UDavide Usabela Emqolombeni
Bonke abanamatyala, nababandezelekileyo, nabakrakra emphefumlweni bahlanganisana kuDavide emqolombeni, amadoda amakhulu amane. USawule, ephethe ingqumbo yakhe phantsi komtamariske, wayalela uDowegi ukuba axhele abangamashumi asibhozo anesihlanu bababingeleli bakaBawo wethu kunye nomzi wonke waseNobhi. Omnye unyana wasinda, waza uDavide wathi nguye owabangela ukufa kwabo.
22 1UDavide wemka apho, wasabela emqolombeni waseAdulam; beva abakhuluwa bakhe nendlu yonke kayise, behla beza kuye khona. 2Bonke abantu ababandezelekileyo, nabanamatyala, nabakrakra emphefumlweni, bahlanganisana kuye; waba ngumthetheli wabo—amadoda amayela kumakhulu amane. 3UDavide wemka apho waya eMizpa yakwaMowabhi, wathi kukumkani wakwaMowabhi: “Ndicela ukuba ubawo noma beze bahlale nawe, ndide ndazi ukuba uBawo wethu uya kundenzela ntoni na.” 4Wabashiya kukumkani wakwaMowabhi; bahlala naye ngalo lonke ixesha uDavide esemboniselweni. 5UGadi umprofeti wathi kuDavide: “Musa ukuhlala emboniselweni; phuma, ungene kwelakwaYuda.” Wemka ke uDavide, wangena ehlathini laseHereti.
USawule Uxabela Ababingeleli bakaBawo wethu
6Weva uSawule ukuba uDavide namadoda akhe bafunyenwe. Wayehleli eGibheha phantsi komtamariske phezu kwenduli, intshuntshe isesandleni sakhe, bonke abakhonzi bakhe bemi bemngqongile. 7Wathi uSawule kubakhonzi bakhe ababemi ngakuye: “Phulaphulani, nina maBhenjamin! Ingaba unyana kaYese uya kuninika nonke amasimi nezidiliya? Uya kunenza nonke abathetheli-mawaka nabathetheli-makhulu, 8nide nonke nindicebe? Akukho namnye undixelelayo ukuba unyana wam wenze umnqophiso nonyana kaYese. Akukho namnye kuni undivelayo nokundixelela ukuba unyana wam uxhokonxe umkhonzi wam ukuba andichasise, andilalele, njengoko esenza namhlanje.”
9Waphendula uDowegi umEdom, owayemi kunye nabakhonzi bakaSawule, wathi: “Ndabona unyana kaYese esiza eNobhi, kuAhimeleki ongunyana ka-Ahitubhi. 10UAhimeleki wambuzela kuNdikhoyo, wamnika umphako nekrele likaGoliyati umFilisti.”
11Ukumkani wabiza umbingeleli uAhimeleki unyana ka-Ahitubhi, nayo yonke indlu kayise, ababingeleli baseNobhi; bafika bonke kukumkani. 12Wathi uSawule: “Khawuve ngoku, nyana ka-Ahitubhi.” Waphendula: “Ndilapha, nkosi yam.”
13Wathi uSawule kuye: “Yini na ukuba wena nonyana kaYese nindicebe? Umnike isonka nekrele, wambuzela kuThixo, ukuze avukele mna andilalele, njengoko esenza namhlanje.”
14Waphendula uAhimeleki kukumkani, wathi: “Ngubani na phakathi kwabo bonke abakhonzi bakho othembeke njengoDavide, umkhwenyana wokumkani, umthetheli wabalindi bakho, nozukileyo endlwini yakho? 15Ndiqalile namhla na ukumbuzela kuBawo wethu? Makube lee oko kum! Ukumkani makangabeki tyala kumkhonzi wakhe nokuba kwindlu yonke kabawo; kuba umkhonzi wakho ubengazi nto ngale nto yonke, incinane okanye enkulu.”
16Kodwa ukumkani wathi: “Uya kufa, ufe nokufa, Ahimeleki, wena nendlu kayihlo iphela.” 17Wathi ukumkani kubalindi ababemi ngakuye: “Jikani nibabulale ababingeleli bakaBawo wethu, kuba nabo isandla sabo sinoDavide; babesazi ukuba uyabaleka, abandixelela.” Kodwa abakhonzi bokumkani abavumanga ukusolula isandla ukuze baxabele ababingeleli bakaBawo wethu.
18Wathi ukumkani kuDowegi: “Jika wena ubaxabele ababingeleli.” Wajika uDowegi umEdom, wabaxabela, wabulala ngaloo mini amadoda angamashumi asibhozo anamahlanu abenxibe iefodi yelinen.
19Waxabela ngekrele iNobhi, umzi wababingeleli—amadoda, nabafazi, nabantwana, neentsana, neenkomo, namaesile, negusha—konke ngohlangothi lwekrele. 20Kodwa kwasinda unyana omnye ka-Ahimeleki unyana ka-Ahitubhi, ogama linguAbhiyatare; wasaba, wabalekela kuDavide. 21UAbhiyatare wamxelela uDavide ukuba uSawule ubabulele ababingeleli bakaBawo wethu.
22Wathi uDavide kuAbhiyatare: “Ndandisazi ngaloo mini ukuba uDowegi umEdom ulapho, nokuba ngokuqinisekileyo uya kumxelela uSawule. Ndim obangele ukufa kwabo bonke abasendlwini kayihlo. 23Hlala nam; musa ukoyika. Lowo ufuna umphefumlo wam ufuna nowakho. Unam ukhuselekile.”
