1 USamuweli 21

21 ¹UDavide wafika ku-Ahimeleki umpristi eNobi. U-Ahimeleki weza ehlangabeza uDavide ethuthumela, wambuza wathi: “Kungani uwedwa, kungekho muntu onawe na?” ²UDavide wathi ku-Ahimeleki umpristi: “Inkosi ingiyalile, yathi: ‘Makungabikho muntu owazi lutho ngomsebenzi engikuthuma wona nangalokho engikuyalile.’ Izinsizwa zami ngiziqondise endaweni ethile. ³Manje unani? Ngiphe izinkwa ezinhlanu, noma noma yini ongayithola.”

⁴Umpristi wathi kuDavide: “Anginasinkwa esivamile, kodwa kukhona isinkwa esingcwele kuphela—uma nje izinsizwa zizigcinile kwabesifazane.”

⁵UDavide waphendula umpristi wathi: “Abesifazane bagcinwe kude nathi, njengenjwayelo njalo lapho ngiphuma. Imizimba yezinsizwa ingcwele ngisho nasohambweni olujwayelekile; kakhulu kangakanani-ke namuhla imizimba yazo iyakuba ngcwele na?” ⁶Ngakho umpristi wamnika isinkwa esingcwele, ngokuba kwakukhona kuphela isinkwa sokubukwa—esasuswe phambi kukaBaba wethu ukuze kubekwe isinkwa esifudumele mhla sisuswa. ^a a v6 Isinkwa sokubukwa kwakuyizinkwa eziyishumi nambili ezazigcinwa endaweni engcwele phambi kukaBaba wethu zibe zishintshwa njalo ngeviki; ngokuvamile abapristi kuphela ababevunyelwe ukusidla.

⁷Kwakukhona lapho mhlalokho enye yezinceku zikaSawule, ibanjelwe phambi kukaBaba wethu: uDowegi umEdomi, induna yabelusi bakaSawule.

⁸UDavide wabuza u-Ahimeleki wathi: “Awunalo yini umkhonto noma inkemba lapha? Angiphathanga nkemba yami nazikhali, ngokuba umyalo wenkosi ubuphuthuma.”

⁹Umpristi wathi: “Inkemba kaGoliyati umFilisti—uGoliyati owambulala esiGodini sase-Ela—ilapha, isongwe ngendwangu ngemuva kwe-efodi. Yithathe uma uyifuna; akukho enye lapha.” UDavide wathi: “Ayikho enye enjengayo; ngiyiphe.”

UDavide Ubalekela eGati

¹⁰Ngalolo suku uDavide wasuka wabalekela uSawule, wafika ku-Akhishi inkosi yaseGati. ¹¹Kodwa izinceku zika-Akhishi zathi kuye: “Lo akusiye yini uDavide, inkosi yezwe? Akusiye yini abamhlabelelayo emigidweni yabo bethi: ‘USawule ubulele izinkulungwane zakhe, noDavide ubulele amashumi ezinkulungwane zakhe’?”

¹²UDavide wawabeka enhliziyweni yakhe la mazwi, wamesaba kakhulu u-Akhishi inkosi yaseGati. ¹³Ngakho waguqula ukuziphatha kwakhe phambi kwabo, wenza sengathi uluhlanya phambi kwabo; wahwaya ezivalweni zesango, wayeka amathe akhe ehla ngezindevu zakhe. ¹⁴U-Akhishi wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Bhekani, niyabona ukuthi lo muntu uluhlanya. Nimletheleni kimi na? ¹⁵Ngiswele yini izinhlanya, nize nilethe lona ukuba enze uhlanya kimi na? Angena yini endlini yami lo?”