1 USamuyeli 22
1 UDavida wasesuka lapho, waphephela ebhalwini lweAdulamu. Lapho abafowabo lendlu yonke kayise bekuzwa lokho, behlela kuye lapho.
UDavida wasuka eGathi wabalekela ebhalwini lwase-Adulami. Kwathi abafowabo labendlu kayise sebekuzwile, baya kuye khonale.
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.
Bonke labo ababelosizi loba ababelemilandu kumbe ababelensolo babuthana kuye, wasesiba ngumkhokheli wabo. Abantu ababelaye babengaba zinkulungwane ezine.
3 UDavida wasesuka lapho waya eMizipa yakoMowabi, wathi enkosini yakoMowabi: Ngiyacela ukuthi ubaba lomama baphume lani, ngize ngazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzangenzelani.
Esuka lapho uDavida waya eMizipha kwelaseMowabi wathi enkosini ye-Mowabi, “Ungabavumela yini ubaba lomama ukuba bazehlala lawe ngize ngazi uNkulunkulu azangenzela khona na?”
4 Wasebaletha phambi kwenkosi yakoMowabi, basebehlala layo insuku zonke uDavida esenqabeni.
Ngakho wabatshiya enkosini yaseMowabi njalo bahlala layo sonke isikhathi uDavida esenqabeni.
5 Umprofethi uGadi wasesithi kuDavida: Ungahlali enqabeni; hamba wena ngena elizweni lakoJuda. UDavida wasehamba wangena eguswini leHerethi.
Kodwa umphrofethi uGadi wathi kuDavida, “Ungahlali enqabeni. Yana elizweni lakoJuda.” Ngakho uDavida wasuka waya ehlathini laseHerethi.
6 USawuli wasesizwa ukuthi uDavida uyaziwa labantu ababelaye. USawuli wayehlezi eGibeya ngaphansi kwesihlahla setamarisiki eRama, elomkhonto esandleni sakhe, lazo zonke inceku zakhe zazimi laye.
Ngalesosikhathi uSawuli wezwa ukuthi uDavida labantu bakhe babebonakele. Njalo uSawuli, ephethe umkhonto ngesandla, wayehlezi ngaphansi kwesihlahla somthamarisiki phezu koqaqa eGibhiya, lazozonke izikhulu zakhe zimi zimhanqile.
7 USawuli wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe ezazimi laye: Ake lizwe, bakoBhenjamini: Kambe indodana kaJese izalinika lonke amasimu lezivini, ilibeke lonke libe zinduna zezinkulungwane lezinduna zamakhulu,
USawuli wathi kuzo, “Lalelani bantu bakoBhenjamini! Kambe indodana kaJese izalipha lonke amasimu lezivini na? Kambe lonke izalenza libe ngabalawuli bezinkulungwane labalawuli bamakhulu na?
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?
Kungenxa yalokho lonke selicebe okubi ngami na? Kakho ongitshelayo nxa indodana yami isenza isivumelwano lendodana kaJese. Kakho owenu okhathazekayo ngami loba angitshele ukuthi indodana yami itshotshozela izinceku zami ukuba zingicathamele, njengalokhu ekwenzayo lamhla.”
9 Kwasekuphendula uDowegi umEdoma owayemi lenceku zikaSawuli, wathi: Ngayibona indodana kaJese isiza eNobi kuAhimeleki indodana kaAhitubi.
Kodwa uDoyegi, umʼEdomi, owayemi lezikhulu zikaSawuli wathi, “Mina ngibone indodana kaJese isiya ku-Ahimeleki indodana ka-Ahithubi eNobhi.
10 Wasembuzela eNkosini, wamnika umphako, lenkemba kaGoliyathi umFilisti wamnika yona.
U-Ahimeleki umbuzele kuThixo; waphinda wamnika ukudla lenkemba kaGoliyathi umFilistiya.”
11 Inkosi uSawuli yasithuma ukubiza uAhimeleki umpristi, indodana kaAhitubi, lendlu yonke kayise, abapristi ababeseNobi; bonke basebesiza enkosini.
Lapho-ke inkosi yathumela ilizwi lokubiza umphristi u-Ahimeleki indodana ka-Ahithubi labo bonke abendlu kayise, ababengabaphristi eNobhi, yikho bonke baya enkosini.
12 USawuli wasesithi: Ake ulalele, ndodana kaAhitubi. Wasesithi: Khangela ngilapha, nkosi yami.
USawuli wasesithi, “Khathesi-ke lalela, ndodana ka-Ahithubi.” Waphendula wathi, “Yebo, nkosi yami.”
13 USawuli wasesithi kuye: Kungani lingenzela ugobe, wena lendodana kaJese, njengoba wayinika isinkwa lenkemba, wayibuzela kuNkulunkulu, ukuthi ingivukele icathame njengalamuhla?
USawuli wasesithi kuye, “Kungani licebe okubi ngami, wena lendodana kaJese, wayinika isinkwa lenkemba njalo wayibuzela kuNkulunkulu, okwenze yangihlamukela njalo yangicathamela, njengalokhu ekwenzayo lamhla na?”
14 UAhimeleki waseyiphendula inkosi wathi: Pho, ngubani kuzo zonke inceku zakho othembekileyo njengoDavida, ongumkhwenyana wenkosi, oqhubeka ekukulaleleni, lohloniphekayo endlini yakho?
U-Ahimeleki waphendula wathi, “Ngubani kuzozonke izinceku zakho othembeke njengoDavida, umkhwenyana wenkosi, induna yabakulindayo njalo lohlonitshwa kakhulu endlini yakho na?
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.
Ngalelolanga ngangiqala ukumbuzela kuNkulunkulu na? Hatshi impela! Inkosi kayingethesi inceku yakho icala loba omunye wabendlu kayise, ngoba inceku yakho kayazi lutho lakancane ngodaba lonke lolu.”
16 Inkosi yasisithi: Ahimeleki, uzakufa lokufa, wena lendlu yonke kayihlo.
Kodwa inkosi yathi, “Ngeqiniso uzakufa, Ahimeleki, wena labo bonke abendlu kayihlo.”
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.
Inkosi yasilaya abalindi ababephansi kwayo yathi, “Phendukani libulale abaphristi bakaThixo ngoba labo basekele uDavida. Babekwazi ukuthi uyabaleka, kodwa kabangitshelanga.” Kodwa izikhulu zenkosi zazingafuni ukuphakamisa izandla ukuba zigalele abaphristi bakaThixo.
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.
Ngakho inkosi yalaya uDoyegi yathi, “Phenduka ugalele abaphristi!” UDoyegi umʼEdomi waphenduka wabagongoda. Mhlalokho wabulala abantu abangamakhulu ayisificaminwembili lanhlanu ababegqoka izembatho zemahlombe ezelineni.
19 LeNobi, umuzi wabapristi, wayitshaya ngobukhali benkemba, kusukela endodeni kusiya kowesifazana, kusukela emntwaneni kusiya komunyayo, lezinkabi labobabhemi lezimvu, ngobukhali benkemba.
Wabuye wahlasela iNobhi ngenkemba, umuzi wabaphristi, lamadoda ayo kanye labesifazane, abantwana bayo lensane, lenkomo zayo, obabhemi kanye lezimvu.
20 Kodwa omunye wamadodana kaAhimeleki indodana kaAhitubi waphepha, obizo lakhe lalinguAbhiyatha, wabaleka walandela uDavida.
Kodwa u-Abhiyathari, indodana ka-Ahimeleki indodana ka-Ahithubi, waphunyuka wabaleka wayamanyana loDavida.
21 UAbhiyatha wasetshela uDavida ukuthi uSawuli ubulele abapristi beNkosi.
Watshela uDavida ukuthi uSawuli wayebulele abaphristi bakaThixo.
22 UDavida wasesithi kuAbhiyatha: Ngakwazi ngalolosuku lapho uDowegi umEdoma elapho ukuthi uzamtshela lokumtshela uSawuli. Yimi engibangele ukufa kwawo wonke umphefumulo wendlu kayihlo.
UDavida wasesithi ku-Abhiyathari, “Ngaloluyana usuku, lapho uDoyegi umʼEdomi wayekhona, ngakwazi ukuthi uzamtshela ngempela uSawuli. Ngilecala lokufa kwabendlu kayihlo bonke.
23 Hlala lami, ungesabi, ngoba lowo odinga umphefumulo wami udinga umphefumulo wakho; kodwa uzalondolozeka ulami.
Hlala lami; ungesabi; umuntu ofuna ukukubulala lami futhi ufuna ukungibulala. Uvikelekile nxa ulami.”
