USamyela Wokuthoma

27 UDavida wathi ehliziywenakhe: “Ngelinye ilanga uSawula uzongibulala. Yeke kungcono ngibalekele+ enarheni yamaFilista; ngalokho uSawula uzokulisa ukufunana nami endaweni yama-Israyeli+ begodu ngizabe ngiphunyurhile esandleni sakhe.” 2 Nje-ke uDavida nabantu bakhe abama-600+ bakhamba baya ku-Akhitjhi+ indodana kaMawoko, ikosi yeGathi. 3 UDavida wahlala no-Akhitjhi eGathi, yena nabantu bakhe, omunye nomunye anomndenakhe. UDavida bekanabafazi bakhe ababili, u-Arhinowami+ umJizriyela no-Abigeyili+ umKarameli, umhlolokazi kaNabhali. 4 USawula nakabikelwa ukuthi uDavida ubalekele eGathi, walisa ukufunana naye.+

5 UDavida wathi ku-Akhitjhi: “Nange ngifumene umusa emehlwenakho, ngibawa unginikele indawo kwelinye lamadorobho asemaphandleni bona ngiyokuhlala khona. Kubayini kufuze isisebenzi sakho sihlale nawe edorobheni lekosi?” 6 Ngalokho u-Akhitjhi wamupha iTsikhilagi+ mhlokho. Kungebangelo iTsikhilagi ingeyamakhosi wakwaJuda bekube kunamhlanjesi.

7 UDavida wahlala emaphandleni wamaFilista umnyaka neenyanga ezine.+ 8 UDavida bekakhuphuka nabantu bakhe bona bayokusahlela amaGetjhuri,+ amaGirizi nama-Amalekhi,+ ngombana bebahlala enarheni esuka eThelamu beyiyokufika eTjhuri+ kwehle kuyokufika enarheni yeGibhide. 9 UDavida nakasahlela inarha, bekangatjhiyi indoda namkha umfazi aphila,+ kodwana bekathatha izimvu, iinkomo, abodumbana, amakamela nezambatho, ngemva kwalokho bekabuyela ku-Akhitjhi. 10 U-Akhitjhi bekambuza athi: “Benisahlele kuphi namhlanjesi?” UDavida bekaphendula athi: “Esewula* yakwaJuda”+ namkha “Esewula yamaJerarhimiyeli”+ namkha “Esewula yamaKheni.”+ 11 UDavida akhenge atjhiye nanyana ngiyiphi indoda namkha umfazi aphila bona alethwe eGathi, bekathi: “Bona bangazobatjela ngathi bathi, ‘UDavida wenze lokhu nalokhu.’” (Le yindlela uDavida ebekenza ngayo ngaso soke isikhathi nakahlala emaphandleni wamaFilista.) 12 Ngalokho u-Akhitjhi wamkholwa uDavida, azitjela athi: ‘Ngokuqinisekileko uliphunga elimbi ebantwini bakwa-Israyeli, yeke uzokuhlala asisebenzi sami.’