The Slaughter of the Priests
1 David fled from the city of Gath and went to a cave near the town of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of the family heard that he was there, they joined him. 2 People who were oppressed or in debt or dissatisfied went to him, about four hundred men in all, and he became their leader.
3 David went on from there to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother come and stay with you until I find out what God is going to do for me.” 4 So David left his parents with the king of Moab, and they stayed there as long as David was hiding out in the cave.
5 Then the prophet Gad came to David and said, “Don't stay here; go at once to the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
6 One day Saul was in Gibeah, sitting under a tamarisk tree on a hill, with his spear in his hand, and all his officers were standing around him. He was told that David and his men had been located, 7 and he said to his officers, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Do you think that David will give fields and vineyards to all of you, and make you officers in his army? 8 Is that why you are plotting against me? Not one of you told me that my own son had made an alliance with David. No one is concerned about me or tells me that David, one of my own men, is right now looking for a chance to kill me, and that my son has encouraged him!”
9 Doeg was standing there with Saul's officers, and he said, “I saw David when he went to Ahimelech son of Ahitub in Nob. 10 Ahimelech asked the Lord what David should do, and then he gave David some food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11 So King Saul sent for the priest Ahimelech and all his relatives, who were also priests in Nob, and they came to him. 12 Saul said to Ahimelech, “Listen, Ahimelech!”
“At your service, sir,” he answered.
13 Saul asked him, “Why are you and David plotting against me? Why did you give him some food and a sword, and consult God for him? Now he has turned against me and is waiting for a chance to kill me!”
14 Ahimelech answered, “David is the most faithful officer you have! He is your own son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and highly respected by everyone in the royal court. 15 Yes, I consulted God for him, and it wasn't the first time. As for plotting against you, Your Majesty must not accuse me or anyone else in my family. I don't know anything about this matter!”
16 The king said, “Ahimelech, you and all your relatives must die.” 17 Then he said to the guards standing near him, “Kill the Lord's priests! They conspired with David and did not tell me that he had run away, even though they knew it all along.” But the guards refused to lift a hand to kill the Lord's priests. 18 So Saul said to Doeg, “You kill them!”—and Doeg killed them all. On that day he killed eighty-five priests who were qualified to carry the ephod. 19 Saul also had all the other inhabitants of Nob, the city of priests, put to death: men and women, children and babies, cattle, donkeys, and sheep—they were all killed.
20 But Abiathar, one of Ahimelech's sons, escaped, and went and joined David. 21 He told him how Saul had slaughtered the priests of the Lord. 22 David said to him, “When I saw Doeg there that day, I knew that he would be sure to tell Saul. So I am responsible for the death of all your relatives. 23 Stay with me and don't be afraid. Saul wants to kill both you and me, but you will be safe with me.”
Omatembu aDavid
1 Ndele David okwa dja ko nokwa ya onhapo mekololo laAdullam. Novamwaina ovalumenhu neumbo lavo eshi ve shi uda, ova ya kuye. 2 Puye opa ongala vali keshe ou a fininikwa nakeshe ou e neengele, nakeshe ou a li e nomwenyo mwii. Ndele ye a ninga omukulunhu wavo, onghee pa li pamwe naye ovalumenhu ve fike pomafele ane ngeno. 3 David ta di ko, ta i kuMispa shomuMoab ndee ta ti kohamba yaMoab: “Efa, tate nameme ve uye va kale punye, fiyo handi ka shiiva osho Kalunga te shi ningile nge.” 4 Ndele ye okwe va eta koshipala shohamba yaMoab ndele va kala ko omafiku aeshe David a kala mohotengulu yokomhunda. 5 Ndelenee omuxunganeki Gad okwa lombwela David ta ti: “Ino kala mohotengulu yokomhunda. Dja po u ye koshilongo shaJuda. Ndele David okwa dja po ndee te uya mofuka yaHeret.”
Saul ta dipaa oonakukalamo muNob
6 Saul eshi a uda nokutya, pa shiivika apa David novalumenhu ava va li puye, apa ve li, osheshi Saul okwa kala omutumba muGibea koshikulundu momuti womutamarisk, e neonga meke laye novapiya vaye aveshe va kala ofika puye. 7 Saul okwa lombwela ovapiya vaye ava va kala ofika puye ta ti: “Pwilikineni nye, Ovabenjamin! Omumati omona waIsai ote ke mu pa yo tuu amushe omapya noikokola yomiviinyu, noku mu lenga nye amushe mu ninge ovaneyovi novanefele? 8 Nye amushe eshi mwa hangakena nge ndele kapa li nande umwe a hololela nge nokutya, omona wange a panga oukaume nomona waIsai ndele nande umwe munye ina yavala nge nokuhololela nge nokutya, omona wange okwa xwameka omupangelwa wange a hondjaunine nge, ngaashi shi li nena eli.”
9 Opo nee Doeg, Omuedom, ou a kala ofika povapiya vaSaul, a nyamukula ta ti: “Ame nda mona omumati omona waIsai te uya muNob, kuAhimelek yaAhitub. 10 Ndele ye okwe mu pulila kOmwene ndele e mu pa onghuta. Ye okwe mu pa yo eongamukonda laGoliat, Omufilisti.” 11 Opo nee ohamba ya tuma ko, va ka tale Ahimelek yaAhitub, omupristeli neumbo laye alishe, novapristeli ava va li muNob, ndele vo aveshe ve uya kohamba. 12 Ndele Saul ta ti: “Pwilikina, oove omona waAhitub!” Opo nee ye ta nyamukula: “Aame ou, omwene wange!” 13 Ndele Saul ta ti kuye: “Omolwashike mwa hangakena nge, nye nomona waIsai, ove eshi we mu pa omungome neongamukonda, ndele we mu pulila kuKalunga, opo a hovele okuhondjaunina nge ngaashi shi li nena eli?” 14 Opo nee Ahimelek ta nyamukula ohamba nde ta ti: “Ndelenee olyelye mokati kovapiya voye e shii okulineekelwa ngaashi David, oshitenya shohamba, ndele a ninga omukulunhu wovanangeli voye ndele a fimanekwa meumbo loye? 15 Hasho shotete nde mu pulila kuKalunga? Nashi kale nge kokule! Ohamba iha vele omupiya waye neumbo lange alishe ombedi. Osheshi omupiya woye ina shiiva sha shomoshinima eshi ngeenge shinini ile shakula.” 16 Ndelenee ohamba tai ti: “Ahimelek, ove ou nokufya shili, ove neumbo loye alishe.” 17 Ndele ohamba tai ti kovakwaita vokolupadi ava va kala ofika puye: “Eheneni oku mu dipae ovapristeli vOmwene, shaashi vo ova ama kuDavid. Osheshi vo va shiiva ye okwa ya onhapo, ndelenee inave shi hololela nge.” Ndelenee ovapiya vohamba va li inava hala okunana omake avo, va dipaa ovapristeli vOmwene. 18 Opo nee ohamba tai ti kuDoeg: “Ehena oku, ove u dipae ovapristeli.” Opo nee Doeg, Omuedom, a ehena po ndee ta dipaa ovapristeli. Ndele mefiku tuu olo ye okwa dipaa ovalumenhu omilongo hetatu navatano ava va djala oikutu yoliina yokomapepe. 19 Noonakukalamo muNob, oshilando shovapristeli va dipawa neongamukonda, omulumenhu nomukainhu, okaana nokahanana, neengobe yo neendongi needi. 20 Ndelenee umwe womovana ovamati vaAhimelek yaAhitub okwa xupifwa, nedina laye la li Abjatar. Ye okwa ya onhapo kuDavid. 21 Abjatar eshi a hepaululila David nokutya, Saul a dipaa ovapristeli vOmwene, 22 David ta ti kuAbjatar: “Mefiku tuu linya Doeg, Omuedom a kala ko, ame nda li ndi shi shii, nokutya ye ote ke shi hepaululila shili Saul. Ndi noushima molwefyo lovakwapata voye aveshe. 23 Kala pwaame, ino tila. Osheshi ovo hava kongo omwenyo wange, otava kongo yo omwenyo woye, osheshi ove u neameno liwa pwaame.”
