Eyokuqala KaSamuweli 18:1-30
18 Wathi nje akugqiba uDavide ukuthetha noSawule, uYonatan+ noDavide bangabahlobo abasenyongweni,* yaye uYonatan wamthanda kanye ngendlela azithanda ngayo yena.*+
2 Ukususela ngaloo mini, uSawule wamgcina kuye uDavide, akamvumela ukuba abuyele endlini katata wakhe.+
3 Waza uYonatan noDavide benza isivumelwano,+ kuba wayemthanda kanye ngendlela azithanda ngayo yena.*+
4 UYonatan wasikhulula isambatho esingenamikhono awayesinxibile waza wasinika uDavide, wamnika nesambatho sakhe semfazwe, ikrele lakhe, isaphetha sakhe nebhanti lakhe.
5 UDavide waqalisa ukuphuma ayokulwa iimfazwe, yaye wayesoloko ephumelela*+ naphi na apho athunyelwe khona nguSawule. Ngoko uSawule wamenza intloko yamadoda emfazwe,+ yaye bonke abantu babeyivuyela loo nto, nkqu nezicaka zikaSawule.
6 Xa uDavide nabanye bevela kuxabela amaFilisti, abafazi babephuma kuzo zonke izixeko zakwaSirayeli becula+ yaye bedanisa, behlangabeza uKumkani uSawule. Babesiza bedlala amagubu+ neziginkci, bevuya.
7 Aba bafazi babebhiyoza babecula besithi:
“USawule uxabele amawaka akhe,Yena uDavide amashumi amawaka akhe.”+
8 USawule waba lugcwabevu ngumsindo,+ imcaphukisa nale ngoma, kuba wayesithi: “Banike uDavide amashumi amawaka, mna bandinika amawaka. Sekusele nje ukuba bamenze ukumkani!”+
9 Ukususela ngaloo mini, uSawule wayesoloko emgxeleshile uDavide.
10 Ngemini elandelayo uThixo wamyeka uSawule wafikelwa ngumoya ombi,+ waza waqalisa ukwenza izinto ezothusayo* ngaphakathi endlini, ngoxa uDavide wayedlala umculo ngohadi+ njengesiqhelo. USawule wayephethe umkhonto.+
11 Wajula umkhonto+ kuDavide esithi: ‘Ndiza kumdibanisa nodonga uDavide!’ Kodwa yena wabaleka kwada kwakabini.
12 Emva koko, uSawule wamoyika uDavide kuba uYehova wayemxhasa+ kodwa emshiyile uSawule.+
13 Ngenxa yoko uSawule wamsusa phambi kwakhe, wamenza umphathi wamajoni akhe.* Ngoko uDavide wayekhokela umkhosi xa kusiyiwa emfazweni.*+
14 UDavide waphumelela*+ kuyo yonke into ayenzayo, yaye uYehova wayemxhasa.+
15 Wathi uSawule akubona ukuba uDavide wayephumelela kakhulu, wamoyika.
16 Kodwa wonke uSirayeli noYuda babemthanda uDavide, kuba wayebakhokela xa kusiyiwa emfazweni.
17 Ethubeni uSawule wathi kuDavide: “Nantsi intombi yam endala uMerabhi.+ Ndiza kukunika yena abe ngumfazi wakho.+ Kodwa ke, umele uhlale unesibindi, uze ulwe iimfazwe zikaYehova.”+ Nantsi into awayezixelele yona uSawule: ‘Mandingalwi naye. Makabulawe ngamaFilisti.’+
18 Wathi ke uDavide kuSawule: “Apha kwaSirayeli ndingubani na mna nezizalwana zam, eziyintsapho katata, ukuba ndingade ndibe ngumkhwenyana kakumkani?”+
19 Lathi lakufika ixesha lokuba uSawule anike uDavide uMerabhi intombi yakhe, wabe sele etshatiselwe kuAdriyeli+ umMehola.
20 UMikali,+ intombi kaSawule, wayemthanda uDavide, waza wayichazelwa uSawule loo nto, ibe yamvuyisa.
21 Ngoko uSawule wathi: “Ndiza kumnika yena ukuze abe ngumgibe kuye, nokuze isandla samaFilisti sibe phezu kwakhe.”+ USawule waphinda wathi kuDavide: “Uza kwendiselana nam* namhlanje.”
22 Wayalela nezicaka zakhe esithi: “Thethani noDavide ecaleni nithi, ‘Jonga! Ukumkani uyakholwa nguwe, yaye zonke izicaka zakhe ziyakuthanda. Ngoko ke yendiselana nokumkani.’”
23 Xa izicaka zikaSawule zaxelela uDavide loo nto, wathi: “Yinto engenamsebenzi na kuni ukwendiselana nokumkani, ekubeni ndiyindoda elihlwempu nejongelwe phantsi?”+
24 Izicaka zikaSawule zabuyela kuye zathi: “Nantsi into ethethwe nguDavide.”
25 Wathi uSawule: “Nimele nithi kuye, ‘Ukumkani akafuni lobola,+ kodwa ufuna amajwabi ayi-100+ amaFilisti, ukuze aziphindezelele kwiintshaba zakhe.’” USawule ke wayecebe ukuba uDavide abulawe ngamaFilisti.
26 Izicaka zakhe zayokumxelela uDavide, naye wakuvuyela ukwendiselana nokumkani.+ Lathi lingekapheli ixesha awayelibekelwe,
27 uDavide wahamba namadoda akhe baza babulala amadoda angamaFilisti ayi-200, yaye uDavide wawazisa amajwabi awo onke kukumkani, ukuze endiselane nokumkani. Ngoko uSawule wamnika uMikali intombi yakhe waba ngumfazi wakhe.+
28 USawule wabona ukuba uYehova uyamxhasa uDavide,+ yaye nentombi yakhe uMikali yayimthanda.+
29 Le nto yamenza uSawule wamoyika kakhulu uDavide, waza uSawule waba lutshaba lwakhe ubomi bakhe bonke.+
30 Zazihamba ke ziyokulwa iinkosana zamaFilisti, yaye qho xa ziphuma, uDavide wayephumelela* azodlule izicaka zikaSawule,+ yaye igama lakhe lathathelwa phezulu.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “njengomphefumlo wakhe.”
^ Okanye “umphefumlo kaYonatan wabophana nomphefumlo kaDavide.”
^ Okanye “njengomphefumlo wakhe.”
^ Okanye “esenza ngobulumko.”
^ Okanye “ukuzenza umprofeti.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “wayephuma engena phambi kwabantu.”
^ Okanye “intloko yewaka lakhe.”
^ Okanye “wenza ngobulumko.”
^ Okanye “Uza kuba ngumkhwenyana wam.”
^ Okanye “wayesenza ngobulumko.”
