1 Samuel 21
1 Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And when Ahimelech met David, he trembled and asked him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”
UDavida wasesiza eNobi kuAhimeleki umpristi; uAhimeleki wasesesaba ukuhlangabeza uDavida, wathi kuye: Kungani wena uwedwa, njalo kungelamuntu olawe?
2 “The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission or charge. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place.
UDavida wasesithi kuAhimeleki umpristi: Inkosi ingilaye udaba, yathi kimi: Kakungabi lamuntu owazi lalutho ngaloludaba engikuthuma lona, lengikulaya khona; lamajaha ngiwazisile ngendawo enje lenje.
3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”
Khathesi-ke kuyini okungaphansi kwesandla sakho? Nika esandleni sami izinkwa ezinhlanu loba okungatholakala.
4 “There is no common bread on hand,” the priest replied, “but there is some consecrated bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves from women.”
Umpristi wasephendula uDavida wathi: Kakulasinkwa esejwayelekileyo ngaphansi kwesandla sami, kodwa kulesinkwa esingcwele, nxa amajaha ezigcinile esifazaneni kuphela.
5 David answered, “Women have indeed been kept from us, as is usual when I set out. And the equipment of the young men is holy, as it is even on common missions, and all the more at this time.”
UDavida wasemphendula umpristi wathi kuye: Isibili abesifazana bavinjelwe kithi phose lezinsuku ezintathu ekuphumeni kwami; lezitsha zamajaha zingcwele; kodwa ngandlela thize sejwayelekile, laphezu kwalokho, ngoba lamuhla singcweliswe ezitsheni.
6 So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there but the Bread of the Presence, which had been removed from before the LORD and replaced with hot bread on the day it was taken away.
Ngakho umpristi wamnika esingcwele; ngoba kwakungelasinkwa lapho, ngaphandle kwesinkwa sokubukiswa, ebesisuswe phambi kweNkosi ukuthi kubekwe isinkwa esitshisayo mhla sithathwa.
7 Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the LORD. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief shepherd for Saul.
Njalo kwakulomuntu lapho owenceku zikaSawuli mhlalokho, ebambekile phambi kweNkosi, lebizo lakhe lalinguDowegi umEdoma, induna yabelusi uSawuli ayelabo.
8 Then David asked Ahimelech, “Is there not a spear or sword on hand here? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business was urgent.”
UDavida wasesithi kuAhimeleki: Kanti kakulamkhonto loba inkemba lapha ngaphansi kwesandla sakho? Ngoba kokubili inkemba yami lezikhali zami kangikuthathanga esandleni sami, ngoba udaba lwenkosi lwalungoluphuthunywayo.
9 The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want, you may take it. For there is no other but this one.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
Umpristi wasesithi: Inkemba kaGoliyathi umFilisti, owambulala esigodini seEla, njalo khangela, igoqelwe ngelembu ngemva kwe-efodi; uba uzithathela yona, ithathe, ngoba kayikho enye lapha ngaphandle kwayo. UDavida wasesithi: Kayikho enjengayo; nginika yona.
10 That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.
Wasesukuma uDavida wabaleka ngalolosuku esuka ebusweni bukaSawuli, waya kuAkishi inkosi yeGathi.
11 But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing about him in their dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”
Izinceku zikaAkishi zasezisithi kuye: Lo kayisuye uDavida yini inkosi yelizwe? Kabahlabelanga yini ngaye emigidweni besithi: USawuli utshayile izinkulungwane zakhe, kodwa uDavida inkulungwane zakhe ezingamatshumi?
12 Now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
UDavida wasewafaka lamazwi enhliziyweni yakhe, wamesaba kakhulu uAkishi inkosi yeGathi.
13 So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard.
Ngakho waguqula ukuziphatha kwakhe emehlweni abo, wazitshaya uhlanya ezandleni zabo, wadweba ezivalweni zamasango, wagxozisela indenda esilevini sakhe.
14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you can see that the man is insane! Why have you brought him to me?
UAkishi wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe: Khangelani, liyabona ukuthi lumuntu uyahlanya; limletheleni kimi?
15 Am I in need of madmen, that you have brought this man to rave in my presence? Must this man come into my house?”
Ngiswele inhlanya yini ukuthi lilethe lo ukuthi ahlanye phambi kwami? Lo uzangena endlini yami yini?
