1 USamuweli 22

22 ¹UDavide wasuka lapho wabalekela emhumeni wase-Adulamu. Kwathi abafowabo nayo yonke indlu kayise beyizwa lendaba, behlela kuye khona. ²Bonke ababesosizini, nababenezikweledi, nababenomoya okhathazekile babuthana kuye; waba yinduna yabo—amadoda angaba ngamakhulu amane. ³Esuka lapho uDavide waya eMispa yakwaMowabi, wacela enkosini yakhona wathi: “Ake uvume ubaba nomama bahlale nawe ngize ngazi ukuthi uBaba wethu uzongenzelani.” ⁴Wabashiya enkosini yakwaMowabi; bahlala nayo ngaso sonke isikhathi uDavide esesenqabeni. ⁵UGadi umprofethi wathi kuDavide: “Ungahlali enqabeni; suka uye ezweni lakwaJuda.” Ngakho uDavide wasuka waya ehlathini laseHerethi.

USawule Ubulala Abapristi BakaBaba Wethu

⁶USawule wezwa ukuthi uDavide namadoda akhe sebetholakele. Wayehlezi eGibeya ngaphansi kwesihlahla somthamariski esiqongweni, umkhonto wakhe esandleni, zonke izinceku zakhe zimi ngakuye. ⁷USawule wathi ezincekwini zakhe ezazimi ngakuye: “Lalelani, nina maBhenjamini! Ingabe indodana kaJese izoninika nonke amasimu nezivini na? Ingabe izonenza nonke izinduna zezinkulungwane nezinduna zamakhulu, ⁸ukuze nenze uzungu ngami nonke? Akekho ongitshelayo ukuthi indodana yami yenze isivumelwano nendodana kaJese. Akekho kini ongihawukelayo noma ongitshelayo ukuthi indodana yami ivuse inceku yami ukuba ingivukele ingicathamele, njengoba kunjalo namuhla.”

⁹UDowegi umEdomi, owayemi nezinceku zikaSawule, wathi: “Ngayibona indodana kaJese ifika eNobi, ku-Ahimeleki indodana ka-Ahithubi. ¹⁰U-Ahimeleki wambuzela kuSimakade, wamnika nomphako nenkemba kaGoliyadi umFilisti.”

¹¹Inkosi yabiza umpristi u-Ahimeleki indodana ka-Ahithubi, nayo yonke indlu kayise, abapristi ababeseNobi, bonke beza enkosini. ¹²USawule wathi: “Lalela manje, ndodana ka-Ahithubi.” Waphendula wathi: “Ngilapha, nkosi yami.”

¹³USawule wambuza wathi: “Nenzeleni uzungu ngami, wena nendodana kaJese? Umnikile isinkwa nenkemba, wambuzela kuNkulunkulu, ukuze angivukele angicathamele, njengoba kunjalo namuhla.”

¹⁴U-Ahimeleki waphendula inkosi wathi: “Ngubani phakathi kwazo zonke izinceku zakho othembekile njengoDavide, umkhwenyana wenkosi, induna yabaqaphi bakho, ohlonishwayo endlini yakho na? ¹⁵Kuqale namuhla yini ukuba ngimbuzele kuBaba wethu? Makube kude nami lokho! Inkosi mayingayibeki cala inceku yayo—nayo yonke indlu kababa—ngokuba inceku yakho ayazanga lutho ngakho konke lokhu, okuncane noma okukhulu.”

¹⁶Kodwa inkosi yathi: “Uzakufa nokufa, Ahimeleki, wena nayo yonke indlu kayihlo.” ¹⁷Inkosi yathi kubaqaphi ababemi ngakuyo: “Phendukani nibabulale abapristi bakaBaba wethu, ngokuba nesandla sabo sikuDavide; babazi ukuthi uyabaleka kodwa abangitshelanga.” Kodwa izinceku zenkosi azivumanga ukuphakamisela isandla kubapristi bakaBaba wethu.

¹⁸Inkosi yathi kuDowegi: “Phenduka ubashaye abapristi.” UDowegi umEdomi waphenduka wabashaya, wabulala amadoda angamashumi ayisishiyagalombili nanhlanu ayegqoke i-efodi lelineni ngalolo suku.

¹⁹Walishaya iNobi, umuzi wabapristi, ngenkemba—amadoda, abesifazane, izingane, izinsana, izinkabi, izimbongolo, izimvu—konke ngenkemba. ²⁰Kodwa enye indodana ka-Ahimeleki indodana ka-Ahithubi, egama layo lingu-Abhiyathari, yaphunyuka yabalekela kuDavide. ²¹U-Abhiyathari watshela uDavide ukuthi uSawule ubabulele abapristi bakaBaba wethu.

²²UDavide wathi ku-Abhiyathari: “Ngangazi ngalolo suku ukuthi uDowegi umEdomi wayekhona—wayezomtshela uSawule. Yimi obangele ukufa kwabo bonke abasendlini kayihlo. ²³Hlala nami; ungesabi. Ofuna ukuphila kwami ufuna nokwakho. Kimi uphephile.”