1
Basi Daudi akaenda Nobu kwa Ahimeleki, kuhani. Ahimeleki akaenda kumlaki Daudi, akitetemeka, akamwambia, Kwani wewe kuwa peke yako, wala hapana mtu pamoja nawe?
Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And when Ahimelech met David, he trembled and asked him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”
2
Daudi akamwambia Ahimeleki, kuhani, Mfalme ameniagiza shughuli, akaniambia, Asijue mtu awaye yote habari ya shughuli hii ninayokutuma, wala ya neno hili ninalokuamuru; nami nimewaagiza vijana waende mahali fulani.
“The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission on which I am sending you. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place.
3
Kuna nini basi, chini ya mkono wako? Nipe mkononi mwangu mikate mitano, au cho chote ulicho nacho hapa.
Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”
4
Yule kuhani akamjibu Daudi, akasema, Hapana mikate ya sikuzote chini ya mkono wangu, ila mikate mitakatifu; ikiwa wale vijana wamejitenga na wanawake.
“There is no common bread on hand,” the priest replied, “but there is some consecrated bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves from women.”
5
Naye Daudi akamjibu kuhani, akamwambia, Hakika tumejitenga na wanawake siku hizi tatu; napo nilipotoka, vyombo vya vijana hawa vilikuwa vitakatifu, ingawa ilikuwa safari ya sikuzote; basi leo je! Vyombo vyetu havitakuwa vitakatifu zaidi?
David answered, “Women have indeed been kept from us, as is usual when I set out. And the bodies of the young men are holy even on common missions. How much more so today!”
6
Ndipo kuhani akampa ile mikate mitakatifu; kwa maana hapakuwa na mikate ila ile ya Wonyesho, nayo imekwisha kuondolewa mbele za Bwana, ili itiwe mikate ya moto siku ile ilipoondolewa.
So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there but the Bread of the Presence, which had been removed from before the LORD and replaced with hot bread on the day it was taken away.
7
Basi siku ile palikuwapo na mtu mmoja wa watumishi wa Sauli, amezuiwa hapo mbele za Bwana jina lake akiitwa Doegi, Mwedomi, mkubwa wa wachungaji wa Sauli.
Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the LORD. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief shepherd for Saul.
8
Tena Daudi akamwambia Ahimeleki, Na hapa chini ya mkono wako, je! Hapana mkuki, au upanga? Kwa maana sikuleta upanga, wala silaha zangu, kwa sababu ile shughuli ya mfalme ilitaka haraka.
Then David asked Ahimelech, “Is there not a spear or sword on hand here? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s mission was urgent.”
9
Yule kuhani akasema, upanga wa Goliathi, yule Mfilisti, uliyemwua katika bonde la Ela, tazama, upo hapa, umefungwa ndani ya nguo nyuma ya naivera; ukipenda kuuchukua, haya! Uchukue, maana hapa hapana mwingine ila huo tu. Daudi akasema, Hapana mwingine kama ule; haya! Nipe.
The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want, you may take it. For there is no other but this one here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
10
Basi Daudi akaondoka, akakimbia siku ile, kwa hofu ya Sauli, akamwendea Akishi, mfalme wa Gathi.
That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.
11
Nao watumishi wa Akishi wakamwambia, Je! Huyu siye yule Daudi, mfalme wa nchi? Je! Hawakuimbiana habari zake katika ngoma zao, kusema,Sauli amewaua elfu zake,Na Daudi makumi elfu yake.
But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing about him in their dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”
12
Naye Daudi akayatia maneno hayo moyoni mwake, akamwogopa sana Akishi, mfalme wa Gathi.
Now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13
Akaubadilisha mwenendo wake mbele yao, akajifanya mwenye wazimu mikononi mwao, akakuna-kuna katika mbao za mlango, na kuyaacha mate yake kuanguka juu ya ndevu zake.
So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard.
14
Ndipo huyo Akishi akawaambia watumishi wake, Angalieni, mwaona ya kuwa mtu huyu ana wazimu; basi, maana yake nini kumleta kwangu?
Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you can see that the man is insane! Why have you brought him to me?
15
Je! Mimi nina haja ya watu wenye wazimu, hata mmemleta kiumbe hiki ili aonyeshe wazimu wake machoni pangu? Je! Huyu ataingia nyumbani mwangu?
Am I in need of madmen, that you have brought this man to rave in my presence? Must this man come into my house?”