1 USamuyeli 21

1 UDavida wasesiza eNobi kuAhimeleki umpristi; uAhimeleki wasesesaba ukuhlangabeza uDavida, wathi kuye: Kungani wena uwedwa, njalo kungelamuntu olawe?

Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was full of fear at meeting David, and said to him, Why are you by yourself, having no man with you?

2 UDavida wasesithi kuAhimeleki umpristi: Inkosi ingilaye udaba, yathi kimi: Kakungabi lamuntu owazi lalutho ngaloludaba engikuthuma lona, lengikulaya khona; lamajaha ngiwazisile ngendawo enje lenje.

And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has given me orders and has said to me, Say nothing to anyone about the business on which I am sending you and the orders I have given you: and a certain place has been fixed to which the young men are to go.

3 Khathesi-ke kuyini okungaphansi kwesandla sakho? Nika esandleni sami izinkwa ezinhlanu loba okungatholakala.

So now, if you have here five cakes of bread, give them into my hand, or whatever you have.

4 Umpristi wasephendula uDavida wathi: Kakulasinkwa esejwayelekileyo ngaphansi kwesandla sami, kodwa kulesinkwa esingcwele, nxa amajaha ezigcinile esifazaneni kuphela.

And the priest, answering David, said, I have no common bread here but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.

5 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.

And David in answer said to the priest, Certainly women have been kept from us; and as has been done before when I have gone out the arms of the young men were made holy, even though it was a common journey; how much more today will their arms be made holy.

6 Ngakho umpristi wamnika esingcwele; ngoba kwakungelasinkwa lapho, ngaphandle kwesinkwa sokubukiswa, ebesisuswe phambi kweNkosi ukuthi kubekwe isinkwa esitshisayo mhla sithathwa.

So the priest gave him the holy bread: there was no other, only the holy bread which had been taken from before the Lord, so that new bread might be put in its place on the day when it was taken away.

7 Njalo kwakulomuntu lapho owenceku zikaSawuli mhlalokho, ebambekile phambi kweNkosi, lebizo lakhe lalinguDowegi umEdoma, induna yabelusi uSawuli ayelabo.

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, kept back before the Lord; his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the strongest of Saul's runners.

8 UDavida wasesithi kuAhimeleki: Kanti kakulamkhonto loba inkemba lapha ngaphansi kwesandla sakho? Ngoba kokubili inkemba yami lezikhali zami kangikuthathanga esandleni sami, ngoba udaba lwenkosi lwalungoluphuthunywayo.

And David said to Ahimelech, Have you no sword or spear with you here? for I have come without my sword and other arms, because the king's business had to be done quickly.

9 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.

And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you put to death in the valley of Elah, is here folded in a cloth at the back of the ephod: take that, if you will, for there is no other sword here. And David said, there is no other sword like that; give it to me.

10 Wasesukuma uDavida wabaleka ngalolosuku esuka ebusweni bukaSawuli, waya kuAkishi inkosi yeGathi.

Then David got up and went in flight that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish, the king of Gath.

11 Izinceku zikaAkishi zasezisithi kuye: Lo kayisuye uDavida yini inkosi yelizwe? Kabahlabelanga yini ngaye emigidweni besithi: USawuli utshayile izinkulungwane zakhe, kodwa uDavida inkulungwane zakhe ezingamatshumi?

And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David, the king of the land? did they not make songs about him in their dances, saying, Saul has put to death thousands, and David tens of thousands?

12 UDavida wasewafaka lamazwi enhliziyweni yakhe, wamesaba kakhulu uAkishi inkosi yeGathi.

And David took these words to heart, fearing Achish, the king of Gath.

13 Ngakho waguqula ukuziphatha kwakhe emehlweni abo, wazitshaya uhlanya ezandleni zabo, wadweba ezivalweni zamasango, wagxozisela indenda esilevini sakhe.

So changing his behaviour before them, he made it seem as if he was off his head, hammering on the doors of the town, and letting the water from his mouth go down his chin.

14 UAkishi wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe: Khangelani, liyabona ukuthi lumuntu uyahlanya; limletheleni kimi?

Then Achish said to his servants, Look! the man is clearly off his head; why have you let him come before me?

15 Ngiswele inhlanya yini ukuthi lilethe lo ukuthi ahlanye phambi kwami? Lo uzangena endlini yami yini?

Are there not enough unbalanced men about me, that you have let this person come and do such tricks before me? is such a man to come into my house?