1 USamuyeli 21
1 UDavida wasesiza eNobi kuAhimeleki umpristi; uAhimeleki wasesesaba ukuhlangabeza uDavida, wathi kuye: Kungani wena uwedwa, njalo kungelamuntu olawe?
David fled from there and went to Nob [city to see] Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw David [because he was afraid that something bad had happened]. He said to David, “Why are you alone? Why have no men come 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.
David [deceived Ahimelech] by replying, “The king sent me. But he does not want anyone to know anything about what he sent me to do. I have told my men where [they should meet me].
3 Khathesi-ke kuyini okungaphansi kwesandla sakho? Nika esandleni sami izinkwa ezinhlanu loba okungatholakala.
Now [I want to know], do you have any [food here for me to eat] [IDM]? Could you give me five loaves of bread, or whatever [other food] that you can find?”
4 Umpristi wasephendula uDavida wathi: Kakulasinkwa esejwayelekileyo ngaphansi kwesandla sami, kodwa kulesinkwa esingcwele, nxa amajaha ezigcinile esifazaneni kuphela.
The priest answered David, “There is no ordinary bread here, but I have some of the sacred bread [that was placed before Yahweh]. Your men may eat it if they have not slept with [EUP] women [recently].”
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.
David replied, “They have not been near women for many days. I do not allow my men to defile themselves by sleeping with women while they are preparing to fight in battles. They must continue to keep themselves acceptable to God when they are on ordinary trips, and [today they have kept themselves acceptable to God] because now we are doing something very special/important.”
6 Ngakho umpristi wamnika esingcwele; ngoba kwakungelasinkwa lapho, ngaphandle kwesinkwa sokubukiswa, ebesisuswe phambi kweNkosi ukuthi kubekwe isinkwa esitshisayo mhla sithathwa.
The only bread that the priest had was the sacred bread that had been placed in Yahweh’s presence [in the Sacred tent]. So the priest gave David some of that bread. On that day the priest had taken those loaves from the table and replaced them with (fresh/newly baked) loaves.
7 Njalo kwakulomuntu lapho owenceku zikaSawuli mhlalokho, ebambekile phambi kweNkosi, lebizo lakhe lalinguDowegi umEdoma, induna yabelusi uSawuli ayelabo.
It happened that Doeg, from the Edom people-group, was there on that day to make himself acceptable to Yahweh, [and he saw what Ahimelech did]. He was one of Saul’s officials and the leader of Saul’s shepherds.
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.
David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or a sword [that I could use]? The king [appointed us to do] this task [and told us to leave] immediately, so I did not have time to bring any weapons.”
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.
Ahimelech replied, “I have only the sword that belonged to Goliath [the giant] from the Philistia people-group whom you killed in Elah Valley. It is wrapped in a cloth, and is behind the sacred vest [in the Sacred Tent]. If you want it, take it, because I have no other [weapon] here.” David replied, “Truly, there is no other sword that is [as good] as that one! Give it to me.”
10 Wasesukuma uDavida wabaleka ngalolosuku esuka ebusweni bukaSawuli, waya kuAkishi inkosi yeGathi.
[So Ahimelech gave it to him], and David left there. He [and his men] and went to Gath [city in the Philistia region], to stay with King Achish.
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?
But the officers of King Achish [objected to David being there. They] said to King Achish, “This man is [RHQ] David, the king of Israel! He is the one [RHQ] whom [our enemies], the [Israeli] people, [honored by] dancing and singing, ‘Saul has killed thousands [of his enemies], but David has killed tens of thousands of them!’”
12 UDavida wasewafaka lamazwi enhliziyweni yakhe, wamesaba kakhulu uAkishi inkosi yeGathi.
David heard what those men were saying, so he was afraid of [what] King Achish [might do to him].
13 Ngakho waguqula ukuziphatha kwakhe emehlweni abo, wazitshaya uhlanya ezandleni zabo, wadweba ezivalweni zamasango, wagxozisela indenda esilevini sakhe.
So he pretended that he was insane. He started scratching on the gates [of the city] and allowing his saliva to run down his beard.
14 UAkishi wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe: Khangelani, liyabona ukuthi lumuntu uyahlanya; limletheleni kimi?
Then King Achish said to his men, “Look at this man! He is acting like an insane man! Why have you brought him to me?
15 Ngiswele inhlanya yini ukuthi lilethe lo ukuthi ahlanye phambi kwami? Lo uzangena endlini yami yini?
Have you brought him because I do not have enough insane men here already [RHQ]? I do not want [RHQ] him to come into my house!”
