Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli 26:1-25
26 Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi amadoda aseZifi+ afika kuSawuli eGibheya+ athi kuye: “UDavida ucatshe eqaqeni lwaseHakhila olukhangele eJeshimoni.”*+
2 Ngakho uSawuli wasuka waya enkangala yaseZifi. Wahamba lamadoda angu-3 000 akhethwe ko-Israyeli bayadinga uDavida enkangala yaseZifi.+
3 USawuli wamisa inkamba yakhe eduze komgwaqo, eqaqeni lwaseHakhila oluphambi kweJeshimoni. Ngalesosikhathi uDavida wayehlala enkangala. Wezwa ukuthi uSawuli ulande ukuzomdinga enkangala,
4 yikho wathuma izinhloli ukuze akwazi ukuthi uSawuli ukhona sibili.
5 Ngemva kwesikhathi uDavida waya lapho uSawuli ayemise khona inkamba yakhe njalo wabona lapho okwakulele khona uSawuli lo-Abhineri+ indodana kaNeri, induna yebutho. USawuli wayelele phakathi kwenkamba, amabutho akhe emgombolozele.
6 UDavida wakhuluma lo-Ahimeleki umHithi+ lo-Abhishayi+ indodana kaZeruya,+ umfowabo kaJowabi wathi: “Ngubani ozahamba lami kuSawuli enkambeni?” U-Abhishayi waphendula wathi: “Ngizahamba lawe.”
7 Ngakho ebusuku uDavida lo-Abhishayi baya lapho okwakulamabutho khona. Bathola uSawuli elele phakathi kwenkamba, umkhonto wakhe ugwaze phansi eceleni kwekhanda lakhe. U-Abhineri lamabutho babelele bemgombolozele.
8 U-Abhishayi wathi kuDavida: “Lamuhla uNkulunkulu unikele isitha sakho esandleni sakho.+ Ngicela ungivumele ngimgwaze ngomkhonto ngimhlanganise lomhlabathi, ngizamgwaza kanye kuphela, angisoze ngiphinde.”
9 Kodwa uDavida wathi ku-Abhishayi: “Ungamenzi lutho. Kambe ngubani ongaphakamisa isandla sakhe ahlasele ogcotshiweyo kaJehova+ asale engelacala?”+
10 UDavida waqhubeka wathi: “Ngifunga ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ophilayo, uJehova nguye ozambulala+ kumbe ngelinye ilanga+ uzakufa njengabo bonke abantu loba aye empini afele khona.+
11 Angisoze ngiphakamise isandla sami ngihlasele ogcotshiweyo kaJehova+ ngoba lokho ngeke kumthokozise uJehova. Asithathe umkhonto lo oseceleni kwekhanda lakhe lesigubhu samanzi sihambe.”
12 UDavida wathatha umkhonto lesigubhu samanzi esasiseceleni kwekhanda likaSawuli basuka bahamba. Kakho owababonayo+ kumbe owabananzelelayo loba owaphaphamayo. Bonke babelele ngoba uJehova wayebenze bajunywa yibuthongo obukhulu.
13 UDavida wachapha waya kwelinye icele wayakuma esiqongweni sentaba khatshana labo. Kwakulomango omkhulu phakathi kwabo.
14 UDavida wamemeza amabutho lo-Abhineri+ indodana kaNeri wathi: “Abhineri, kanti awuphenduli!” U-Abhineri waphendula wathi: “Ungubani wena omemeza inkosi?”
15 UDavida wathi ku-Abhineri: “Kanti wena awusiyo ndoda yini? Kambe ngubani onjengawe ko-Israyeli? Manje kungani ungazange uyilinde inkosi yakho? Phela kulebutho elifikileyo lizobulala inkosi yakho.+
16 Okwenzileyo akulunganga. Ngifunga ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ophilayo, kumele life ngoba aliyilindanga inkosi yenu, ogcotshiweyo kaJehova.+ Akuthalaze indawo yonke ubone, ungaphi umkhonto wenkosi lesigubhu sayo samanzi+ obekuseceleni kwekhanda layo?”
17 USawuli wezwa ukuthi lilizwi likaDavida wasesithi: “Lilizwi lakho leli yini ndodana yami Davida?”+ UDavida waphendula wathi: “Ye lilizwi lami nkosi yami.”
18 Waqhubeka wathi: “Kanti kungani inkosi yami ixotshanisa inceku yayo?+ Kuyini engikwenzileyo? Ngenze cala bani?+
19 Nkosi yami, ngicela ulalele amazwi enceku yakho. Nxa kunguJehova okuthume ukuthi ungihlasele, kamukele umnikelo wami wamabele. Kodwa nxa kungabantu abakutshotshozelayo,+ labobantu kabaqalekiswe phambi kukaJehova ngoba lamuhla bangixotshile elifeni likaJehova,+ bathi kimi: ‘Hamba uyekhonza abanye onkulunkulu!’
20 Khathesi ngicela ukuthi ngingafeli khatshana loJehova. Phela inkosi yako-Israyeli iphume isiyadinga okuyisibungu okuncane okukodwa+ angathi ixotshanisa isikhwehle ezintabeni.”
21 USawuli waphendula wathi: “Ngonile,+ phenduka ndodana yami Davida. Angisoze ngikwenze lutho ngoba lamuhla utshengise ukuthi impilo yami iligugu kuwe.+ Ngenze ubuthutha sibili futhi ngiphambanise kakhulu.”
22 UDavida wathi: “Nanku umkhonto wenkosi. Akubuye ijaha elilodwa lizowuthatha.
23 UJehova nguye ozanika umuntu ngamunye umvuzo wokulunga kwakhe+ lokuthembeka kwakhe. Lamuhla uJehova ukunikele esandleni sami, kodwa bengingafuni ukuhlasela ogcotshiweyo kaJehova.+
24 Njengoba nje impilo yakho ibe ligugu kimi lamuhla, kwangathi lempilo yami ingaba ligugu kuJehova njalo angikhulule kuzo zonke inhlupho zami.”+
25 USawuli waphendula uDavida wathi: “Kwangathi ungabusiswa ndodana yami Davida. Uzakwenza izinto ezimangalisayo sibili futhi uzaphumelela kukho konke okwenzayo.”+ UDavida wasuka wahamba, uSawuli wabuyela emzini wakhe.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ Ezinye inguqulo zithi, “enkangala.”
