Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
22 Ngakho uDavide wasuka lapho + wabalekela emhumeni wase-Adulamu. + Lapho abafowabo nawo wonke umndeni kayise bezwa ngakho, behla baya khona kuye. 2 Bonke abantu ababenezinkinga, izikweletu nababenezikhalo* baqoqanela kuye, waba umholi wabo. Ayengu-400 amadoda ayekanye naye.
3 Kamuva uDavide wasuka lapho waya eMispe kwaMowabi wafike wathi enkosini yakwaMowabi: + “Ngicela ukuba ubaba nomama bahlale nawe ngize ngazi ngalokho uNkulunkulu azongenzela kona.” 4 Ngakho wabashiya enkosini yakwaMowabi, bahlala nayo sonke isikhathi uDavide asichitha ezintabeni. +
5 Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uGadi + umprofethi wathi kuDavide: “Ungahlali ezintabeni. Suka lapho uye ezweni lakwaJuda.” + Ngakho uDavide wahamba wafike wangena ehlathini laseHereti.
6 USawule wezwa ukuthi uDavide namadoda ayekanye naye batholakele. Ngaleso sikhathi uSawule wayehlezi eGibheya + ngaphansi kwesihlahla somthamariske endaweni ephakeme ephethe umkhonto ngesandla, zonke izinceku zakhe zikanye naye. 7 USawule wayesethi ezincekwini zakhe ezazikanye naye: “Ngicela nilalele maBhenjamini. Ingabe indodana kaJese + izoninika nonke indawo namasimu amagilebhisi? Ingabe izonimisa nonke nibe yizinduna zezinkulungwane nezinduna zamakhulu? + 8 Nonke ningakhele uzungu! Akekho owangitshela lapho indodana yami yenza isivumelwano nendodana kaJese! + Akekho kini ozwelana nami nongitshelayo ukuthi indodana yami igqugquzele inceku yami ukuba ingicuthele ukuze ingihlasele, njengoba nje yenza manje.”
9 UDowegi + umEdomi, owayemiswe phezu kwezinceku zikaSawule, waphendula wathi: + “Ngayibona indodana kaJese ifika eNobi ku-Ahimeleki indodana ka-Ahithubi. + 10 Wayibuzela kuJehova, wase eyinika umphako. Wayinika ngisho nenkemba kaGoliyati umFilisti.” + 11 Ngaso leso sikhathi, inkosi yathumela izithunywa zayobiza u-Ahimeleki indodana ka-Ahithubi umpristi nabo bonke abapristi bendlu kayise ababeseNobi. Ngakho bonke beza enkosini.
12 USawule wayesethi: “Ngicela ulalele wena ndodana ka-Ahithubi!” yena waphendula wathi: “Ngilalele nkosi yami.” 13 USawule wathi kuye: “Kungani ungakhele uzungu, wena nendodana kaJese, ngokuyinika isinkwa nenkemba nangokuyibuzela kuNkulunkulu? Kumanje imelane nami yangicuthela ukuze ingihlasele.” 14 U-Ahimeleki waphendula inkosi wathi: “Ngubani phakathi kwazo zonke izinceku zakho othembeke* njengoDavide? + Ungumkhwenyana + wenkosi nenduna yabaqaphi benkosi futhi uyahlonishwa endlini yakho. + 15 Ngiyaqala yini ukumbuzela kuNkulunkulu? + Anginakulokotha ngikwakhele uzungu! Inkosi mayingabeki cala encekwini yayo nakuyo yonke indlu kababa, ngoba inceku yakho ibingazi lutho ngalokhu.” +
16 Kodwa inkosi yathi: “Uzofa nakanjani + Ahimeleki, wena nayo yonke indlu kayihlo.” + 17 Inkosi yabe isithi kubaqaphi* ababekanye nayo: “Hambani niyobulala abapristi bakaJehova, ngoba bathathe uhlangothi lukaDavide! Bebazi ukuthi weqile kodwa abangitshelanga!” Kodwa izinceku zenkosi azifunanga ukuphakamisa izandla zazo zibulale abapristi bakaJehova. 18 Inkosi yabe isithi kuDowegi: + “Babulale wena abapristi!” Ngokushesha uDowegi umEdomi + wahamba wayobabulala yena abapristi. Ngalolo suku wabulala amadoda angu-85 agqoka i-efodi lelineni. + 19 Wahlasela neNobi + idolobha labapristi, wabulala ngenkemba indoda kanye nowesifazane, umntwana kanye nosana, inkunzi, imbongolo nemvu, konke wakubulala ngenkemba.
20 Nokho, indodana eyodwa ka-Ahimeleki indodana ka-Ahithubi, egama layo kwakungu-Abhiyathara, + yaphunyuka yabaleka yalandela uDavide. 21 U-Abhiyathara wafike wabikela uDavide wathi: “USawule ubulele abapristi bakaJehova.” 22 UDavide wathi ku-Abhiyathara: “Ngavele ngabona ngaleliya langa, + ngesikhathi ngifica uDowegi umEdomi, ukuthi nakanjani uzomtshela uSawule. Yimi obangele ukuba kufe wonke umuntu endlini kayihlo. 23 Hlala nami. Ungesabi, ngoba noma ubani ozingela ukuphila kwakho, uzingela ukuphila kwami; ngizokuvikela.” +