1 USamuyeli 22
1 UDavida wasesuka lapho, waphephela ebhalwini lweAdulamu. Lapho abafowabo lendlu yonke kayise bekuzwa lokho, behlela kuye lapho.
David [and his men] left Gath and went [east] to hide in a cave on a hill at Adullam [city]. Soon his [older] brothers and all his other relatives came and stayed with him there.
2 Kwasekubuthana kuye wonke umuntu ocindezelweyo, laye wonke umuntu owayelesikwelede, laye wonke umuntu owayebuhlungu emphefumulweni, wasesiba yinduna phezu kwabo, kwaze kwaba laye phose abantu abangamakhulu amane.
Then other men came there. Some were men who had caused trouble, some were men who owed money, and some were men who were not content [IDM] [with the government]. They continued to come until there were 400 men there, and David was their leader.
3 UDavida wasesuka lapho waya eMizipa yakoMowabi, wathi enkosini yakoMowabi: Ngiyacela ukuthi ubaba lomama baphume lani, ngize ngazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzangenzelani.
Later they left there and went [east] to Mizpah [city] in the Moab region. There David requested the king of Moab, “Please allow my father and mother to live here with you until I know what God is going to do for me.”
4 Wasebaletha phambi kwenkosi yakoMowabi, basebehlala layo insuku zonke uDavida esenqabeni.
[The king gave him permission, ] so David’s parents stayed with the king of Moab all the time that David and the men who were with him were hiding [in that area].
5 Umprofethi uGadi wasesithi kuDavida: Ungahlali enqabeni; hamba wena ngena elizweni lakoJuda. UDavida wasehamba wangena eguswini leHerethi.
One day the prophet Gad told David, “Leave (your fortress/this area) and return to Judah.” So David and his men went to Hereth forest [in Judah].
6 USawuli wasesizwa ukuthi uDavida uyaziwa labantu ababelaye. USawuli wayehlezi eGibeya ngaphansi kwesihlahla setamarisiki eRama, elomkhonto esandleni sakhe, lazo zonke inceku zakhe zazimi laye.
One day, someone told Saul that David and his men had arrived in Judah. On that day, Saul was sitting underneath the tamarisk tree on a hill at Gibeah [town]. He was holding his spear, and was surrounded by his army officers.
7 USawuli wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe ezazimi laye: Ake lizwe, bakoBhenjamini: Kambe indodana kaJese izalinika lonke amasimu lezivini, ilibeke lonke libe zinduna zezinkulungwane lezinduna zamakhulu,
He shouted to them, “You men of the tribe of Benjamin, listen to me! Do you think that the son of Jesse will give all of you fields and vineyards [if he becomes your king]? Will he appoint all of you to become generals and captains [in his army] [RHQ]?
8 ngokuthi lonke lingenzele ugobe, njalo kakho owembule endlebeni yami ukuthi indodana yami yenza isivumelwano lendodana kaJese; kakho loyedwa kini ongizwelayo, lowembula endlebeni yami, ukuthi indodana yami ingivusela inceku yami ukuthi icathame njengalamuhla?
Is that why you have all conspired against me [RHQ]? None of you told me when my son [Jonathan] made a solemn agreement with that son of Jesse. None of you feels sorry for me. That son of Jesse was my servant, but now my son is encouraging him to hide in order to (ambush me/attack me suddenly), as he is doing today!”
9 Kwasekuphendula uDowegi umEdoma owayemi lenceku zikaSawuli, wathi: Ngayibona indodana kaJese isiza eNobi kuAhimeleki indodana kaAhitubi.
Doeg, a man from the Edom people-group, was standing there with Saul’s officers. He said to Saul, “When I was at Nob, I saw that son of Jesse talking to Ahimelech, the priest.
10 Wasembuzela eNkosini, wamnika umphako, lenkemba kaGoliyathi umFilisti wamnika yona.
Ahimelech asked Yahweh what David should do. Then Ahimelech gave to David some food and the sword of Goliath, [the giant] from the Philistia people-group.”
11 Inkosi uSawuli yasithuma ukubiza uAhimeleki umpristi, indodana kaAhitubi, lendlu yonke kayise, abapristi ababeseNobi; bonke basebesiza enkosini.
Then Saul summoned Ahimelech and all Ahimelech’s relatives who were priests at Nob. So they all came to the king.
12 USawuli wasesithi: Ake ulalele, ndodana kaAhitubi. Wasesithi: Khangela ngilapha, nkosi yami.
Saul said to Ahimelech, “You son of Ahitub, listen to me!” Ahimelech answered, “Yes, sir!”
13 USawuli wasesithi kuye: Kungani lingenzela ugobe, wena lendodana kaJese, njengoba wayinika isinkwa lenkemba, wayibuzela kuNkulunkulu, ukuthi ingivukele icathame njengalamuhla?
Saul said, “Why are you and Jesse’s son conspiring to get rid of me? You gave him some bread and a sword. You requested God to tell David what he should do. David has rebelled against me, and right now he is [hiding somewhere], waiting [to attack me].”
14 UAhimeleki waseyiphendula inkosi wathi: Pho, ngubani kuzo zonke inceku zakho othembekileyo njengoDavida, ongumkhwenyana wenkosi, oqhubeka ekukulaleleni, lohloniphekayo endlini yakho?
Ahimelech replied, “[I do not understand why you are saying that, because] David, your son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguards, is very loyal to you. No one is more loyal to you than David! Everyone in your household respects him very much.
15 Ngiyaqalisa lamuhla yini ukumbuzela kuNkulunkulu? Kakube khatshana lami! Inkosi kayingabeki udaba encekwini yayo lendlini yonke kababa; ngoba inceku yakho yayingazi lutho ngaloludaba, oluncinyane kumbe olukhulu.
Furthermore, this was certainly not [RHQ] the first time that I requested God to say what he wanted David to do. And it is not right for you to accuse me or any of my relatives [of trying to get rid of you], because I do not know anything about [anyone wanting to do that].”
16 Inkosi yasisithi: Ahimeleki, uzakufa lokufa, wena lendlu yonke kayihlo.
The king then shouted, “Ahimelech, you and your all your relatives are going to be executed right now!”
17 Inkosi yasisithi kuzigijimi ezazimi layo: Phendukani, libulale abapristi beNkosi; ngoba isandla sabo laso siloDavida, futhi ngoba babesazi ukuthi ubalekile, kodwa kabembulanga endlebeni yami. Kodwa inceku zenkosi kazithandanga ukwelula isandla sazo ukuthi zihlasele abapristi beNkosi.
Then he commanded his bodyguards, “Kill these priests of Yahweh, because they are allies of David, and they are conspiring with David against me! They knew that David was trying to run away from me, but they did not tell me!” But Saul’s bodyguards refused to kill Yahweh’s priests.
18 Inkosi yasisithi kuDowegi: Phenduka wena, uhlasele abapristi. UDowegi umEdoma wasephenduka, yena wahlasela abapristi, wabulala ngalolosuku abantu abangamatshumi ayisificaminwembili lanhlanu ababegqoke i-efodi yelembu elicolekileyo.
Then the king said to Doeg, “You kill them!” So Doeg, the man from the Edom people-group, went out and struck them with his sword. On that day he killed eighty-five men who were wearing the sacred vests [because they were God’s priests].
19 LeNobi, umuzi wabapristi, wayitshaya ngobukhali benkemba, kusukela endodeni kusiya kowesifazana, kusukela emntwaneni kusiya komunyayo, lezinkabi labobabhemi lezimvu, ngobukhali benkemba.
He also went and killed many people in Nob, the city where the priests lived. He killed men, women, children, babies, cattle, donkeys, and sheep there.
20 Kodwa omunye wamadodana kaAhimeleki indodana kaAhitubi waphepha, obizo lakhe lalinguAbhiyatha, wabaleka walandela uDavida.
But Abiathar, Ahimelech’s son, escaped. He ran away and joined David [and the men who were with him].
21 UAbhiyatha wasetshela uDavida ukuthi uSawuli ubulele abapristi beNkosi.
He told David that Saul had commanded [Doeg] to kill Yahweh’s priests.
22 UDavida wasesithi kuAbhiyatha: Ngakwazi ngalolosuku lapho uDowegi umEdoma elapho ukuthi uzamtshela lokumtshela uSawuli. Yimi engibangele ukufa kwawo wonke umphefumulo wendlu kayihlo.
Then David said to him, “That man from the Edom people-group, Doeg, was there at Nob on the day [that I was there]. I knew that he would surely tell Saul [what happened]. So it is my fault that your father and all of his family have been killed.
23 Hlala lami, ungesabi, ngoba lowo odinga umphefumulo wami udinga umphefumulo wakho; kodwa uzalondolozeka ulami.
You stay with me, and do not be afraid. The man who wants to kill you wants to kill me also, but you will be safe if you stay with me.”
