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.”
Moolu kafuta Dawuda ma
1 Dawuda borita ka bo Kati saatewo to, a taata berehuwo kono, meŋ be Adullamu. Kabiriŋ a kotoomaalu niŋ a baadiŋ koteŋolu ye a moyi ko, a be jee le, ì taata kafu a ma. 2 Moolu mennu be mantooroo kono, aniŋ juloo be mennu la, ka taa moolu mennu maŋ jusulaa kuwo soto, ì kafuta a ma le, aduŋ a keta ì la ñaatonkoo ti. Mennu tarata a fee kaañanta moo keme naani ñoŋ ne fee.
3 Ka bo wo to le, Dawuda taata Misipa, meŋ be Mowabi bankoo kaŋ. A ko Mowabi mansa ye ko, “Dukaree! M baamaa niŋ m faamaa bula, ì ye naa sabati ali fee jaŋ, fo niŋ ŋa a loŋ, Alla be meŋ ke la n ye.” 4 Bituŋ a ye ì niŋ Mowabi mansa bula, a niŋ ì sabatita jee, waatoo meŋ na ate be tatoo kono, meŋ be konkoo santo.
5 Wo to le Annabilayi Kadu ko a ye ko, “Kana tu tatoo kono. Taa i ye duŋ Yahuuda bankoo kaŋ.” Bituŋ Dawuda ye jee bula, a taata Hereti sutoo kono.
Sawulu ye Nobu piriisoolu faa
6 Saayiŋ Sawulu ye a moyi le ko, ì ye Dawuda niŋ a la kewolu je le. Sooroo tarata Sawulu buloo kono le, aduŋ a be siiriŋ nuŋ yiri jaŋ doo le koto Kibeya konkoo kaŋ, a la dookuulaalu bee ye a muru. 7 Sawulu ko ì ye ko, “Ali i lamoyi, Benjamini kewolu. Fo Yese dinkewo be kunkoolu niŋ wayini* yiri kankaŋolu dii la alitolu bee la le baŋ? Fo a be alitolu bee ke la noo moo wuloolu niŋ moo kemoolu la kelediŋ ñaatonkoolu ti le baŋ? 8 Fo wo le ye a tinna ali bee ye n jamfaa baŋ? Moo-wo-moo le maŋ a fo n ye, kabiriŋ n dinkewo niŋ Yese dinkewo be kambeŋo siti kaŋ. Aduŋ moo maŋ balafaa n ye, waraŋ ka a fo n ye ko, ‘I dinkewo le ye i la dookuulaa so semboo la ka i faa,’ ko a pareeta meŋ ke la bii.”
9 Bari Doyeki Edomunkoo, meŋ niŋ Sawulu la dookuulaalu be looriŋ, kumata ko, “Ŋa a je le, Yese dinkewo naata Ahimeleki yaa, Ahitubu dinkewo, meŋ be Nobu. 10 Ahimeleki le ye Yaawe* ñininkaa Dawuda ye, a ñanta meŋ ke la. Aduŋ a ye domori feŋolu dii a la le, aniŋ Koliyati Filisitinkoo la hawusaroo*.”
11 Bituŋ mansa ye kiilaa kii piriisoo* Ahimeleki ye, Ahitubu dinkewo, aniŋ a faamaa baadiŋolu bee, mennu keta Nobu piriisoolu ti ko, ì bee ye naa mansa yaa. Aduŋ ì bee naata mansa yaa le.
12 Sawulu ko, “Ahitubu dinkewo, i lamoyi saayiŋ.” A ye a jaabi ko, “N ka n lamoyi le, m maarii.” 13 Sawulu ko a ye ko, “Muŋ ne ye a tinna, ite niŋ Yese dinkewo ye n jamfaa, aduŋ i ye mbuuroo niŋ hawusaroo dii a la, aniŋ fanaa i ye Alla ñininkaa a ye, ka kuruŋyaa wulindi n kamma ka m faa ko a ye meŋ ke fo saayiŋ?”
14 Wo to le Ahimeleki ye mansa jaabi ko, “Jumaa le be i la dookuulaalu kono, meŋ tilinta komeŋ Dawuda? Ate le mu i bitankewo ti, aniŋ i la mansa kantalaalu la ñaatonkoo, aduŋ fanaa a ye buuñaa soto i la dulaa to le. 15 Fo wo luŋo le mu siiñaa foloo ti, ŋa Alla ñininkaa a ye baŋ? Hanii, wo nte. Alifaa, kana nte i la dookuulaa tuumi, waraŋ m faamaa baadiŋolu bee, kaatu nte maŋ hani feŋ kalamuta ñiŋ kuwo bee to.”
16 Bari mansa ko, “Ahimeleki, a te baayi noo la, ite niŋ i faamaa baadiŋolu bee le be faa la.”
17 Mansa ko a kantalaalu mennu be looriŋ a daala ye ko, “Ali taa, ali ye Yaawe la piriisoolu faa, kaatu ì fanaa niŋ Dawuda le be kaŋ kiliŋ. Ì ye a loŋ ne ko, a borita le, bari hani wo ì maŋ a fo n ye.”
Bari mansa kantalaalu maŋ paree ka ì buloo laa Yaawe la piriisoolu kaŋ, ka ì faa.
18 Bituŋ mansa ko Doyeki ye ko, “Ite Doyeki, taa i ye taa Yaawe la piriisoolu faa.”
Wo to le Doyeki ye ì faa. Wo luŋo a ye kee taŋ seyi niŋ kee luulu le faa, mennu ka piriisoolu la dendikoo duŋ. 19 A ye Nobu saatewo moolu bee le faa niŋ hawusaroo la. Nobu mu piriisoolu la saatewo le ti. A ye kewolu, musoolu, dindiŋolu, deenaanoolu, ninsoolu, faloolu aniŋ saajiyolu bee le faa.
20 Bari Abiyata, Ahimeleki dinkewo, Ahitubu mamariŋo kanata le, aduŋ a borita Dawuda nooma. 21 A ye a fo Dawuda ye le ko, “Sawulu ye Yaawe la piriisoolu faa le.” 22 Dawuda ko Abiyata ye ko, “Wo luŋo kabiriŋ Doyeki Edomunkoo be nuŋ jee, ŋa a loŋ ne ko, a be a fo la Sawulu ye le. Nte le ye a saabu, fo ì ye i faamaa baadiŋolu bee faa. 23 Naa ŋà sabati jaŋ, aduŋ i kana sila. Sawulu lafita ite niŋ nte bee le faa la, bari m̀ bee be tanka la le.”
