David at Adullam and Mizpah
1David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. His brothers and the other members of his family heard about it. So they went down to join him there. 2Everyone who was in trouble or owed money or was unhappy gathered around him. He became their commander. About 400 men were with him.
3From there David went to Mizpah in Moab. He spoke to the king of Moab. He said, “Please let my father and mother come and stay with you. Let them stay until I learn what God will do for me.” 4So David left his parents with the king of Moab. They stayed with him as long as David was in his usual place of safety.
5But the prophet Gad spoke to David. He said, “Don’t stay in your usual place of safety. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
Saul Kills the Priests at Nob
6Saul heard that the place where David and his men were hiding had been discovered. Saul was sitting under a tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah. He was holding his spear. All his officials were standing at his side. 7Saul said to them, “Men of Benjamin, listen to me! Do you think Jesse’s son will give all of you fields and vineyards? Do you think he’ll make some of you commanders of thousands of men? Do you think he’ll make the rest of you commanders of hundreds? 8Is that why all of you have joined together against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with Jesse’s son. None of you is concerned about me. No one tells me that my son has stirred up Jesse’s son to hide and wait to attack me. But that’s exactly what’s happening now.”
9Doeg was standing with Saul’s officials. He was from Edom. He said, “I saw Jesse’s son David come to Ahimelek at Nob. Ahimelek is the son of Ahitub. 10Ahimelek asked the Lord a question for David. He also gave him food and the sword of Goliath, the Philistine.”
11Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek, the son of Ahitub. The king also sent for all the men in his family. They were the priests at Nob. All of them came to the king. 12Saul said, “Son of Ahitub, listen to me.”
“Yes, master,” he answered.
13Saul said to him, “Why have you and Jesse’s son joined together against me? Why did you give him bread and a sword? Why did you ask God a question for him? Now he has turned against me. He is hiding and waiting to attack me right now.”
14Ahimelek answered the king, “David is faithful to you. In fact, he’s more faithful to you than anyone else who serves you. He’s your own son-in-law. He’s the captain of your own personal guards. He’s highly respected by everyone in your palace. 15Was that day the first time I asked God a question for him? Of course not! Please don’t bring charges against me. Please don’t bring charges against anyone in my family. I don’t know anything at all about this whole matter.”
16But the king said, “Ahimelek, you will certainly be put to death. You and your whole family will be put to death.”
17Then the king gave an order to the guards at his side. He said, “Go and kill the priests of the Lord. They are on David’s side too. They knew he was running away from me. And they didn’t even tell me.”
But the king’s officials wouldn’t raise a hand to strike down the priests of the Lord.
18Then the king ordered Doeg, “You go and strike down the priests.” So Doeg, the Edomite, went and struck them down. That day he killed 85 priests who wore linen aprons. 19He also killed the people of Nob with his sword. Nob was a town where priests lived. Doeg killed its men and women. He killed its children and babies. He also destroyed its cattle, donkeys and sheep.
20But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelek, escaped. Ahimelek was the son of Ahitub. Abiathar ran away and joined David. 21He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22Then David said to Abiathar, “One day I was at Nob. I saw Doeg, the Edomite, there. I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. Your whole family has been killed. And I’m responsible for it. 23So stay with me. Don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you wants to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”
Davide Apita ku Adulamu ndi ku Mizipa
1Davide anachoka kumeneko nathawira ku phanga la Adulamu. Abale ake ndi banja lonse la abambo ake anamva izi, anapita kumene kunali Davide. 2Ndipo aliyense amene anali pa mavuto, kapena ndi ngongole kapenanso amene anali wosakondwa anasonkhana kwa iye, ndipo iye anakhala mtsogoleri wawo. Onse pamodzi analipo amuna 400.
3Kuchokera kumeneko Davide anapita ku Mizipa ku Mowabu ndipo anapempha mfumu ya Mowabu kuti, “Bwanji abambo ndi amayi anga akhale nanu mpaka ine nditadziwa chimene Mulungu adzachite nane?” 4Choncho iye anawasiya kwa mfumu ya Mowabu ndipo anakhala naye nthawi yonse imene Davide ankabisala ku phanga kuja.
5Koma mneneri Gadi anawuza Davide kuti, “Usakhale ku phanga kuno. Pita ku dziko la Yuda.” Kotero Davide anachoka ndi kupita ku nkhalango ya Hereti.
Sauli Apha Ansembe a ku Nobi
6Tsono Sauli anamva kuti Davide ndi anthu ake apezeka. Nthawiyo nʼkuti Sauli atakhala pansi pa mtengo wa bwemba pa phiri la ku Gibeya, mkondo uli mʼdzanja lake ndi ankhondo ake atayima chomuzungulira. 7Tsono Sauli anafunsa ankhondo ake aja kuti, “Tamverani inu anthu a fuko la Benjamini! Kodi mwana wa Yese adzakupatsani nonsenu minda ndi minda ya mpesa? Kodi nonsenu adzakuyikani kukhala atsogoleri a magulu ankhondo? 8Mwinatu nʼchifukwa chake mwagwirizana zondichita chiwembu. Palibe amene anandiwuza pamene mwana wanga ankapanga pangano ndi mwana wa Yese. Palibe aliyense amene ankalabadirako za ine kapena kundiwuza kuti mwana wanga wautsa mtima wa wantchito wanga kuti andiwukire monga wachitira lero.”
9Koma Doegi Mwedomu anayima pafupi ndi nduna za Sauli nati, “Ine ndinaona mwana wa Yese atabwera kwa Ahimeleki mwana wa Ahitubi ku Nobi. 10Ahimelekiyo anafunsa kwa Yehova chomwe Davide ayenera kuchita. Iye anamupatsa zakudya ndiponso lupanga la Goliati Mfilisiti uja.”
11Pamenepo mfumu inayitanitsa wansembe Ahimeleki mwana wa Ahitubi ndi banja lonse la abambo ake, amene anali ansembe ku Nobi. Ndipo onse anabwera kwa mfumu. 12Sauli anati, “Tsono tamvera, mwana wa Ahitubi.”
Iye anayankha kuti, “Inde mbuye wanga.”
13Sauli anamufunsa kuti, “Nʼchifukwa chiyani iwe ndi mwana wa Yese mwandiwukira ine? Wamupatsa buledi ndi lupanga. Wafunsiranso kwa Yehova zoti andiwukire ndi kundibisalira monga wachita leromu?”
14Ahimeleki anayankha mfumu kuti, “Kodi ndani mwa ankhondo anu onse amene ali wokhulupirika monga Davide? Iye uja ndi mkamwini wa mfumu, kapitawo wa asilikali okutetezani ndiponso munthu amene amalemekezedwa mʼbanja lanu? 15Kodi tsiku limeneli linali loyamba kuti ndimufunsire kwa Yehova? Ayi sichoncho! Mfumu musandinenere kanthu kalikonse koyipa kapena banja la abambo anga, pakuti sindikudziwa kanthu kena kalikonse ka zimenezi.”
16Koma mfumu inati, “Iwe Ahimeleki ndi banja lonse la abambo ako mudzaphedwa ndithu.”
17Kenaka mfumu inalamulira alonda amene anali naye kuti, “Iphani ansembe a Yehovawa chifukwa iwo akugwirizana ndi Davide. Iwo amadziwa kuti Davide ankathawa koma sanandiwuze.”
Koma antchito a mfumu aja sanasamule dzanja kuti aphe ansembe a Yehova.
18Kotero mfumu inalamula Doegi kuti, “Uwaphe ndiwe ansembewa.” Choncho Doegi Mwedomu anapita ndi kuwapha. Tsiku limenelo iye anapha amuna 85 amene amavala efodi wa nsalu yofewa. 19Kunena za Nobi, mzinda wa ansembe, Sauli anapha amuna ndi amayi, ana ndi makanda pamodzi ndi ngʼombe, abulu ndi nkhosa.
20Koma Abiatara mwana wa Ahimeleki mwana wa Ahitubi anapulumuka ndi kuthawira kwa Davide. 21Abiatara anawuza Davide kuti Sauli wapha ansembe a Yehova. 22Ndipo Davide anati kwa Abiatara, “Tsiku lija pamene Doegi Mwedomu anali kumene kuja, ine ndimadziwa kuti salephera kukamuwuza Sauli. Ine ndi amene ndaphetsa banja lonse la abambo ako. 23Iwe khala ndi ine, usaope munthu amene akufuna moyo wako komanso wanga. Udzatetezeka ukakhala ndi ine.”
