1 Ukusuka apho uDavide waya kwambingeleli uAhimeleki eNobhi. Wamhlangabeza uAhimeleki esoyika, wambuza esithi: “Kutheni uhamba wedwa nje? Kutheni kungekho bani ukukhaphayo nje?”
2 Uphendule wenjenje uDavide: “Ndize apha ngokuthunywa ngukumkani. Yaye uthe ze ndingaluxeleli mntu udaba andithume lona. Ndithe kumadodana am siya kudibana endaweni ethile.
3 Ngaba akunanto ityiwayo apha? Ndiphe izonka noba zihlanu, okanye nantoni ongaba unayo.”
4 Uthe umbingeleli: “Akukho sonka siqhelekileyo sikhoyo apha; kuphela kwesonka esikhoyo sesingcwalisiweyo. Phofu ungasifumana xa loo madodana akho engakhange ahlangane nabantu ababhinqileyo kutshanje.”
5 UDavide wamphendula umbingeleli wathi kuye: “Inene, asidibani nabantu ababhinqileyo xa sihambela umcimbi, nokuba ngongephi, andithethi ke xa kungumcimbi omkhulu njengalo siwuphetheyo.”
6 Umbingeleli ke wamnika uDavide eso sonka singcwalisiweyo, kuba kwakungekho sonka simbi ngaphandle kweso sasinikelwe kuNdikhoyo. Sasisesisusiwe esibingelelweni, sekubekwe esitsha.
7 UDowegi wase-Edom, induna yabelusi bakaSawule, wayekho apho ngaloo mini, ehlaliswe endlwini kaNdikhoyo.
8 UDavide wabuza uAhimeleki wathi: “Akunamkhonto na okanye ikrele apha? Udaba lukakumkani lwalungxamisekile kangangokuba andizange ndifumane thuba lakuthatha sixhobo konke.”
9 Wathi umbingeleli: “Likho ikrele apha. LelikaGoliyati, lowa mFilistiya wambulalela kwintlambo yom-oki. Naliya phaya ligqunywe ngesidanga, lithandelwe ngesiziba. Ungalithatha xa ulifuna; kuphela kwesikrweqe esikhoyo apha eso.”Wathi uDavide: “Ndinike lona. Akukho limbi linjengalo.”
10 Wemka uDavide, ebaleka uSawule, waya eGati kukumkani uAkishe.
11 Amaphakathi kakumkani uAkishe abuza kukumkani athi: “UDavide lo asingokumkani na kowabo? Asinguye lo babesombela ngaye abafazi, besithi: ‘USawule ubulele amawaka, kodwa yen' uDavide uwise amawaka ngamawaka alishumi’?”
12 Wakuwazikisa la mazwi uDavide wangenwa kukumoyika ukumkani uAkishe.
13 Kwathi ke ngalo lonke ixesha ekufuphi naye, uDavide aziphambanise, enze izinto zobugeza. Wayedla ngokukrwela ezindongeni zesixeko, avuzise izinkcwe zihle ngeendevu.
14 Wavakala uAkishe esithi kwiinduna zakhe: “Hayi, le ndoda iphambene! Niyizisela ntoni apha kum?
15 Ndiswele amageza kakade le nto nindizisela elinye lize kundiphambanela apha ekhaya?”