1 Emva koko wemka eGati uDavide, ebalekela kumqolomba ongaseAdulam. Abantakwabo nendlu yonke kayise baya kugaleleka apho bakuba bevile ngomkhondo wakhe.
2 Kwakudla ngokuya kuye abantu ababandezelekileyo, nabaneengxaki zamatyala, nabanganelisekanga, waba yinkokheli yabo. Amadoda anaye ayemalunga namakhulu amane ewonke.
3 Wesuka apho uDavide, waya kwelaseMowabhi eMizpa, wabhekisa kukumkani walapho wenjenje: “Mhlekazi, ubawo nomama ndibacelela indawo apha kuwe, ndide ndiqonde ukuba uThixo iinjongo zakhe ziyintoni na ngam.”
4 Wabashiya apho ke uyise nonina, baza bahlala khona phantsi kokumkani waseMowabhi wonke lo gama yena Davide wayezimele enqabeni.
5 Emva koko kwafika *umshumayeli uGadi kuDavide, wathi: “Musa ukuhlala kule nqaba. Buyela kwaJuda.” Wemka ke apho uDavide, waya kuhlala kwihlathi laseHerete.
6 Ke uSawule weva ukuba uDavide kunye namadoda akhe babhaqiwe. USawule wayeseGibheya, echophe phantsi komthi womtamariske, ephethe umkhonto. Kwakuthe nqwadalala, amaphakathi akhe emngqongile.
7 Wathi uSawule kumaphakathi akhe amngqongileyo: “Khanindiphe iindlebe, mawethu akwaBhenjamin! Nicinga ukuba kanene unyana kaJese uza kuninika amasimi nezidiliya, animise nonke nibe ngabaphathi bamabutho namaqela?
8 Ngaba yiyo loo nto nonke senindenzela amayelenqe? Yiyo loo nto kungabangakho namnye kuni okhe wandithela thsuphe ngemvumelwano yonyana wam nonyana kaJese? Bekungasekho mntu na undikhathaleleyo kangangokuba andixelele ukuba uDavide, isicaka sam, ndithethanje undilalele, efuna ukundibulala, exhaswa ngunyana wam?”
9 UDowegi owayengomnye waloo maphakathi ayengqonge uSawule, wangenelela wenjenje: “Ndambona uDavide eye eNobhi kuAhimeleki unyana ka-Ahitubhi.
10 UAhimeleki wabuzela uDavide *kuNdikhoyo, waza wamnika umphako nekrele lomFilistiya uGoliyati.”
11 Emva koko ukumkani uSawule wathumela ukuba kuye kubizwa uAhimeleki unyana ka-Ahitubhi nezalamane zakhe ezazingababingeleli eNobhi. Bonke ke beza kukumkani.
12 Wathi uSawule: “Phulaphula, nyana ka-Ahitubhi!”“Ewe, mhlekazi,” waphendula watsho uAhimeleki.
13 Uqhube wathi uSawule: “Liyelenqe lani eli nindenzela lona wena nonyana kaJese? Umnikeleni ukutya, nekrele, wada wambuzela kuThixo, ukuze asuke andilalele njengokuba kunjalo ngoku?”
14 Uphendule wenjenje uAhimeleki: “Mhlekazi, kungekho sicaka unaso sithembeke ngaphezu kukaDavide nje? Kaloku uDavide ngumyeni wentombi yakho, engumphathi wabagadi bakho, yaye uhlonitshwa ngumntu wonke wakomkhulu.
15 Ndimbuzele kuNdikhoyo, ndaye ndingaqali kwenjenjalo phofu. Nalo mba athetha ngawo umhlekazi andazani nawo mna, nditsho namawethu ephela akazi nto ngawo.”
16 Ukumkani uphethe ngelithi: “Umelwe kukufa, wena Ahimeleki, kunye nomzi wonke kayihlo.”
17 Watsho ebhekisa kubagadi esithi: “Bulalani ababingeleli bakaNdikhoyo! Babebhunga noDavide, abandixelela naxa asabileyo, ukanti babeyazi loo nto.” Bala bona abagadi ukusa isandla kubabingeleli bakaNdikhoyo.
18 Wathi ke uSawule kuDowegi: “Bahlasele aba babingeleli!” Waza uDowegi wabahlasela wababulala bonke. Yayingamashumi asibhozo ababingeleli ababenelungelo lokuphatha *isidanga ababulawa nguDowegi ngaloo mini.
19 Wada wabulala bonke abemi baseNobhi, eyayisisixeko sababingeleli. Kwafa amadoda nabafazi, abantwana neentsana; kwafa zinkomo, zidonki, zigusha, akwasala nto.
20 Kwasinda kuphela uAbhiyatare unyana ka-Ahimeleki, owabalekela kuDavide.
21 Wafika wambalisela ukuba uSawule ubaxabele ababingeleli bakaNdikhoyo.
22 Wathi uDavide kuAbhiyatare: “Ndaqonda kakuhle ndakumbona uDowegi phaya eNobhi ukuba akanakuze angamxeleli uSawule. Ndim obabeke esichengeni abantu bakuni.
23 Seluhlala apha kunye nam, ungaxhali; akukho nto iya kukuthi cha apha. Lowo uzungula ubomi bakho uzungula nobam.”