1 UDavida labantu bakhe bafika eZikhilagi ngelanga lesithathu. Ama-Amaleki ayehlasele iNegebi leZikhilagi. Ayehlasele iZikhilagi ayitshisa, 2 njalo ayethumbe abesifazane labo bonke ababekuyo, abatsha labadala. Kawabulalanga lamunye wabo, kodwa ahamba labo ekuhambeni kwawo.

3 Kwathi uDavida labantu bakhe befika eZikhilagi, bayifica iqothulwe ngomlilo njalo omkabo lamadodana kanye lamadodakazi abo bethunjiwe. 4 Ngakho uDavida labantu bakhe bakhala kakhulu baze baphela amandla okukhala. 5 Abafazi bakaDavida bobabili babethunjiwe, u-Ahinowama waseJezerili lo-Abhigeli, umfelokazi kaNabhali waseKhameli. 6 UDavida wayesekhathazeke kakhulu ngoba abantu babekhuluma ngokumkhanda ngamatshe, lowo lalowo efuthelene emoyeni ngenxa yamadodana akhe lamadodakazi. Kodwa uDavida wathola amandla kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe.

7 UDavida wasesithi ku-Abhiyatha umphristi, indodana ka-Ahimeleki, “Ngilethela isembatho samahlombe.” U-Abhiyathari wasiletha kuye, 8 uDavida wasebuza kuThixo esithi, “Ngililandele yini lelixuku elihlaselayo? Ngizalifica na?”

Waphendula wathi, “Lilandele. Uzalifica impela njalo uzaphumelela ekuhlengeni.”

9 UDavida labantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha ababelaye bafika eDongeni lwaseBhesori, lapho abanye abasala khona, 10 ngoba abangamakhulu amabili basebedinwe kakhulu ukuba bachaphe udonga. Kodwa uDavida labantu abangamakhulu amane baqhubeka belandela.

11 Bafica umGibhithe egangeni bamusa kuDavida. Bamnika amanzi okunatha lokudla ukuba adle, 12 ingxenye yekhekhe lemikhiwa ekhanyiweyo lekhekhe lamavini awonyisiweyo. Wadla wathola amandla, ngoba wayengadlanga lutho njalo enganathanga manzi insuku ezintathu lobusuku obuthathu.

13 UDavida wambuza wathi, “Ungokabani wena, njalo uvela ngaphi na?”

Yena wathi, “NgingumGibhithe, isigqili somʼAmaleki. Inkosi yami ingitshiyile sengigula ensukwini ezintathu ezedluleyo. 14 Sihlasele iNegebi yamaKherethi lelizwe likaJuda kanye leNegebi yamaKhalebi. Njalo iZikhilagi siyitshisile.”

15 UDavida wambuza wathi, “Ungangisa kulelixuku elihlaselayo na?”

Waphendula wathi, “Funga kimi phambi kukaNkulunkulu ukuthi kawuyikungibulala kumbe unginikele enkosini yami, besengikusa-ke kubo.”

16 Wakhokhela uDavida, bababona begcwele indawana yonke, besidla, benatha njalo bejabula ngenxa yobunengi bempango ababeyithumbile elizweni lamaFilistiya kanye lakoJuda. 17 UDavida walwa labo kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwahlwa ngelanga elilandelayo, njalo kakho owabo owaphunyukayo ngaphandle kwamajaha angamakhulu amane agada amakamela abaleka. 18 UDavida wakuthatha njalo konke okwakuthunjwe ngama-Amaleki kanye labomkakhe ababili. 19 Akukho lutho olwaswelakalayo: omutsha kumbe omdala, umfana kumbe inkazana, impango kumbe olunye nje ulutho ababeluthethe. UDavida wabuyisa konke. 20 Wathatha izimvu zonke lenkomo, abantu bakhe baziqhuba ziphambi kwezinye izifuyo, besithi, “Le yimpango kaDavida.”

21 Emva kwalokho uDavida wafika ebantwini abangamakhulu amabili ababedinwe kakhulu baze behluleka ukumlandela ababesele emuva eDongeni lwaseBhesori. Baphuma bahlangabeza uDavida kanye labantu ababelaye. Kwathi uDavida esesondela labantu bakhe, wababingelela. 22 Kodwa bonke abantu ababi labahlokozi bohlupho abaphakathi kwabalandeli bakaDavida, bathi, “Ngenxa yokuthi kabahambanga lathi kasiyikwabelana labo impango esiyithumbileyo. Kodwa yileyo laleyo indoda ingathatha umkayo labantwabayo ihambe.”

23 UDavida waphendula wathi, “Hatshi, bafowethu, akumelanga lenzenjalo ngalokho uThixo asiphe khona. Usivikele wawanikela kithi amabutho abesihlasela. 24 Pho ngubani ozalalela lokhu elikutshoyo na? Isabelo somuntu osele lempahla sizafana lesalowo ohambileyo ekulweni impi. Bonke bazakwabelwa ngokufanayo.” 25 UDavida wenza lokhu kwaba yisimiso lomthetho ko-Israyeli kusukela ngalelolanga kuze kube yileli.

26 UDavida esefikile eZikhilagi, wathumela enye impango ebadaleni bakoJuda, ababengabangane bakhe, esithi, “Nansi isipho senu esivela empangweni yezitha zikaThixo.”

27 Wayithumela kulabo ababeseBhetheli, leRamothi Negebi leJathiri, 28 lakulabo abase-Aroweri, eSifimothi, e-Eshithemowa 29 leRakhali; kulabo ababesemizini yamaJerameli lamaKheni. 30 Kulabo ababeseHoma, eBhori-Ashani, e-Athakhi 31 laseHebhroni; lakubo ababekuzo zonke ezinye izindawo lapho uDavida labantu bakhe ababeke bazulazula kuzo.