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.”
Saulo Tufu Kohanii Nobo rote
1 Dawidi pavote ni 'bakici Gata roya ago oyite ni nasi le kugyi se 'ba'desi Adulama ro lomvo ana ya. Ago ondro ädrupii ndaro ndi katidri cini täpi ndaro robe keri tana te oko, ànya oyiyite lau ndare. 2 Ago 'dicini se rriti be, ago se cini yuŋgu be, ndi se cini tusuro be, otoyikalate ndare; ago nda a'dote dri'ba ro ànyari. Ago lidri se nda be orivoya oso kama su (400) ronye.
3 Dawidi oyite ni nasi Mizipa se Moaba ya ana ya; ago nda atate 'bädri'ba Moaba ro ri ekye: “Molo'baru miri mi'ba täpi maro ndi endre maro be kikyi orine mibe, madale mäni tase Lu kolebe oyene märi lutu.” 4 Ago nda e'be ànya te 'bädri'ba Moaba robe, ago ànya riyite nda be tu gi cini Dawidi koribe kugyi ya ana si.
5 'Dooko nebi Gada atate Dawidi ri ekye: “Miri ko kugyi ya; nyoyi, 'bädri Yuda roya.” Ndi Dawidi oyite, ago oyite le vocoko Erete roya.
6 Ago Saulo eri tate ekye äni vose Dawidi ndi lidri se nda be ana be kigye ana te. 'Dooko Saulo orivoya Gibea ya, ce titi ro zele votoŋgoro dri, äzu ndaro be drì ndaro ya, ago ruindu'bai cini ndaro edrevoya nda lomvosi. 7 Ago Saulo atate ruindu'bai ndaro se kedrebe nda lomvosi kai ri ekye: “Nyèri, ami Benjamina'bai, inye'do Dawidi ozona lowo gindi ämvu kono robe ami cini riya? Inye'do nda o'bana ami gindi otaozo'bai ro kutui dri ago kamai dri ya? 8 Inye'do ni vo amiro cini nyäyi tate malomvo woya? Ŋgwa maro kabe taäyi Dawidi be, 'diaza alo iti tana kote märi, aza alo amiro i'do tusuro ta maro ta, ca iti ta kote märi anjioko ŋgwa maro eŋga ya ruindu'ba maro Dawidi rote malomvo, ma okwane, le tu ono si ono.”
9 'Dooko Doege Edoma'ba, se kedrebe ruindu'bai Saulo ro lomvosi ana atate ekye: “Mandre Dawidi te ikyivoya Nobo ya Aimeleke ŋgwa Aituba ro re, 10 ago Aimeleke eji OPI te tase oyene Dawidi ri ta, ago nda ozo ŋgaonya te ndäri, ago ozo bando Goliyata Felesete'ba rote ndäri.”
11 'Dooko 'bädri'ba zo lazote kohani Aimeleke, ŋgwa Aituba ro vo ndi katidri cini täpi ndaro robe, se kpa orivoya kohanii ro Nobo ya ana, ago vo ànyaro cini ikyite 'bädri'ba re. 12 Ago Saulo atate Aimeleke ri ekye: “Nyeri, Aimeleke.”
Ago nda zatadrite ekye: “Ma begi ono, opi maro.”
13 'Dooko Saulo atate ndäri ekye: “Tana e'di mi ndi Dawidi be nyäyi tate malomvo niya? Tana e'di nyozo ambata ndi bando be te Dawidi ri ago nyeji Lu kpate ta ndaro ta niya? Yauono nda ŋgate mädri, ma okwane, gile tu ono si ono.”
14 'Dooko Aimeleke zatadri 'bädri'ba rote ekye: “Inye'do ruindu'bai cini miro lakosi a'di ni ta'diri'ba ro oso Dawidi, se kodrogo 'bädri'ba ro, ago se dri'ba vookwa'bai ro, ago orooro ro zo miro ya ono ronye niya? 15 Inye'do ono ni tu käti maro Lu eji ro ta ndaro ta ya? Hwa! Mi opi 'bädri'ba maro mi'ba ta aza ko ma ruindu'ba miro be kode katidri cini täpi maro robe; tana ma ruindu'ba miro mäni ta aza ko tase cini ono ta ca giṛiŋwa na.”
16 Ago 'bädri'ba atate ekye: “Aimeleke, beṛo miri odrane, mi ndi katidri cini täpi miro robe.” 17 Ago 'bädri'ba atate ruindu'bai ndaro se kedrebe nda lomvosi kai ri ekye: “Nyòyi ago mìfu kohanii OPI ro. Tana ànya äyi yi tate orivoya Dawidi be, ànya niyite nda mute, ago peyi tana kote märi.” Oko ruindu'bai 'bädri'ba ro gayizo drì ànyaro eŋgane kohanii OPI ro ufune. 18 'Dooko 'bädri'ba atate Doege ri ekye: “Nyòyi mìfu kohanii OPI ro.” Ago Doege Edoma'ba oyite ago tufu kohanii OPI ro te. Ago tu ana si nda tufu kohanii se koso boŋgo gajuṛuŋwa kätätidri ro be te 'butenjidriena fonji (85). 19 Ago Nobo, 'bakici kohanii roya, Saulo 'ba otoga ŋgase cini kigye te bando si; mànoago ndi 'ditoko be, ŋgàgaŋwa ndi ŋgwàluruŋwa se drì ya be, tii, doŋgyii ndi timele yibe nda tufu ànya te kpeye.
20 Oko alo aza ŋgwàagoro Aimeleke ŋgwa Aituba ro ro, ävuruna Abiatara pavote ago mute Dawidi re. 21 Ago Abiatara iti tase Saulo kufu kohanii OPI robe ana tana te Dawidi ri. 22 Ndi Dawidi atate Abiatara ri ekye: “Tu ana si mandre Doege Edoma'ba be orivoya lau, mäni ndi anjioko nda ka oye ta itine Saulo ri. Ta maro si äfu lidri cini katidri zo täpi miro rote. 23 Miri mabe, ago nyuturi ko. Saulo le mi ndi mabe ufune riti, oko mirina ndi liatokpero mabe.”