Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
27 Nokho, uDavide wathi enhliziyweni yakhe: “Ngolunye usuku uSawule uzongibulala. Into engcono ukuba ngibaleke + ngiye ezweni lamaFilisti; uSawule uzongifuna aze akhathale kuyo yonke indawo yakwa-Israyeli, + ngaleyo ndlela ngizophunyuka esandleni sakhe.” 2 Ngakho uDavide wasuka namadoda angu-600 + ayekanye naye bawelela ku-Akhishi + indodana kaMawoki, inkosi yaseGati. 3 UDavide wahlala no-Akhishi eGati, yena namadoda ayekanye naye, yileyo naleyo ndoda nomndeni wayo. UDavide wayekanye nabafazi bakhe ababili, u-Ahinohama + waseJizreyeli no-Abhigayili + waseKarmeli, umfelokazi kaNabali. 4 Lapho uSawule ebikelwa ukuthi uDavide ubalekele eGati, wayeka ukumfuna. +
5 UDavide wathi ku-Akhishi: “Uma ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, manginikwe indawo kwelinye lamadolobha asemaphandleni ukuze ngihlale khona. Kungani inceku yakho kufanele ihlale edolobheni lasebukhosini kanye nawe?” 6 Ngakho u-Akhishi wamnika iZikilagi + ngalolo suku. Yingakho iZikilagi lingelamakhosi akwaJuda kuze kube namuhla.
7 Isikhathi* uDavide asihlala emaphandleni amaFilisti saba unyaka nezinyanga ezine. + 8 UDavide wayekhuphuka namadoda ayekanye naye ukuze bayophanga amaGeshuri, + amaGirizi nama-Amaleki, + ngoba ayakhe ezweni elisukela eThelami kuze kufike eShuri + kwehle kuze kube sezweni laseGibhithe. 9 Lapho uDavide ehlasela izwe, wayebulala ndoda abulale sifazane; + kodwa wayethatha imihlambi yezimvu neyezimbuzi, imihlambi yezinkomo, izimbongolo, amakamela nezingubo zokugqoka, ngemva kwalokho abuyele ku-Akhishi. 10 U-Akhishi wayebuza athi: “Beniphanga kuyiphi indawo namuhla?” UDavide wayephendula athi: “Besiphanga eningizimu* yakwaJuda” + noma athi “Eningizimu yamaJeramiyeli” + noma “Eningizimu yamaKheni.” + 11 UDavide wayebulala wonke amadoda nabesifazane ukuze kungadingeki abalethe eGati, ngoba wayethi: “Bangase basidalule, bathi, ‘UDavide wenze lokhu nalokhu.’ ” (Wayenza ngaleyo ndlela sonke isikhathi asihlala emaphandleni amaFilisti.) 12 Ngakho u-Akhishi wamkholwa uDavide, ezitshela ukuthi: ‘Nakanjani useyiphunga elibi kubantu bakubo u-Israyeli, ngakho usezohlale eyinceku yami.’