1 UDavide wayeseya eNobi ku-Ahimeleki umpristi; u-Ahimeleki waya ukumhlangabeza uDavide ethuthumela, wathi kuye: “Yini ukuba uwedwa, kungekho muntu nawe, na?”
2 UDavide wathi ku-Ahimeleki umpristi: “Inkosi ingiyalezile udaba, yathi kimi: ‘Makungazi muntu ngalolu daba engikuthuma ngalo nengikuyale ngalo.’ Izinsizwa zami ngizazisile indawo ethile.
3 Manje kuyini okuphansi kwesandla sakho na? Nginike esandleni sami izinkwa eziyisihlanu noma kuyini okukhona.”
4 Umpristi wamphendula uDavide, wathi: “Asikho isinkwa esivamileyo nje phansi kwesandla sami, kepha kukhona isinkwa esingcwele, uma izinsizwa zizigcinile esifazaneni kuphela.”
5 UDavide wamphendula umpristi, wathi: “Impela abesifazane bavinjelwe kithina ngalezi zinsuku; izinto zezinsizwa zazingcwele ekuphumeni kwami; noma kuyindlela evamileyo nje, izinto zazo zisengcwele nanamuhla.”
6 Umpristi wayesemnika isinkwa esingcwele, ngokuba kwakungekho sinkwa lapho, isinkwa sokubukwa kuphela, ebesisusiwe phambi kukaJehova ukuba kubekwe isinkwa esisashisayo mhla sisuswa.
7 Kepha umuntu othile wezinceku zikaSawule wayelapho ngalolo suku, ebambekile phambi kukaJehova, ogama lakhe lalinguDowegi wabakwa-Edomi, omkhulu wabelusi bakaSawule.
8 UDavide wathi ku-Ahimeleki: “Akukho lapho phansi kwesandla sakho umkhonto noma inkemba na? Ngokuba angifikanga nenkemba yami nezikhali zami, ngokuba udaba lwenkosi lwalusheshisa.”
9 Wayesethi umpristi: “Inkemba kaGoliyati umFilisti owambulala esigodini sase-Ela, bheka, ilapho, isongiwe ngengubo emva kwengubo yamahlombe. Uma uthanda ukuyithatha, yithathe, ngokuba ayikho lapha enye ngaphandle kwayo.”UDavide wathi: “Ayikho enjengayo; nginike yona.”
10 Wayesesuka uDavide, wabaleka ngalolo suku ngokwesaba uSawule, waya ku-Akhishi inkosi yaseGati.
11 Izinceku zika-Akhishi zathi kuye: “Lo akasiye uDavide, inkosi yezwe, na? Abavumelananga yini ngaye omunye nomunye, besina bethi:“ ‘USawule ubulele izinkulungwane zakhe,kepha uDavide izinkulungwane zakhe eziyishumi,’ na?”
12 UDavide wabeka lawo mazwi enhliziyweni yakhe, wamesaba kakhulu u-Akhishi inkosi yaseGati.
13 Waguquka ingqondo phambi kwabo, wazenza ohlanyayo ezandleni zabo, wadweba ezivalweni zamasango, wehlisela amathe esilevini.
14 U-Akhishi wayesethi ezincekwini zakhe: “Bheka, uyabona ukuthi lo muntu uyahlanya; nimletheleni kimi na?
15 Ngiswele izinhlanya yini ukuba nimlethe lo muntu ukuzenza uhlanya ebusweni bami na? Angene endlini yami lona na?”