Ahimelech Helps David
1 David went to see Ahimelech, a priest who lived in the town of Nob. Ahimelech was trembling with fear as he came out to meet David. “Why are you alone?” Ahimelech asked. “Why isn't anyone else with you?”
2 “I'm on a mission for King Saul,” David answered. “He ordered me not to tell anyone what the mission is all about, so I ordered my soldiers to stay somewhere else. 3 Do you have any food you can give me? Could you spare five loaves of bread?”
4 “The only bread I have is the sacred bread,” the priest told David. “You can have it if your soldiers didn't sleep with women last night.”
5 “Of course we didn't sleep with women,” David answered. “I never let my men do that when we're on a mission. They have to be acceptable to worship God even when we're on a regular mission, and today we're on a special mission.”
6 The only bread the priest had was the sacred bread that he had taken from the place of worship after putting out the fresh loaves. So he gave it to David.
7 It so happened that one of Saul's officers was there, worshiping the Lord that day. His name was Doeg the Edomite, and he was the strongest of Saul's shepherds.
8 David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or a sword? I had to leave so quickly on this mission for the king that I didn't bring along my sword or any other weapons.”
9 The priest answered, “The only sword here is the one that belonged to Goliath the Philistine. You were the one who killed him in Elah Valley, and so you can take his sword if you want to. It's wrapped in a cloth behind the statue.”
“It's the best sword there is,” David said. “I'll take it!”
David Tries To Find Safety in Gath
10 David kept on running from Saul that day until he came to Gath, where he met with King Achish. 11 The officers of King Achish were also there, and they asked Achish, “Isn't David a king back in his own country? Don't the Israelites dance and sing,
‘Saul has killed
a thousand enemies;
David has killed
ten thousand’?”
12 David thought about what they were saying, and it made him afraid of Achish. 13 So right there in front of everyone, he pretended to be insane. He acted confused and started making scratches on the doors of the town gate, while drooling in his beard.
14 “Look at him!” Achish said to his officers. “You can see he's crazy. Why did you bring him to me? 15 I have enough crazy people without your bringing another one here. Keep him away from my palace!”
Davidi ge Saula xu ra ǁhâ
1 Davidi ge Nobs ǃnâ pristeri Ahimelexi tawa ge sī. Tsî Ahimelexi ge ǃaob xa ra ǀkhūse Davida ǃgûǃoa tsî ge dî: “Tare xū-i ǃaromats kha nēpa ǀguri go hā?”
2 Ob ge Davida pristera ge ǃeream: “Gao-aob ge mîmā-e mā te tsî go mî: ‘Tā i khoe-i xare-e ǂan tare-i ǃaroma ta ra sî tsi, tsî tare-e ta go mîmā tsi ǃkhaisa. Tita ge ti khoega go mîba mâpa gu tita ǀkha nî ǀhaosa.’ 3 ǂÛxū-e nēpa ūts hâ? Koro peregu tamas ka io ǀnî ǂûxū-i ūhâts ka-i hoa-e mā te re.”
4 Ob ge pristera Davida ge ǃeream: “Tita ge ǁnaetisa pere-e ūhâ tama hâ, ǁguibapere-i ǀgui-e ta ge ūhâ. ǁÎ-e go ge a hō ǁkhā, xawe sa khoegu ga nē ǁaeb ǃnâ khoede xu ǁkhaesen hâo ǀgui.”
5 Ob ge Davida pristera ǃoa ge mî: “Ti khoegu ge amase khoede xu ǁkhaesen hâ. ǁÎgu ge a ǃanu, ǃgûǂoa ge ra ǃnās hoasa i ī khami; ǁnâi mâtikō ǃnāsase gu a ǃanu nē ǀō-aisa soab ai.”
6 Ob ge pristera ǁguibaperega ge mā bi, ǀnî pere-i ge ǁnāpa ǀkhai i xui-ao, ǁguibaperegu ǀasagu ǀkha gu nî ǃkhōǃkhunihese Tabernakela xu ge ūǂuihegu ǀguigu ge ge hâ i. Tabernakeli di ǂganagab
7 Sauli ǀgoan ǃûi-aogu di danab, Doeg ti ǀon hâ Edomǁîb ge ǁnātsē ǁnāpa Tabernakeli ǃnâ, ǃoaba nîse ge hâ i.
8 Davidi ge ǁkhāti Ahimelexa ge mîba: “Nēpa ǁhâigôab kas, ǀnî gôab kas hoasa ūhâ tamats hâ? Tita ge ti gôab kas, ǀnî ǁâtani-i kas hoasa ūsao tama go i, gao-aob mîmās go kaise ǃnoesa i amaga.”
9 Ob ge pristera ge ǃeream bi: “Goliati, Filisteǁîb, sats ge ǃGoaǃnāb Elab ǃnâ ǃgammi di gôab ge nēpa lapib ǃnâ ǃgamisase efodi ǃgâb ai hâ. ǁÎbats ga ū ǂgao-o, ǁnâi ū, ǀnî ǀā xū-i a ǀkhai, ǁîb ǀguib hâ xuige.” Ob ge Davida “ǁÎb khami īb a ǀkhai. Mā te bi” ti ge mî.
10 Davidi ge ǂhomisen tsî ǁnā tsēs ǁkhās ai Saula xu gao-aob Akisi Gats dib ǁga ge ǃhū. 11 O gu ge Akisi ǂamkhoega gao-aob ǃoa ge mî: “Nēba kha Davidi, ǃhūb âb gao-ao tamaba? ǁÎb xas kom ǁnae tsî ra ǂnāse di ge ‘Sauli ge ǁîb ǀoadisiga ge ǃgam, xawe Davidi ge ǁîb disiǀoadisiga ge ǃgam’ ti gere mîba.”
12 Tsî Davidi ge nē mîdi xa ge ǂhanihe tsî kaise Gats gao-aob, Akisi xa ge ǃao. 13 ǁNā-amagab ge Davida ǁîgu ais ai danaǀgaru hâ khami dīsen tsî ǁkhae bi ǂgao gu gere, o gere ǃkhauǃkhausen. ǁÎb ge dao-amdi ai xaro tsî tsāb âba ǀhō-ammi ai gere ǂnâ kai. 14 Ob ge Akisa ǁîb ǂamkhoega ǃoa ge mî: “Kō, nē khoeb ge sago tsîn ra mûse ǃkhau hâ. Tare xū-i ǃaroma go ǁîba tita ǃoa go ūhā? 15 ǂÂu hâ kō ǃkhau hâna ta ǀnai ūhâ tama, o go nēba tita ǃoa go hā-ū, ti ais aib hā nî ǃkhauǃkhausenga? Tā ǁîba ti oms ǃnâ ǂgâxa kai.”
