1Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?21.1 Ahimelech: also called Ahiah 2And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. 3Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.21.3 present: Heb. found 4And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. 5And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.21.5 yea…: or, especially when this day there is other sanctified in the vessel 6So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. 7Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
8¶ And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste. 9And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
10¶ And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? 12And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.21.13 scrabbled: or, made marks 14Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?21.14 is mad: or, playeth the mad man 15Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
Davide Apita ku Nobi
1Davide anapita ku Nobi kwa wansembe Ahimeleki. Ahimelekiyo ankanjenjemera pamene ankamuchingamira, ndipo anafunsa kuti, “Muli nokha chifukwa chiyani? Chifukwa chiyani mulibe wokuperekezani?”
2Davide anayankha Ahimeleki kuti, “Mfumu yandituma zinthu zina ndipo yandiwuza kuti, ‘Munthu aliyense asadziwe za zimene ndakutumazo.’ Kunena za anthu anga, ndawawuza kuti tikakumane pamalo pena pake. 3Kodi muli ndi chakudya? Patseniko malofu a buledi asanu, kapena chilichonse muli nacho.”
4Koma wansembeyo anamuyankha Davide kuti, “Ine ndilibe buledi wamba woti ndikupatseni. Koma pali buledi wachipembedzo yekha. Ngati anthu amene muli nawo sanagone ndi akazi awo mukhoza kudya.”
5Davide anayankha kuti, “Kunena zoona sitinakhudzane ndi mkazi monga timachitira nthawi zonse tikakhala pa ulendo. Anthu anga salola kudziyipitsa ndi mkazi ngakhale pa ulendo wamba. Nanji lero tili pa ulendo woterewu!” 6Choncho wansembe uja anamupatsa buledi wachipembedzo popeza kunalibeko buledi wina aliyense koma yekhayo amene amaperekedwa kwa Yehova. Uyu ndi amene anachotsedwa tsiku limenelo kuti ayikepo wina wotentha.
7Koma tsiku limenelo mmodzi wa antchito a Sauli anali pomwepo kudikirira kuti achite mwambo wa chipembedzo mʼnyumba ya Mulungu. Munthuyu dzina lake anali Doegi Mwedomu, munthu wamphamvu pakati pa abusa a Sauli.
8Davide anafunsa Ahimeleki kuti, “Kodi muli ndi mkondo kapena lupanga pano? Ine sindinatenge lupanga langa kapena chida china chilichonse chifukwa zimene andituma amfumu ndi zamsangamsanga.”
9Wansembeyo anayankha kuti, “Kuno kuli lupanga la Goliati Mfilisiti uja amene unamupha mʼchigwa cha Ela, lakulungidwa mʼnsalu paseli pa Efodi. Ngati mufuna kulitenga, tengani popeza kuno kulibe lina koma lokhalo.”
Davide anati, “Palibe lina lofanana nalo. Ndipatseni lomwelo.”
Davide ku Gati
10Tsiku lomwelo Davide ananyamuka kuthawa Sauli ndipo anapita kwa Akisi, mfumu wa ku Gati. 11Koma nduna za Akisi zinafunsa mfumuyo kuti, “Kodi uyu si Davide mfumu ya dzikoli? Kodi iyeyu si uja pomuvinira ankayimba kuti,
“Sauli wapha 1,000,
koma Davide wapha miyandamiyanda?”
12Mawu amenewa anamulowa kwambiri Davide mu mtima ndipo anayamba kuopa kwambiri Akisi mfumu ya ku Gati. 13Choncho anasintha makhalidwe ake pamaso pawo, nʼkudzisandutsa ngati wamisala. Iye ankangolembalemba pa zitseko za chipata ndi kumangotuluka dovi, nʼkumayenderera mʼndevu zake.
14Akisi anawuza nduna zake kuti, “Mukumuona munthu uyu kuti ndi wamisala! Nʼchifukwa chiyani mukubwera naye kwa ine? 15Kodi ine ndikusowa anthu amisala kuti muzibwera naye munthuyu kwa ine kuti azidzachita zamisala zake pamaso panga? Kodi munthu ameneyu nʼkulowa mʼnyumba mwanga?”
