Eyokuqala KaSamuweli 14:1-52
14 Ngenye imini uYonatan,+ unyana kaSawule, wathi kwisicaka esasithwele izixhobo zakhe: “Yiza, masiwelele enkampini yamaFilisti engaphesheya phaya.” Kodwa akazange amchazele utata wakhe.
2 USawule wayehleli kummandla ongaphandle kweGibheya+ phantsi komthi werharnati, eMigron. Wayekunye namadoda amalunga ne-600.+
3 (Iefodi+ yayinxitywa nguAhiya unyana ka-Ahitubhi,+ umntakwaboIkabhode,+ unyana kaFinehasi,+ unyana kaEli,+ umbingeleli kaYehova waseShilo.)+ Abantu babengazi ukuba uYonatan uhambile.
4 Phakathi kweengxingwa awayefuna ukuwela kuzo uYonatan, aye kwinkampu yamaFilisti, kwakukho iliwa elifana nezinyo kweli cala, neliwa elifana nezinyo nakwelinye icala. Igama lelinye yayiyiBhotsetse elinye kusithiwa yiSene.
5 Elinye iliwa laliyintsika engasemntla ejonge eMikimashe, elinye lingasemzantsi lijonge eGebha.+
6 Ngoko uYonatan wathi kumphathi wezixhobo zakhe: “Yiza masiwelele kwinkampu yala madoda angolukanga.+ Mhlawumbi uYehova uza kusinceda, kuba akukho nto inokuma endleleni kaYehova ukuba asindise ngabaninzi okanye ngabambalwa.”+
7 Umphathi wezixhobo zakhe wathi kuye: “Yenza loo nto isentliziyweni yakho. Yiya apho ufuna ukuya khona, mna ndiza kuya apho intliziyo yakho ithi yiya khona.”
8 UYonatan wathi: “Masiwelele kulaa madoda, aze asibone.
9 Ukuba athi kuthi, ‘Yimani apho, siyeza!’ siza kuma kuloo ndawo sikuyo, singenyuki siye kuwo.
10 Kodwa ukuba athe, ‘Nyukani nize kuthi!’ siza kunyuka, yaye loo nto iza kuba luphawu+ lokuba uYehova uza kuwanikela kuthi.”
11 Emva koko bobabini baziveza enkampini yamaFilisti. AmaFilisti athi: “Jongani! Nanga amaHebhere ephuma emingxunyeni ebezimele kuyo.”+
12 Ngoko amadoda asenkampini athetha noYonatan kunye nomphathi wezixhobo zakhe athi: “Yizani apha, siza kunifundisa isifundo!”+ Ngoko nangoko uYonatan wathi kumphathi wezixhobo zakhe: “Ndilandele, kuba uYehova uza kuwanikela esandleni sikaSirayeli.”+
13 UYonatan wagwencela iliwa, umphathi wezixhobo zakhe emlandela. UYonatan wawahlasela amaFilisti, yaye umphathi wezixhobo zakhe wayewagqibezela emva kwakhe, ewabulala.
14 Xa uYonatan nomphathi wezixhobo zakhe babehlasela okokuqala, babulala amadoda amalunga ne-20 kumgama omalunga nehafu yendima kwiakile yentsimi.*
15 Bonke abantu abasenkampini boyika kakhulu kuquka nabo basenkampini esendle. Kwanamajoni+ ayesoyika. Kwaqalisa inyikima, waza uThixo wabenza badyuduzela bonke.
16 Oonogada bakaSawule ababeseGibheya+ yakwaBhenjamin basibona esi siphithiphithi sasisenzeka kuyo yonke loo nkampu.+
17 USawule wathi kubantu ababekunye naye: “Ndicela nibale abantu, nibone ukuba ngubani ongekhoyo.” Xa babalayo, babona ukuba uYonatan nomphathi wezixhobo zakhe abekho.
18 Ngoko uSawule wathi kuAhiya:+ “Sondeza ityeya kaThixo wokwenene!” (Kuba ngelo xesha,* ityeya kaThixo wokwenene yayiphakathi kwamaSirayeli.)
19 Ngoxa uSawule wayesathetha nombingeleli, isiphithiphithi esasisenkampini yamaFilisti sasisiya siqatsela. Ngoko uSawule wathi kumbingeleli: “Yeka loo nto uyenzayo.”*
20 USawule nabo bonke abantu ababekunye naye baqokelelana baya edabini. Apho bafika amaFilisti exabelene, kusisiphithiphithi nje.
21 NamaHebhere awayengakwicala lamaFilisti nawayenyuke nawo, awelela kuSirayeli owayekunye noSawule noYonatan.
22 Onke amadoda akwaSirayeli awayezimele+ kummandla weentaba wakwaEfrayim, eva ukuba amaFilisti abalekile. Asuka nawo aleqisa angenelela idabi.
23 Ngoko uYehova wamsindisa uSirayeli ngaloo mini,+ ibe nedabi layokutsho naseBhete-aven.+
24 Kodwa amadoda akwaSirayeli ayetyhafile ngaloo mini, kuba uSawule wayebafungisile abantu, esithi: “Uqalekisiwe umntu otya nantoni na* ngaphambi kokuba kuhlwe nangaphambi kokuba ndiziphindezelele ezintshabeni zam!” Ngoko akuzange kubekho mntu utyayo ngaloo mini.+
25 Umkhosi wonke* wayokufika ehlathini, ibe kwakugcwele ubusi phantsi.
26 Xa abantu befika ehlathini, babona kuvuza ubusi, kodwa akukho kwamntu owabungcamlayo, kuba abantu babesoyika isifungo.
27 Kodwa uYonatan wayengevanga xa utata wakhe wayefungisa abantu,+ ngoko wolula intonga eyayisesandleni sakhe. Wathi nkxu ngencam kubusi wangcamla, watsho wadlamka.*
28 Elinye ijoni lathi: “Utata wakho ubafungisile abantu wathi, ‘Uqalekisiwe umntu otyayo namhlanje!’”+ Yiloo nto abantu betyhafe kangaka.
29 Kodwa ke, uYonatan wathi: “Utata ulizisele intlungu yodwa* ilizwe. Jonga indlela endidlamke ngayo* kuba ndingcamle le ntwana yobusi.
30 Ngekungcono kakhulu ukuba namhlanje abantu bebekhululekile batya+ kwizinto abazithathe kwiintshaba zabo! Ngesibulele amaFilisti amaninzi kakhulu kunoku.”
31 Ngaloo mini bawaxabela amaFilisti ukusuka eMikimashe ukuya eAyalon,+ baza abantu baphela kukudinwa.
32 Ngoko abantu bazitsibela ngokubawa zonke izinto zamaFilisti, bathatha iigusha neenkomo namathole eenkomo bazixhelela apho. Batya loo nyama nkqu negazi layo.+
33 Ngoko kwathiwa kuSawule: “Jonga! Abantu bayamona uYehova, kuba batya inyama negazi layo.”+ Wathi ke yena: “Khange nithembeke. Qengqelani ngakum ngokukhawuleza ilitye elikhulu.”
34 USawule wathi: “Yiyani kubo bonke abantu, nize nithi kubo, ‘Mntu ngamnye makeze nenkunzi yakhe yenkomo, negusha yakhe, nizixhelele phezu kweli litye, nizitye. Sanukumona uYehova ngokutya inyama kunye negazi.’”+ Ngoko mntu ngamnye weza nenkunzi yakhe yenkomo ngobo busuku baza bazixhelela apho.
35 USawule wamakhela isibingelelo uYehova.+ Sisibingelelo sokuqala eso awasakhela uYehova.
36 Ethubeni uSawule wathi: “Masiwaleqe ebusuku amaFilisti, soxuthe izinto zawo kude kube sekuseni, siwacime igama xa ewonke.” Bathi bona: “Yenza loo nto ilungileyo kuwe.” Emva koko umbingeleli wathi: “Masisondeleni kuThixo wokwenene kanye kule ndawo.”+
37 Waza uSawule wabuza kuThixo wathi: “Ndihle na, ndileqe amaFilisti?+ Uza kuwanikela na kuSirayeli?” Kodwa uThixo zange amphendule ngaloo mini.
38 Ngoko uSawule wathi: “Zinkosi zabantu, sondelani apha. Funani ukuba sesiphi esi sono senziweyo namhlanje.
39 Kuba njengokuba ephila uYehova osindise uSirayeli, nokuba kone uYonatan unyana wam, umele afe.” Kodwa abantu abazange bamphendule.
40 Emva koko wathi kuSirayeli: “Nina niza kuba kwelinye icala, mna noYonatan unyana wam, sibe kwelinye.” Bathi ke abantu kuSawule: “Yenza loo nto uyibona ilungile emehlweni akho.”
41 Emva koko uSawule wathi kuYehova: “Owu Thixo kaSirayeli, khawusiphendule ngeTumim!”+ Kwaphunywa noSawule noYonatan, baza abantu bayekwa.
42 Ngoku uSawule wathi: “Yenzani amaqashiso+ phakathi kwam noYonatan unyana wam.” Iqashiso laphuma noYonatan.
43 Emva koko uSawule wathi kuYonatan: “Ndixelele, wenze ntoni?” UYonatan wathi: “Ndingcamle nje intwana yobusi ngencam yentonga esesandleni sam.+ Ndim lo ke! Ndikulungele ukufa!”
44 Wathi uSawule: “Kwanga uThixo angandohlwaya aze ongeze, ukuba awufanga Yonatan.”+
45 Kodwa abantu bathi kuSawule: “Afe na uYonatan, lo umsindisileyo uSirayeli?+ Unotshe! Ephila nje uYehova, akukho nalunye unwele lwentloko yakhe oluza kuwela emhlabeni, kuba uncedwe nguThixo kuko konke akwenzileyo namhlanje.”+ Ngaloo ndlela, baba ke abantu bayamsindisa* uYonatan, akabulawa.
46 Ngoko uSawule wayeka ukuwaleqa amaFilisti, aza amaFilisti aya elizweni lawo.
47 USawule wabuqinisa ubukumkani kwaSirayeli, walwa nazo zonke iintshaba ezazimjikelezile. Walwa namaMowabhi,+ ama-Amoni,+ amaEdom,+ ookumkani baseTsobha+ namaFilisti.+ Naphi na apho wayesiya khona wayesoyisa.
48 Waba nesibindi, walwa nama-Amaleki, wawoyisa,+ wamkhulula uSirayeli kwiintshaba zakhe.
49 Oonyana bakaSawule yayinguYonatan, uIshvi noMaleki-shuwa.+ USawule wayeneentombi ezimbini. Igama lentombi endala yayinguMerabhi+ encinci inguMikali.+
50 Igama lomfazi kaSawule yayinguAhinowam intombi ka-Ahimahatse. Igama lentloko yomkhosi wakhe yayinguAbhinere+ unyana kaNere, umntakwabotata kaSawule.
51 UKishe+ wayengutata kaSawule. UNere+ utata ka-Abhinere wayengunyana ka-Abhiyeli.
52 Yonke imihla kaSawule kwakusoloko kusiliwa amadabi ashushu namaFilisti.+ Xa uSawule ebona nayiphi na indoda enamandla okanye eligorha, wayeyibizela emkhosini wakhe.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Ngokoqobo, “ispani sentsimi,” oku kuthetha umlinganiselo womhlaba onokulinywa ziinkabi zeenkomo ngosuku.
^ Ngokoqobo, “ngaloo mini.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “Buyisa isandla sakho.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “isonka.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “Wonke umhlaba.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “aqabuka amehlo akhe.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “aqabuke ngayo amehlo am.”
^ Okanye “ihlazo.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “bayamkhulula.”
