KWAKHONA amaFilisti aze kulwa namaSirayeli. Ngoku abakhuluwa bakaDavide abathathu basemkhosini kaSawule. Ngoko ngamhla uthile uYese uthi kuDavide: ‘Khawuphathele abakhuluwa bakho ukutya okuziinkozo nezonka. Ubakhangele nokuba baphila njani na.’

Xa uDavide efika emkhosini, uya kuluhlu lwedabi aye kukhangela abakhuluwa bakhe. Ingxilimbela yomFilisti enguGoliyati iyeza ize kugculela amaSirayeli. Ibisenza le nto ntsasa nganye nangorhatya kangangeentsuku ezingama-40. Iyakhwaza isithi: ‘Nyulani indoda ibe nye kuni ize kulwa nam. Ukuba iyandoyisa ize indibulale, siya kuba ngabakhonzi benu. Kodwa ukuba ndiyayoyisa ndize ndiyibulale, niya kuba ngabakhonzi bethu. Ndithi kuni nyulani indoda eza kulwa nam.’

UDavide ubuza amanye amajoni: ‘Indoda ebulala lo mFilisti ize iwakhulule amaSirayeli kweli hlazo yofumana ntoni na?’

‘USawule wonika loo ndoda ubutyebi obuninzi,’ litsho elinye ijoni. ‘Yaye uya kuyinika intombi yakhe ukuba ibe ngumfazi wayo.’

Kodwa onke amaSirayeli ayamoyika uGoliyati kuba mkhulu gqitha. Umalunga neemitha ezintathu ubude, yaye kukho nelinye ijoni elimphathela ikhaka lakhe.

Amanye amajoni axelela uKumkani uSawule ukuba uDavide ufuna ukulwa noGoliyati. Kodwa uSawule uthi kuDavide: ‘Akunakulwa nalo mFilisti. Wena uyinkwenkwana nje, ke yena ubelijoni bonke ubomi bakhe.’ UDavide uyaphendula: ‘Ndibulele ibhere nengonyama ebezisimka nezimvu zikabawo. Yaye lo mFilisti uya kuba njengenye yazo. UYehova uya kundinceda.’ Ngoko uSawule uthi: ‘Hamba, ngamana uYehova anganawe.’

UDavide uya ngasemlanjeni aze achole amatye amahlanu agudileyo, awafake engxoweni yakhe. Uthabatha isilingi sakhe aze akhawulele loo ngxilimbela. Xa uGoliyati embona, akakholelwa. Ucinga ukuba koba lula gqitha ukubulala uDavide.

‘Yiza kum apha,’ utsho uGoliyati, ‘ndize ndiwunike iintaka neenyamakazi umzimba wakho.’ Kodwa uDavide uthi: ‘Wena uza kum unekrele, nentshuntshe, nomkhonto, ke mna ndiza kuwe egameni likaYehova. Namhlanje uYehova uya kukunikela ezandleni zam, ndikubulale.’

Emva koko uDavide uyabaleka uya kuGoliyati. Uthabatha ilitye engxoweni yakhe, alifake esilingini sakhe, aze adubule ngawo onke amandla akhe. Eli litye libetha uGoliyati entloko aze awe afe! Xa amaFilisti ebona ukuba intshatsheli yawo iwile, onke ayaphethuka aze abaleke. AmaSirayeli ayawasukela aze aphumelele edabini.