1 USamuyeli 21

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

THEN came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

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 unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

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

Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

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

And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least 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 answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.

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 hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in 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, detained before the Lord; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.

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 unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.

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 thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.

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

And David arose, and fled 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 unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

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

And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

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

And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

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

Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?

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

Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?