1 USamuyeli 21
1 UDavida waya eNobhi ku-Ahimeleki umphristi. U-Ahimeleki wathuthumela ekuhlanganeni kwakhe laye, wasebuza esithi, “Kungani uwedwa na? Kungani kungekho olawe na?”
Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was shaking in fear when he met David, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no one with you?"
2 UDavida waphendula u-Ahimeleki umphristi wathi, “Inkosi ingiphathise udaba oluthize, wathi kimi, ‘Akungabikhona ozakwazi ngenjongo yakho langalokho okuthunyiweyo.’ Abantu bami ngibatshele ukuba bahlangane lami endaweni ethize.
And David said to the priest, "The king has given me orders, and he instructed me, 'No one must know of the matter about which I send you, or about your orders; and I have arranged to meet the young men at a certain place.'
3 Manje-ke, kuyini olakho? Ngipha izinkwa ezinhlanu, loba kuyini ongakuthola.”
Now, if there are five loaves of bread under your control, give them into my hand, or whatever there is."
4 Kodwa umphristi waphendula uDavida wathi, “Kangilasinkwa esejwayelekileyo; kodwa-ke kulesinkwa esingcwelisiweyo lapha kodwa kuya ngokuthi amadoda abezigcinile esifazaneni na.”
And the priest answered David, and said, "There is no common bread in my control, but there is holy bread. If the young men have kept themselves from women, they may eat of it."
5 UDavida waphendula wathi, “Impela abesifazane babevinjelwe kithi, njengenjwayelo lapho ngiphuma. Imizimba yamadoda ingcwele lasemikhankasweni engengcwele. Pho ingaba njalo okungakanani lamhla!”
And David answered the priest, and said to him, "Truly women have been kept from us as always when I set out. All the young men are holy, even when it is an ordinary mission. So how much more today will their vessels be holy?"
6 Ngakho umphristi wamnika isinkwa esingcwelisiweyo ngoba kwakungelasinkwa lapho ngaphandle kwesinkwa esiNgcwele sikaThixo esasisuswe phambi kukaThixo kwasekubekwa esitshisayo endaweni yaso ngosuku esasuswa ngalo.
So the priest gave him what had been consecrated, for there was no bread there but the show bread, that had been removed before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
7 Ngalolosuku omunye wezinceku zikaSawuli wayekhonapho, ekhonza phambi kukaThixo; wayenguDoyegi umʼEdomi, induna yabelusi bakaSawuli.
Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.
8 UDavida wabuza u-Ahimeleki wathi, “Kawulamkhonto kumbe inkemba lapha na? Kangizanga lenkemba yami loba nje esinye isikhali, ngoba umsebenzi wenkosi ubungophuthumayo.”
David said to Ahimelech, "Isn't there here under your control spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste."
9 Umphristi waphendula wathi, “Inkemba kaGoliyathi umFilistiya owambulalayo eSigodini sase-Ela, ilapha; igoqelwe ngelembu ngemva kwesembatho semahlombe. Nxa uyifuna, ithathe; kakukho enye inkemba lapha ngaphandle kwaleyo.” UDavida wasesithi, “Kayikho enjengayo; ngipha yona.”
The priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, look, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind an ephod. If you will take that, take it; for there is no other except that here." David said, "There is none like that. Give it to me."
10 Ngalolosuku uDavida wabalekela uSawuli waya ku-Akhishi inkosi yaseGathi.
David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 Kodwa izinceku zika-Akhishi zathi kuye, “Lo kasuDavida inkosi yelizwe na? Kasuye yini abahlabela ngaye emigidweni yabo besithi: ‘USawuli ubulele izinkulungwane zakhe, kodwa uDavida ubulele amatshumi ezinkulungwane zakhe’?”
The servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another about him in dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?'"
12 UDavida wawagcina amazwi la enhliziyweni yakhe wamesaba kakhulu u-Akhishi inkosi yaseGathi.
David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 Ngakho wazenza ophambeneyo kubo; njalo kwathi lapho ekubo wenza njengomuntu ohlanyayo, edwebadweba ezivalweni zesango njalo wayekela lendenda zehlela endevini zakhe.
He changed his behavior before them, and pretended to be mad in their hands, and drummed on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle run down his beard.
14 U-Akhishi wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe, “Khangelani umuntu lo! Uphambene! Kungani limletha kimi na?
Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me?
15 Lithi ngiziswele yini inhlanya lize lilethe umuntu lo lapha ukuba aqhubeke kanje phambi kwami na? Umuntu lo kumele angene endlini yami na?”
Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"
