1 UDavide wayesesuka khona, wabaleka, waya emhumeni wase-Adulamu; lapho abafowabo nabo bonke abendlu kayise bekuzwa, behlela khona kuye.
2 Kwabuthana kuye bonke abanosizi, nabo bonke abanesikwenetu, nabo bonke abanenhliziyo enomunyu, waba yinduna phezu kwabo; kwakukhona naye kungathi abantu abangamakhulu amane.
3 UDavide wasuka khona, waya eMispa lakwaMowabi, wathi enkosini yakwaMowabi: “Ake beze ubaba nomame, bahlale kini, ngize ngazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyakwenzani kimi.”
4 Wabaletha phambi kwenkosi yakwaMowabi, bahlala kuye zonke izinsuku uDavide esenqabeni.
5 Umprofethi uGadi wathi kuDavide: “Ungahlali enqabeni; hamba uye ezweni lakwaJuda.” Wayesesuka uDavide, wafika ehlathini laseHereti.
6 USawule wezwa ukuthi uDavide uyaziwa nabantu ababe naye; uSawule wayehlezi eGibeya phansi komtamariske* egqumeni ephethe umkhonto esandleni sakhe, zonke izinceku zimi ngakuye.
7 USawule wathi ezincekwini zakhe ezazimi ngakuye: “Yizwani nina bakwaBenjamini; indodana kaJese iyakuninika nonke amasimu nezivini, inenze nonke nibe yizinduna zezinkulungwane nezinduna zamakhulu,
8 ngokuba ningenzele nonke ugobe, akwababikho ongitshelileyo lapho indodana yami yenza isivumelwano nendodana kaJese, akwababikho kini ongidabukelayo nongitshelayo ukuthi indodana yami ingivusele inceku yami ukuba ingiqamekele njenganamuhla.”
9 UDowegi wakwa-Edomi owayemi ngakuzo izinceku zikaSawule waphendula wathi: “Ngabona indodana kaJese iza eNobi ku-Ahimeleki indodana ka-Ahithubi.
10 Wambuzela kuJehova, wamnika umphako, wamnika nenkemba kaGoliyati umFilisti.”
11 Inkosi yayisithumela ukubiza u-Ahimeleki umpristi, indodana ka-Ahithubi, nendlu yonke kayise, abapristi ababeseNobi; beza bonke enkosini.
12 USawule wathi: “Yizwa-ke, wena ndodana ka-Ahithubi.”Waphendula wathi: “Ngilapha, nkosi.”
13 USawule wathi kuye: “Ningenzeleleni ugobe, wena nendodana kaJese, ngokuyinika isinkwa nenkemba, uyibuzele kuNkulunkulu ukuba ingivukele, ingiqamekele njenganamuhla, na?”
14 U-Ahimeleki waphendula inkosi, wathi: “Ngubani kuzo zonke izinceku zakho othembekile njengoDavide, umkhwenyana wenkosi, nenduna yabalindi bakho, nodumileyo endlini yakho, na?
15 Ngiqale namuhla yini ukumbuzela kuJehova na? Makube kude nami; inkosi mayingabeki cala encekwini yayo, nakuyo yonke indlu kababa, ngokuba inceku yakho ayazi lutho lwayo yonke le ndaba, oluncane noma olukhulu.”
16 Inkosi yayisithi: “Uyakufa nokufa, Ahimeleki, wena nayo yonke indlu kayihlo.”
17 Inkosi yathi kuzo izigijimi ezazimi ngakuyo: “Sondelani, nibulale abapristi bakaJehova, ngokuba nesandla sabo sinaye uDavide nangokuba bazi ukuthi uDavide wabaleka, bengakwambulelanga kimi.” Kepha izinceku zenkosi azivumanga ukwelula isandla sazo ukuba zisukele abapristi bakaJehova.
18 Inkosi yathi kuDowegi: “Sondela wena, usukele abapristi.” UDowegi wabakwa-Edomi wasondela, wabasukela abapristi, wabulala ngalolo suku abantu abangamashumi ayisishiyagalombili nanhlanu, abembethe ingubo yamahlombe yelineni.
19 INobi, umuzi wabapristi, walichitha ngosiko lwenkemba, abesilisa nabesifazane, izingane nabancelayo, izinkabi nezimbongolo nezimvu, ngosiko lwenkemba.
20 Omunye wamadodana ka-Ahimeleki indodana ka-Ahithubi ogama lakhe lingu-Abiyathara wabaleka, wamlandela uDavide.
21 U-Abiyathara wamtshela uDavide ukuthi uSawule ubulele abapristi bakaJehova.
22 UDavide wathi ku-Abiyathara: “Ngazi ngalolo suku mhla uDowegi wakwa-Edomi elapho ukuthi uyakumtshela nokumtshela uSawule; yimi engibangele ukuba bafe abantu bonke bendlu kayihlo.
23 Hlala kimi, ungesabi, ngokuba ofuna ukuphila kwami ufuna ukuphila kwakho, kepha uyakulondolozeka kimi.”