Eyokuqala KaSamuweli 21:1-15
21 Ethubeni uDavide waya eNobhi+ kuAhimeleki umbingeleli. UAhimeleki woyika kakhulu akudibana noDavide waza wathi: “Kutheni uhamba wedwa nje, kungekho mntu uhamba naye?”+
2 UDavide wathi kuAhimeleki umbingeleli: “Kukho into endiyithunywe ngukumkani, kodwa uthe, ‘Uze ungayixeleli kwamntu le nto ndikuthume yona nemiyalelo endikunike yona.’ Kukho indawo esivumelene ukuba siza kudibana kuyo nabafana bam.
3 Ngoko ukuba unezonka ezihlanu, ndicela undinike zona, okanye undinike nokuba yintoni na efumanekayo.”
4 Kodwa umbingeleli wathi kuDavide: “Asikho isonka esiqhelekileyo ngoku, kodwa kukho esingcwele,+ sona ungasifumana kuphela ukuba abafana baye bacezela kude ebafazini.”*+
5 UDavide wathi kumbingeleli: “Siye sacezela kude ebafazini kanye njengokuba besiqhele ukwenza njalo xa ndisiya emfazweni.+ Ukuba ke imizimba yabafana ibiba ngcwele sisenza umsebenzi oqhelekileyo, imele ukuba ingcwele kakhulu ke namhlanje!”
6 Ngoko umbingeleli wamnika isonka esingcwele,+ kuba sasingekho esinye ngaphandle kwesi sokubonisa, esasisusiwe phambi koYehova ukuze kubekwe esinye esasibhakwe ngaloo mini.
7 Ngaloo mini, omnye wabakhonzi bakaSawule wayelapho evalelwe phambi koYehova. Igama lakhe yayinguDowegi+ umEdom,+ umphathi wabalusi bakaSawule.
8 UDavide wathi kuAhimeleki: “Akukho mkhonto okanye krele apha? Khange ndilithathe elam, khange ndithathe kwasixhobo kuba ibingxamisekile le nto ndiyithunywe ngukumkani.”
9 Wathi ke umbingeleli: “Kukho ikrele likaGoliyati+ umFilisti, lo wamxabelayo eNtlanjeni KaElaha.*+ Lisongelwe ngelaphu pha emva kwe-efodi.+ Ukuba uyalifuna, ungalithatha, kuba lilo lodwa elikhoyo.” UDavide wathi: “Alikho elinjengalo, ndinike lona kanye.”
10 Ngaloo mini uDavide waphakama waza waqhubeka ebaleka+ uSawule, wada wayokufika kuKumkani uAkishe waseGati.+
11 Abakhonzi baka-Akishe bathi kuye: “AyingoDavide na lo, ukumkani welizwe? Ayinguye na lo babecula ngaye yaye bedanisa, besithi,
‘USawule uxabele amawaka akhe,Yena uDavide amashumi amawaka akhe’?”+
12 UDavide wacingisisa ngala mazwi, waza wamoyika kakhulu+ uKumkani uAkishe waseGati.
13 Ngoko wazenza igeza,+ wangathi uyaphambana xa ekunye nabo. Wabhala amarhoqololo kwiingcango zegeyithi, waza wayeka nezinkcwe zazehlela kwiindevu zakhe.
14 Ekugqibeleni uAkishe wathi kubakhonzi bakhe: “Niyazibonela nani ukuba iphambene le ndoda. Kutheni ke ngoku niyizisa kum?
15 Ndinqatyelwe ngabantu abaphambeneyo kakade, le nto nindizisele eli geza? Lifanele lize ekhayeni lam na?”
