1 UDavide wathi enhliziyweni yakhe: “Ngiyakubhubha ngelinye ilanga ngesandla sikaSawule; akukho okungcono kimi kunokuba ngibaleke, ngiye ezweni lamaFilisti; uSawule uyakungiyeka, angabe esangifuna emikhawulweni yonke yakwa-Israyeli, ngiphunyuke esandleni sakhe.”
2 Wayesesuka uDavide, wawela, yena nabantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha ababe naye, waya ku-Akhishi indodana kaMahoki, inkosi yaseGati.
3 UDavide wahlala no-Akhishi eGati, yena nabantu bakhe, kwaba yilowo nalowo nomuzi wakhe, uDavide enawomkakhe bobabili, o-Ahinohama waseJizreyeli no-Abigayili waseKarmeli umkaNabali.
4 Kwabikwa kuSawule ukuthi uDavide ubalekele eGati; akabe esamfuna futhi.
5 UDavide wathi ku-Akhishi: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, mabanginike indawo komunye wemizi yasemaphandleni ukuba ngihlale khona, ngokuba inceku yakho izakuhlalelani nawe emzini wenkosi na?”
6 U-Akhishi wamnika iSikilagi ngalolo suku; ngalokho iSikilagi lingelamakhosi kuze kube namuhla.
7 Umumo wezinsuku zokuhlala kukaDavide ezweni lamaFilisti wawungumnyaka nezinyanga ezine.
8 UDavide nabantu bakhe benyuka, bangenela amaGeshuri, namaGirizi, nama-Amaleki, ngokuba lawo ayakhe kulelo zwe kwasendulo ekuyiweni eShuri kuze kube sezweni laseGibithe.
9 UDavide walichitha izwe, akashiyanga muntu ephilile, owesilisa nowesifazane, wathatha izimvu, nezinkabi, nezimbongolo, namakamela, nezingubo, wabuya, wafika ku-Akhishi.
10 U-Akhishi wathi: “Ningenelephi namuhla na?”UDavide wathi: “Bekuseningizimu kwaJuda, naseningizimu kwamaJerameli, naseningizimu kwamaKheni.”
11 UDavide akashiyanga owesilisa nowesifazane ephilile ukubayisa eGati, ethi: “Funa basicebe ngokuthi: ‘Wenze njalo uDavide.’ ” Yayinjalo indlela yakhe zonke izinsuku ehlezi ezweni lamaFilisti.
12 U-Akhishi wakholwa nguDavide, wathi: “Wenze ukuba anengwe nokunengwa ngabantu bakhe abakwa-Israyeli; ngalokho uyakuba yinceku yami kuze kube nini.”