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.”
Aayambi taa dhipagwa
1 David okwa zi moshilando Gat e ta yi ontuku popepi noshilando Adullam. Aamwayina naantu yalwe yezimo lye sho ye shi uvu, oye ya kuye. 2 KuDavid okwe ya aantu aathiminikwa, aanangunga naayemati, aalumentu konyala omathele gane, nokwa ningi omuwiliki gwawo.
3 David okwa zi nkoka nokwa yi kuMispa muMoab e ta ti komukwaniilwa gwaMoab: “Kwatha ndje, ndi ithane tate nameme, ye ye ya kale nangoye, sigo te mono shoka Kalunga ta ningile ndje.” 4 David okwa fala aakuluntu ye komukwaniilwa gwaMoab, oyo noya kala nkoka ethimbo alihe David a li a holama mekololo.
5 Nena omuhunganeki Gad okwe ya kuDavid e ta ti: “Ino kala mpaka; inda kevi lyaJuda.” David nokwa zi nkoka e ta yi kokuti kwaHeret.
6 Esiku limwe Saul okwa li muGibea a kuutumba komulondo momuti omutamarisk e na egonga lye peke. Aambala ye ayehe oya thikama ye mu kunduka. Okwa li a lombwelwa kutya David naantu ye oya monika. 7 Saul okwa ti kaambala ye: “Pulakeneni, ne Aabenjamin! Otamu dhiladhila tuu kutya David ota ka gandja kune amuhe omapya niitsambe yomiviinu note mu ningi aaniihako yetangakwiita lye? 8 Kape na nando ogumwe gwomune a lombwela ndje kutya omumwandje okwa hangana naDavid. Kape na nando oongoka e na nangame nenge a lombwele ndje kutya David, gumwe gwomaantu yandje, oku li po ta kongo ompito yokudhipaga ndje, nomumwandje ote mu tsu omukumo!”
9 Doeg okwa li a thikama pamwe naaniihako yaSaul nokwa ti: “Onda mwene David, sho a yile kuAhimelek yaAhitub muNob. 10 Ahimelek okwa pula Omuwa kutya David oku na okuninga shike, nokwe mu pe iikulya negongamwele lyOmufilisti Goliat.”
11 Omukwaniilwa Saul okwa tumu omuyambi Ahimelek, a ka talwe nezimo lye alihe lyaamboka ya li aayambi muNob, noye ya kuye.
12 Saul okwa ti kuAhimelek: “Ahimelek, pulakena!”
Okwa yamukula: “Eewa, tatekulu.”
13 Saul okwe mu pula: “Omolwashike ne naDavid mwa ninga ndje iineya? Omolwashike we mu pe iikulya negongamwele e to mu pulile omayele kuKalunga? Ngashingeyi okwa pilukila ndje nota kongo ompito okudhipaga ndje.”
14 Ahimelek okwa yamukula: “David omwiinekelwalela maambala yoye. Oye oshitenya shoye nondjayi yetanga yoku ku tonatela nokwa simanekwa unene kushaa ngoka gwomuuwa. 15 Eeno, onda pula ehalo lyaKalunga molwe, nohasho shotango nda ningi. Ngele iineya kungoye, Nkeyama, ino pa ndje uusama nenge gulwe mezimo lyandje. Inandi tseya nando osha miinima ya tya ngaaka.”
16 Omukwaniilwa okwa ti: “Ahimelek, ou na okusa nezimo lyoye alihe.” 17 Nena okwa ti kaatonateli mboka ya li ya thikama puye: “Dhipageni aayambi yOmuwa! Oya hangana naDavid noinaa lombwela ndje kutya a yi ontuku, nando oye shi shi nale nokuli.” Ihe aatonateli oya tindi okudhipaga aayambi yOmuwa. 18 Opo mpoka Saul okwa ti kuDoeg: “Ya dhipaga!” Doeg okwe ya dhipaga ayehe. Esiku ndyoka okwa dhipaga aayambi omilongo hetatu nayatano, mboka haa zala omapepenguwo. 19 MuNob, oshilando shaayambi, Saul okwa dhipagitha aakalimo ayehe: aalumentu naakiintu, aanona nuuhanona, osho wo iimuna, uusino noonzi — ayihe oya dhipagwa.
20 Ihe Abiatar, gumwe gwomaana yaAhimelek, okwa yi ontuku kuDavid. 21 Okwe mu hokololele, nkene Saul a dhipaga aayambi yOmuwa. 22 David okwa ti kuye: “Sho nda mono Doeg mpeyaka esiku ndiyaka, onda li nda tseya nokuli kutya ote ke shi lombwela Saul. Onkee ongame nde eta omupya gweso kezimo lyeni alihe. 23 Kala pungame, ino tila. Saul okwa hala, e tu dhipage atuhe tse nangoye, ihe pungame oto kala waa na nando ombudhi.”
