1 USamuyeli 22 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

¹ UDavida wasesuka lapho, wabalekela obhalwini lwaseAdulamu. Lapho abafowabo labo bonke abendlu kayise bekuzwa lokho, baya kuye.

² Kwabuthana kuye bonke ababelosizi, labo bonke ababelezikwelede, lababelensolo, waba yinduna yabo. Abantu ababelaye babengamakhulu amane.

³ UDavida wasuka lapho waya eMizipa kwelaseMowabi; wathi enkosini yaseMowabi: Ngiyacela ukuba ubaba lomama bake bazehlala kini, ngize ngazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzangenzelani.

⁴ Wabatshiya abazali bakhe enkosini yaseMowabi, bahlala layo sonke isikhathi uDavida esobhalwini.

⁵ Umprofethi uGadi wasesithi kuDavida: Musa ukuhlala obhalwini; suka uye elizweni lakoJuda. UDavida wasesuka esiya eguswini laseHerethi.

USawuli ubulala abapristi baseNobi

⁶ USawuli wezwa ukuthi uDavida uboniwe labantu ababelaye; uSawuli wayeseGibeya ehlezi ngaphansi kwesihlahla setamarisiki edundulwini, ephethe umkhonto wakhe, lenceku zakhe zimi zimphahlile.

⁷ USawuli wathi encekwini zakhe ezazimi zimphahlile: Zwanini, lina bakoBenjamini, lithi indodana kaJese izalinika lonke amasimu lezivini, ilibeke libe yizinduna zezinkulungwane lezinduna zamakhulu na?

⁸ Kungenxa yalokho yini lingenzele amacebo amabi na? Kakho ongitshelayo lapho indodana yami isenza isivumelwano lendodana kaJese; kakho loyedwa kini ongizwela usizi, longitshelayo lapho indodana yami ingivusela inceku yami ukuba ingicathamele njengalamuhla nje.

⁹ Kwasekuphendula uDowegi waseEdoma owayemi lenceku zikaSawuli, wathi: Ngayibona indodana kaJese ifika eNobi kuAhimeleki indodana kaAhitubi.

¹⁰ Wambuzela eNkosini uNkulunkulu; wamnika ukudla lomhedla kaGoliyathi umFilistiya.

¹¹ Inkosi uSawuli yasithumela ilizwi ukuba kubizwe uAhimeleki umpristi, indodana kaAhitubi, layo yonke indlu kayise, abapristi ababeseNobi; bonke beza enkosini.

¹² USawuli wathi: Lalela lapha, ndodana kaAhitubi. Yena waphendula wathi: Ngikhona, nkosi.

¹³ USawuli wasesithi kuye: Kungani lingenzela amacebo amabi, wena lendodana kaJese, ngokuyinika isinkwa lomhedla, wayibuzela kuNkulunkulu na? Khathesi ingivukele ingicathamele.

¹⁴ UAhimeleki waseyiphendula inkosi esithi: Ngubani kuzo zonke inceku zakho othembekileyo njengoDavida, ongumkhwenyana wenkosi lenduna yabalindi bakho, lohloniphekayo endlini yakho na?

¹⁵ Ngiyaqalisa lamuhla yini ukumbuzela kuNkulunkulu na? Atshi bo! Inkosi kayingayibeki icala inceku yayo layo yonke indlu kababa; ngoba inceku yakho kayazi lutho loluncinyane ngalokhu.

¹⁶ Inkosi yasisithi: Ahimeleki, uzakufa impela, wena layo yonke indlu kayihlo.

¹⁷ Inkosi yathi kubalindi ababemi eduze layo: Sondelani, libulale abapristi beNkosi; ngoba bahlangene loDavida, futhi babesazi ukuthi ubalekile kodwa kabangitshelanga. Kodwa inceku zenkosi kazithandanga ukuphakamisa izandla zazo zibulale abapristi beNkosi uNkulunkulu.

¹⁸ Inkosi yasisithi kuDowegi: Sondela wena, ubabulale abapristi. UDowegi waseEdoma wasondela, wabasukela abapristi, wabulala ngalolosuku abantu abangamatshumi aficaminwembili lanhlanu ababegqoke ingubo zamahlombe.

¹⁹ INobi, umuzi wabapristi, wawuchitha ngomkhonto, wabulala amadoda labesifazana, abantwana labamunyayo, inkomo labobabhemi lezimvu.

²⁰ Kodwa omunye wamadodana kaAhimeleki indodana kaAhitubi, othiwa nguAbiyatha wabaleka, walandela uDavida.

²¹ UAbiyatha watshela uDavida ukuthi uSawuli ubulele abapristi beNkosi.

²² UDavida wathi kuAbiyatha: Ngabona ngalolosuku mhla uDowegi waseEdoma elapho ukuthi uzamtshela impela uSawuli. Yimi engibangele ukuba bafe bonke abendlu kayihlo.

²³ Hlala lami lapha, ungesabi, ngoba lowo ofuna ukuphila kwami ufuna ukuphila kwakho; nxa ulami uzalondolozeka.