22UDavida wasesuka lapho, waphephela ebhalwinia lweAdulamub. Lapho abafowabo lendlu yonke kayise bekuzwa lokho, behlela kuye lapho. 2 Kwasekubuthana kuye wonke umuntu ocindezelweyo, laye wonke umuntu owayelesikwelede, laye wonke umuntu owayebuhlungu emphefumulweni, wasesiba yinduna phezu kwaboc, kwaze kwaba laye phose abantu abangamakhulu amaned.

3 UDavida wasesuka lapho waya eMizipa yakoMowabi, wathi enkosini yakoMowabie: Ngiyacela ukuthi ubaba lomama baphume lani, ngize ngazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzangenzelani. 4 Wasebaletha phambi kwenkosi yakoMowabi, basebehlala layo insuku zonke uDavida esenqabeni.

5 Umprofethi uGadi wasesithi kuDavida: Ungahlali enqabeni; hamba wena ngena elizweni lakoJuda. UDavida wasehamba wangena eguswini leHerethif.

USawuli ubulala abapristi beNobi

6 USawuli wasesizwa ukuthi uDavida uyaziwa labantu ababelaye. USawuli wayehlezi eGibeya ngaphansi kwesihlahlag setamarisiki* eRamah, elomkhonto esandleni sakhe, lazo zonke inceku zakhe zazimi laye. 7 USawuli wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe ezazimi laye: Ake lizwe, bakoBhenjamini: Kambe indodana kaJese izalinika lonke amasimu lezivini, ilibeke lonke libe zinduna zezinkulungwane lezinduna zamakhului, 8 ngokuthi lonke lingenzele ugobe, njalo kakho owembule endlebeni yami ukuthi indodana yami yenza isivumelwano lendodana kaJesej; kakho loyedwa kini ongizwelayo, lowembula endlebeni yami, ukuthi indodana yami ingivusela inceku yami ukuthi icathame njengalamuhlak?

9 Kwasekuphendula uDowegi umEdoma owayemi lenceku zikaSawulil, wathi: Ngayibona indodana kaJese isiza eNobim kuAhimeleki indodana kaAhitubin. 10 Wasembuzela eNkosinio, wamnika umphako, lenkemba kaGoliyathi umFilisti wamnika yonap. 11 Inkosi uSawuli yasithuma ukubiza uAhimeleki umpristi, indodana kaAhitubi, lendlu yonke kayise, abapristi ababeseNobiq; bonke basebesiza enkosini. 12 USawuli wasesithi: Ake ulalele, ndodana kaAhitubi. Wasesithi: Khangela ngilapha, nkosi yami. 13 USawuli wasesithi kuye: Kungani lingenzela ugobe, wena lendodana kaJese, njengoba wayinika isinkwa lenkemba, wayibuzela kuNkulunkulur, ukuthi ingivukele icathame njengalamuhlas? 14 UAhimeleki waseyiphendula inkosi wathi: Pho, ngubani kuzo zonke inceku zakho othembekileyo njengoDavida, ongumkhwenyana wenkosi, oqhubeka ekukulaleleni, lohloniphekayo endlini yakho? 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 olukhulut. 16 Inkosi yasisithi: Ahimeleki, uzakufa lokufa, wena lendlu yonke 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. 18 Inkosi yasisithi kuDowegi: Phenduka wena, uhlasele abapristi. UDowegi umEdoma wasephenduka, yena wahlasela abapristi, wabulala ngalolosuku abantu abangamatshumi ayisificaminwembili lanhlanuu ababegqoke i-efodi* yelembu elicolekileyov. 19 LeNobi, umuzi wabapristi, wayitshaya ngobukhali benkembaw, kusukela endodeni kusiya kowesifazana, kusukela emntwaneni kusiya komunyayo, lezinkabi labobabhemi lezimvu, ngobukhali benkembax.

20 Kodwa omunye wamadodana kaAhimeleki indodana kaAhitubi waphephay, obizo lakhe lalinguAbhiyathaz, wabaleka walandela uDavida. 21 UAbhiyatha wasetshela uDavida ukuthi uSawuli ubulele abapristi beNkosi. 22 UDavida wasesithi kuAbhiyatha: Ngakwazi ngalolosuku lapho uDowegi umEdoma elapho ukuthi uzamtshela lokumtshela uSawuli. Yimi engibangele ukufa kwawo wonke umphefumulo wendlu kayihlo. 23 Hlala lami, ungesabi, ngoba lowo odinga umphefumulo wami udinga umphefumulo wakho; kodwa uzalondolozeka ulamia.