Eyokuqala KaSamuweli 23:1-29
23 Ekuhambeni kwexesha kwathiwa kuDavide: “AmaFilisti ahlasela iKeyila,+ yaye oxutha ukutya kumabala okubhula.”
2 Ngoko uDavide wabuza kuYehova+ wathi: “Ndihambe na ndiyokuwaxabela la maFilisti?” UYehova wathi kuye: “Hamba, uze uwaxabele amaFilisti, uyisindise iKeyila.”
3 Kodwa amadoda kaDavide athi kuye: “Jonga! Soyika ngoku silapha kwaYuda,+ siza kuba sathini ke xa siye eKeyila, kanye phambi komkhosi wamaFilisti!”+
4 Ngoko uDavide waphinda wabuza kuYehova.+ UYehova wathi: “Suka, yehla uye eKeyila ngenxa yokuba ndiza kuwanikela kuwe amaFilisti.”+
5 Wahamba ke uDavide namadoda akhe baya eKeyila waza walwa namaFilisti. Wathatha imfuyo yawo, waza wawaxabela, ebulala abantu abaninzi. Waba ke uDavide uyabasindisa abemi baseKeyila.+
6 Xa uAbhiyatare+ unyana ka-Ahimeleki wabalekela kuDavide eKeyila, wayephethe iefodi.
7 Kwathiwa kuSawule: “UDavide uye eKeyila.” USawule wathi: “UThixo umnikele kum.*+ Uzivalele ngokwakhe ngokuya kwisixeko esineegeyithi nemivalo.”
8 Ngoko uSawule wathumela bonke abantu emfazweni eKeyila, ukuze barhangqe uDavide namadoda akhe.
9 Xa uDavide weva ukuba uSawule uzimisele ukumenza into embi, wathi kuAbhiyatare umbingeleli: “Sondeza iefodi leyo.”+
10 Emva koko uDavide wathi: “Owu Yehova Thixo kaSirayeli, umkhonzi wakho uvile ukuba uSawule uzimisele ukuza eKeyila ukuze atshabalalise isixeko ngenxa yam.+
11 Ngaba iinkokheli* zaseKeyila ziza kundinikezela esandleni sakhe? Uza kuhla nyhani na uSawule njengokuba evile umkhonzi wakho? Owu Yehova Thixo kaSirayeli, ndicela umxelele umkhonzi wakho.” Wathi uYehova: “Uza kuhla.”
12 UDavide wabuza wathi: “Ngaba iinkokheli zaseKeyila ziza kundinikela kuSawule mna namadoda am?” UYehova wathi: “Ziza kukunikela kuye.”
13 Ngoko nangoko wesuka uDavide namadoda akhe, amadoda amalunga ne-600,+ bemka eKeyila baza bahamba behlala. Xa uSawule waxelelwa ukuba uDavide ubalekile eKeyila, wayeka ukumleqa.
14 UDavide wahlala entlango kwiindawo ekunzima ukufika kuzo, kummandla weentaba kwintlango yeZifi.+ USawule wayemaxhaphetshu emkhangela,+ kodwa uYehova zange amnikele kuye.
15 UDavide wayesazi ukuba* uSawule wayephumile ezingelana nobomi bakhe* ngoxa wayekwintlango yeZifi eHoreshi.
16 UYonatan unyana kaSawule waphuma waya kuDavide eHoreshi, waza wamnceda wathembela* ngoYehova.+
17 Wathi kuye: “Sukoyika, kuba uSawule utata akazukukufumana. Uza kuba ngukumkani kwaSirayeli,+ mna ke ndiza kuba ngowesibini emva kwakho, noSawule utata uyayazi loo nto.”+
18 Emva koko benza isivumelwano+ phambi koYehova. UDavide wahlala eHoreshi, yena uYonatan wagoduka.
19 Ekuhambeni kwexesha, abantu baseZifi benyuka baya kuSawule eGibheya,+ bathi: “UDavide akazifihlanga kufutshane nathi na,+ kwiindawo ekunzima ukufika kuzo eHoreshi,+ endulini kaHakila,+ kwicala elingasemazantsi* kweYeshimon?*+
20 Nanini na ufuna* ukwehla kumkani, ungeza, yaye thina siza kumnikela kuwe.”+
21 Wathi ke uSawule: “Kwanga anganisikelela uYehova, kuba niye nandivela.
22 Khanincede nihambe nize nifumane kanye le ndawo akuyo, nokuba ngubani na oye wambona, kuba ndixelelwe ukuba unamaqhinga kakhulu.
23 Khangelisisani nize niqiniseke ngeendawo azimela kuzo, emva koko nindiphathele ubungqina. Ndiza kutsho ndihambe nani, yaye ukuba ukho elizweni, ndiza kumbhuqa phantsi phezulu, phakathi kwawo onke amawaka akwaYuda.”*
24 Ngoko bahamba kuqala kunoSawule baya eZifi,+ ngoxa uDavide namadoda akhe babesentlango yaseMahon+ eArabha,+ ngasemazantsi kweYeshimon.
25 Emva koko uSawule namadoda akhe baya kumkhangela.+ Xa wayixelelwayo loo nto uDavide, wakhawuleza wehla waya eliweni+ waza wahlala kwintlango yaseMahon. Akuyiva loo nto uSawule, wamleqa uDavide wada wayokufika kwintlango yaseMahon.
26 Njengoko uSawule wayekweli cala lentaba, uDavide namadoda akhe babekwelinye icala. UDavide wanyusa isantya ukuze amshiye+ uSawule, kodwa uSawule namadoda akhe babethe nca emva kwakhe sele beza kumfumana, bambambe.+
27 Kodwa kwafika umthunywa kuSawule, esithi: “Khawuleza ubuye, kuba amaFilisti alihlasele ilizwe!”
28 Wayeka ke uSawule ukuleqa uDavide+ waza wayokulwa namaFilisti. Yiloo nto ke loo ndawo kwathiwa liLiwa Lezahlulo.
29 Emva koko uDavide wenyuka apho wayokuhlala e-En-gedi,+ kwiindawo ekunzima ukufika kuzo.
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Ngokoqobo, “umthengisele esandleni sam.”
^ Okanye kusenokwenzeka, “abanini-mhlaba.”
^ Okanye kusenokwenzeka, “wayesoyika ngenxa yokuba.”
^ Okanye “nomphefumlo wakhe.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “womeleza isandla sakhe.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “elingasekunene.”
^ Okanye kusenokwenzeka, “kwentlango.”
^ Okanye “umphefumlo wakho ufuna.”
^ Okanye “kwazo zonke iintsapho zakwaYuda.”
