Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli 14:1-52
14 Ngelinye ilanga uJonathani+ indodana kaSawuli wathi encekwini eyayithwala izikhali zakhe: “Asichaphe siye emabuthweni amaFilisti angaphetsheya.” Kodwa kamtshelanga uyise.
2 USawuli wayehlala emaphethelweni eGibheya+ ngaphansi kwesihlahla samaharinathi eMigironi. Wayelamadoda angaba ngu-600.+
3 (U-Ahija indodana ka-Ahithubi+ umfowabo ka-Ikhabhodi+ indodana kaFiniyasi,+ indodana ka-Eli+ owayengumphristi kaJehova eShilo,+ nguye owayethwala i-efodi.)+ Abantu babengakwazi ukuthi uJonathani uhambile.
4 Indlela uJonathani ayefuna ukudlula ngayo ayefika emabuthweni amaFilisti yayiphahlwe ngamadwala amakhulu anjengamazinyo. Elinye lalibizwa ngokuthi yiBhozezi, elinye kuthiwa yiSene.
5 Elinye idwala lalisenyakatho futhi lalimi njengensika likhangele eMikhimashi, elinye liseningizimu likhangele eGebha.+
6 UJonathani wathi encekwini eyayimthwalela izikhali: “Asichaphe siye enkambeni yamadoda la angasokanga,+ engxenye uJehova uzasincedisa ngoba akulanto engavimba uJehova ukuthi asindise ngabanengi kumbe ngabalutshwana.”+
7 Inceku eyayimthwalela izikhali yaphendula yathi: “Yenza loba yini efunwa yinhliziyo yakho. Yana loba ngaphi ofuna ukuya khona, mina ngizakulandela lapho inhliziyo yakho ethi uye khona.”
8 UJonathani wasesithi: “Sizachapha siye emadodeni lawana sivele phambi kwawo ukuze asibone.
9 Nxa angathi kithi, ‘Manini khonapho size sifike kini,’ sizakuma lapho esiyabe sikhona singawalandi.
10 Kodwa nxa angathi, ‘Buyani lizokulwa lathi,’ sizahamba ngoba lokhu kuyabe kutshengisa+ ukuthi uJehova uzawanikela ezandleni zethu.”
11 Yikho bobabili baziveza emabuthweni amaFilisti. AmaFilisti athi: “Khangelani amaHebheru asephuma emilindini abecatshe kuyo.”+
12 Amabutho amaFilisti athi kuJonathani lenceku eyayimthwalela izikhali: “Buyani lapha silifundise isifundo!”+ UJonathani wahle wathi encekwini eyayimthwalela izikhali: “Ngilandela ngoba uJehova uzabanikela esandleni sama-Israyeli.”+
13 UJonathani wasekhwela eliweni ebambelela ngezandla, inceku eyayimthwalela izikhali imlandela. Waqalisa ukuwahlasela amaFilisti futhi inceku yakhe yayiwaqedisa ngemva kwakhe.
14 UJonathani lenceku eyayimthwalela izikhali bathi beqalisa ukuhlasela babulala amadoda angaba ngu-20 endaweni engalingana lobude bengxenye ye-ekha.*
15 Amabutho ayesenkambeni lalawo ayeseliweni esaba kakhulu, kwethuka lamaqembu amabutho ayephuma esiyahlasela kwezinye indawo.+ Umhlaba waqalisa ukuzamazama njalo uNkulunkulu wenza wonke amaFilisti athuthumela.
16 Abalindi bakaSawuli ababeseGibheya+ yakoBhenjamini babona ukuthi kwasekuloxokozela kuyo yonke inkamba yamaFilisti.+
17 USawuli wasesithi ebantwini ababelaye: “Ngicela libale abantu libone ukuthi ngubani ongekho.” Bababala, bananzelela ukuthi uJonathani lenceku eyayimthwalela izikhali yibo ababengekho.
18 USawuli wasesithi ku-Ahija:+ “Sondela lapha lebhokisi likaNkulunkulu weqiniso!” (Ngalesosikhathi* ibhokisi likaNkulunkulu weqiniso lalisebantwini bako-Israyeli.)
19 Ngesikhathi uSawuli ekhuluma lomphristi, umsindo wokuxokozela enkambeni yamaFilisti wawulokhu ukhula. Ngakho uSawuli wathi kumphristi: “Mana.”*
20 USawuli labantu ababelaye baqoqana bayakulwa lamaFilisti. Bathi befika bathola amaFilisti ebulalana wodwa futhi kulokuxokozela okukhulu.
21 LamaHebheru ayekade esekela amaFilisti futhi ayesenkambeni yawo aqala ukuwahlamukela amaFilisti, aya ebuthweni lama-Israyeli elalikhokhelwa nguSawuli loJonathani.
22 Wonke amadoda ako-Israyeli ayecatshe+ ezintabeni zako-Efrayimi ezwa ukuthi amaFilisti ayesebaleka, yikho lawo aphuma awaxotshanisa.
23 UJehova wabakhulula abako-Israyeli ngalelolanga+ futhi balwa baze bayafika eBhethi-aveni.+
24 Kodwa ngalelolanga amadoda ako-Israyeli alwa aze aphela amandla ngoba uSawuli wayefungise abantu wathi: “Uqalekisiwe umuntu ozakudla loba yini ilanga lingakatshoni futhi ngingakaphindiseli ezitheni zami!” Ngakho akulamuntu owafaka ulutho emlonyeni.+
25 Wonke amabutho angena eguswini athola kuloluju phansi.
26 Abona uluju lujuluka kodwa akulamuntu owaluthatha waludla ngoba babesesaba isifungo.
27 Kodwa uJonathani wayengamzwanga uyise efungisa abantu,+ yikho welula isandla sakhe wafaka isihloko sentonga yakhe phakathi koluju wasesidla, amehlo akhe aqala ukukhazimula.
28 Omunye umuntu wathi ebona lokho wamtshela wathi: “Uyihlo ufungise abantu wabaqonqosela wathi, ‘Uqalekisiwe umuntu ozakudla loba yini lamuhla!’+ Yikho abantu sebedinwe kangaka.”
29 Kodwa uJonathani wathi: “Ubaba usidalele uhlupho olukhulu elizweni. Khangelani ukuthi amehlo ami asekhazimula njani mina ngidle uluju oluncane nje.
30 Bekuzakuba ngcono aluba abantu bebevunyelwe ukuthi badle loba yini+ abayithumbileyo ezitheni zabo. Besizabulala amaFilisti amanengi ukwedlula esikwenze lamuhla.”
31 Ngalelolanga bawabulala amaFilisti kusukela eMikhimashi baze bayafika e-Ayijaloni,+ njalo abantu badinwa kakhulu.
32 Yikho baqalisa ukuhahabela impahla ababeyithumbile. Bahlaba izimvu lenkomo lamathole bakuhlinzela emhlabathini futhi badla inyama legazi layo.+
33 USawuli wabikelwa ukuthi abantu basebesona kuJehova ngokudla inyama legazi layo.+ USawuli wathi ekuzwa lokhu wathi: “Kalizange lithembeke. Phangisani ligiqele ilitshe elikhulu phambi kwami.”
34 USawuli wasesithi: “Sabalalani litshele abantu lithi, ‘Ngamunye wenu kumele abuye lenkunzi yakhe lemvu yakhe azoyibulalela lapha abeseyidla. Lingoni kuJehova ngokudla inyama legazi layo.’”+ Ngakho ngamunye wabo wabuya lenkunzi yakhe ngalobobusuku wazoyihlabela khonapho.
35 USawuli wakhela uJehova i-alithare.+ Leli kwakuli-alithare lokuqala alakhela uJehova.
36 USawuli wathi: “Asixotshaniseni amaFilisti ebusuku siwahlasele kuze kube sekuseni. Asisoze sitshiye loyedwa wabo ephila.” Abantu bathi: “Yenza loba yini oyibona iqondile.” Umphristi yena wathi: “Asibuzeni kuNkulunkulu weqiniso siseselapha.”+
37 USawuli wabuza kuNkulunkulu wathi: “Ngiwaxotshanise yini amaFilisti?+ Uzawanikela yini esandleni sama-Israyeli?” Kodwa mhlalokho uNkulunkulu kazange amphendule.
38 Ngakho uSawuli wathi: “Zonke izinduna zabantu kazibuye lapha sidinge ukuthi yisono bani esenziwe lamuhla.
39 Ngifunga ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ophilayo okhulule abako-Israyeli, lanxa kunguJonathani indodana yami kumele afe.” Kodwa akula loyedwa owamphendulayo.
40 USawuli waqhubeka wathi ebantwini bako-Israyeli: “Lina lizakuma kwelinye icele, mina lendodana yami uJonathani sime kwelinye icele.” Abantu basebesithi kuSawuli: “Yenza loba yini oyibona iqondile.”
41 USawuli wathi kuJehova: “Awu Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, siphendule ngeThumimi!”+ IThumimi yakhetha uJonathani loSawuli, kwakhanya ukuthi abantu abalacala.
42 USawuli wasesithi: “Yenzani inkatho+ ukuze kukhanye ukuthi olecala yimi kumbe yindodana yami uJonathani.” Inkatho yadla uJonathani.
43 USawuli wasesithi kuye: “Akungitshele ukuthi wenzeni.” UJonathani wathi: “Ngithethe uluju oluncane nje ngesihloko sentonga yami ngalunambitha.+ Ngizimisele ukufa!”
44 USawuli wasesithi: “UNkulunkulu kangijezise kakhulu nxa ungasabulawanga Jonathani.”+
45 Kodwa abantu bathi kuSawuli: “Kambe uJonathani sekumele abulawe sibili yena kunguye owenze abako-Israyeli banqoba kangaka?+ Hatshi bo! Sifunga ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ophilayo, akula lolulodwa unwele olusekhanda lakhe oluzawela emhlabathini ngoba nguNkulunkulu omncedisileyo kukho konke akwenzileyo lamuhla.”+ Abantu bamsindisa* ngaleyondlela uJonathani, yikho kazange abulawe.
46 Ngakho uSawuli wayekela ukuxotshanisa amaFilisti futhi amaFilisti abuyela elizweni lawo.
47 USawuli wawuqinisa umbuso wakhe kulo lonke elako-Israyeli futhi walwa lezitha zonke ezazimgombolozele. Walwa lamaMowabi,+ lama-Amoni,+ labako-Edomi,+ lamakhosi eZobha+ kanye lamaFilisti.+ Wayenqoba zonke izizwe ayesilwa lazo.
48 Waba lesibindi walwa lama-Amaleki+ wawanqoba, wakhulula abako-Israyeli kulabo ababebathwalise nzima.
49 Amadodana kaSawuli kwakunguJonathani lo-Ishivi loMalikhi-shuwa.+ Wayelamadodakazi amabili, endala kunguMerabi+ encane kunguMikhali.+
50 Inkosikazi kaSawuli kwakungu-Ahinowami indodakazi ka-Ahimazi. Induna yebutho likaSawuli kwakungu-Abhineri+ indodana kaNeri umfowabo kayise kaSawuli.
51 Uyise kaSawuli kwakunguKhishi+ futhi uNeri+ uyise ka-Abhineri wayezalwa ngu-Abhiyeli.
52 Kuzo zonke insuku zikaSawuli kwakuhlala kulezimpi ezinzima phakathi kwabako-Israyeli lamaFilisti.+ USawuli wayesithi engabona loba yiphi indoda elamandla futhi elesibindi ayifake ebuthweni lakhe.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “lengxenye yendima.” Lapha kutshiwo indima elinywa zinkabi ngelanga elilodwa.
^ NgesiHebheru, “Ngalelolanga.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “Susa isandla sakho.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “bamhlenga.”
