Eyokuqala KaSamuweli 31:1-13
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USawule noonyana bakhe abathathu bayafa (1-13)
31 AmaFilisti ayesilwa noSirayeli.+ Amadoda akwaSirayeli awabaleka amaFilisti, yaye amaninzi kuwo abulawa kwiNtaba YeGilbhowa.+
2 AmaFilisti aleqa uSawule noonyana bakhe, aza axabela uYonatan,+ uAbhinadabhi noMaleki-shuwa, oonyana bakaSawule.+
3 Umlo kunye noSawule waba shushu, ibe abatoli bamfumana baza bamenzakalisa.+
4 Emva koko uSawule wathi kumphathi wezixhobo zakhe: “Rhola ikrele lakho undihlabe ngalo, ukuze la madoda angolukanga+ angezi andihlabe andingcungcuthekise.”* Kodwa umphathi wezixhobo zakhe wala, kuba wayesoyika kakhulu. Ngoko uSawule wathatha ikrele waza waziwisa phezu kwalo.+
5 Wathi umphathi wezixhobo zikaSawule akubona ukuba uSawule ufile,+ naye waziwisa phezu kwekrele lakhe waza wafa.
6 Ngoko uSawule noonyana bakhe abathathu, umphathi wezixhobo zakhe, nawo onke amadoda akhe, bafa bonke ngaloo mini.+
7 Bathi abantu bakwaSirayeli ababekummandla osentlanjeni* nababekummandla weYordan bakubona ukuba amadoda akwaSirayeli abalekile, nokuba uSawule noonyana bakhe bafile, bazishiya izixeko babaleka.+ Afika ke amaFilisti ahlala kuzo.
8 Ngengomso, xa amaFilisti athatha izinto kwabo babuleweyo, afika uSawule noonyana bakhe abathathu bequngquluze eNtabeni YeGilbhowa.+
9 Ngoko amnqumla intloko uSawule, athatha nezixhobo zakhe aza athumela ezo ndaba kulo lonke ilizwe lamaFilisti+ nakwizindlu* zoothixo bawo+ nakubo bonke abantu.
10 Emva koko bazibeka izixhobo zakhe endlini yemifanekiso ka-Ashtoreti, isidumbu sakhe basixhoma kudonga lwaseBhete-shan.+
11 Bathi abemi baseYabheshe-giliyadi+ bakuyiva into eyayenziwe ngamaFilisti kuSawule,
12 onke amagorha ahamba ubusuku bonke ayokothula isidumbu sikaSawule nezidumbu zoonyana bakhe kudonga lwaseBhete-shan. Abuya nezo zidumbu aza azitshisela eYabheshe.
13 Emva koko athatha amathambo abo,+ awangcwabela phantsi komthi wetamariske eYabheshe,+ aza azila ukutya iintsuku ezisixhenxe.
