithatha, ngoba iyona kuphela ekhona.” UDavide wathi: “Ayikho inkemba efana nayo. Nginike yona.”
10 Ngalolo suku uDavide waqhubeka nokubalekela uSawule, + ekugcineni wafika ku-Akhishi inkosi yaseGati. + 11 Izinceku zika-Akhishi zathi kuye: “Akuyena yini uDavide lo, inkosi yezwe lakwa-Israyeli? Akuyena yini lo ababecula ngaye ngesikhathi bedansa, bethi,
‘USawule ubulele izinkulungwane zakhe,
UDavide yena ubulele amashumi ezinkulungwane zakhe’?” +
12 UDavide wacabanga ngalokho ababekusho, wesaba kakhulu + ngenxa ka-Akhishi inkosi yaseGati. 13 Ngakho wazenza uhlanya + phambi kwabo, wazishaya ongaphilile engqondweni ngesikhathi enabo.* Wayedwebadweba ezivalweni zesango, eyeka namathe agxazele entshebeni yakhe. 14 Ekugcineni u-Akhishi wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Niyabona ukuthi lo muntu uyahlanya! Nimlethelani kimi? 15 Ngiswele abantu abasangene yini nize ningilethele lona ukuba azosanganela lapha kimi? Ingabe lo muntu kufanele angene emzini wami?”