1 Samuweli 13

₁Sawula abeneminyaka lengema-30, nakabekwa kuba yinkhosi, wabusa sive sema-Israyeli iminyaka lengema-42. ₂Sawula wakhetsa emadvodza aka-Israyeli lati-3 000; lati-2 000 abenaye eMikmashi naseveni letintsaba laseBetheli, kwatsi inkhulungwane yaba naJonathani eGibeya yakaBhenjamini. Lawa lamanye emadvodza wawancandzekisa, aya emakhaya awo.

₃Jonathani wahlasela inkambu yemaFilisti eGeba, wayehlula; emaFilisti akuva loko. Sawula wase ushaya impalampala kulo lonkhe live, atsi: “EmaHebheru akeve!” ₄Ngako onkhe ema-Israyeli ayiva lendzaba, nakutsiwa: “Sawula uhlasele inkambu yemaFilisti wayehlula, manje-ke ema-Israyeli asasikhubekiso kumaFilisti.” Sonkhe sive samenyetwa, sayawuhlangana naSawula eGilgali.

₅EmaFilisti nawo ahlangana ayakulwa na-Israyeli, aba netincola letatiti-3 000 nebagibeli bemahhashi lababeti-6 000, nemabutfo labemanyenti angangesihlabatsi saselwandle. Enyuka ayawumisa eMikmashi, emphumalanga neBhethi Aveni. ₆Atsi kube emadvodza aka-Israyeli abone kutsi simo sawo sasisibi kakhulu, kantsi futsi abesabandzetelekile, abese abhaca emigedzeni, nasetincumatsini, nasemifantfwini yemadvwala, nasemigodzini, nasemitfonjeni. ₇Lamanye emaHebheru adzimate ewela nemfula iJordane aya eveni lakaGadi nelakaGileyadi.

Sawula wahlala khona eGilgali kanye nemabutfo akhe onkhe labemlandzela, atfutfumela ngenca yekwesaba. ₈Wamlindzela Samuweli lapho emalanga lasikhombisa, njengobe Samuweli abeshito. Kodvwa Samuweli akazange efike lapha eGilgali, ngako lamadvodza abenaSawula acala kusakateka. ₉Sawula watsi: “Ngiletseleni umhlatjelo wekushiswa kanye nemnikelo wekuthula.” Sawula wanikela ngemnikelo wekushiswa. ₁₀Watsi nakacedza nje kwenta umnikelo wekushiswa, wefika Samuweli. Sawula waphuma wayakumhlangabeta, wafike wambingelela.

₁₁Samuweli wambuta watsi: “Sewenteni manje?”

Sawula wamphendvula watsi: “Ngitsite kube ngibone kutsi emadvodza asayasakateka, nekutsi nawe awusefikanga ngalesikhatsi bewusibekile, nekutsi futsi emaFilisti asahlanganele eMikmashi, ₁₂ngase ngicabanga ngitsi: ‘Manje emaFilisti asatakwehla atengihlasela lapha eGilgali, kantsi bengisengakathandazi ngatincusela kuSimakadze.’ Ngako ngitivele ngiphocelekile kutsi nginikele ngalomhlatjelo wekushiswa.”

₁₃Samuweli wamphendvula watsi: “Lentfo loyentile ibulima. Awukawugcini umyalo waSimakadze Nkulunkulu wakho lakunika wona. Kube bewukwentile loko, ngabe lombuso wakho etikwa-Israyeli uwusimise, wema kokuphela. ₁₄Kodvwa manje umbuso wakho ungeke usakhonsa; Simakadze sewutifunele indvodza yenhlitiyo yakhe, wayibeka kutsi ibe ngumholi walesive sakhe, ngobe wena awukawugcini umyalo wakhe.”

₁₅Samuweli wesuka eGilgali wenyuka waya eGibeya kaBhenjamini, Sawula wasala wabala onkhe lamadvodza labenawo. Wakhandza kutsi abengaba ngema-600.

₁₆BoSawula naJonathani, umsa wakhe, kanye nalamadvodza labenawo bahlala eGeba kulakaBhenjamini, kantsi emaFilisti abeseloku akambe eMikmashi. ₁₇EmaFilisti aphuma ayawuhlasela ngemacembu lamatsatfu: Lelinye lacondza ngase-Ofra endzaweni yaseShuwali. ₁₈Lelinye lacondza ngaseBhethi Horoni, kwase kutsi leli lesitsatfu lacondza ngasemnyeleni lobheke ngaseTsafeni laseSeboyimu, kubheka ngasehlane.

₁₉Kwakute ngisho nome munye umbumbi wensimbi labengatfolakala kulo lonkhe live laka-Israyeli, ngobe emaFilisti abetsite: “EmaHebheru angahle akhe tinkemba netikhali!” ₂₀Ngako onkhe ema-Israyeli aphoceleka kutsi ehle aye kumaFilisti kuyawulola tikhali temakhuba ekulima netingejazembe, nemazembe, nemasikela awo. ₂₁Intsengo yekulola tikhali temakhuba ekulima netingejazembe kwaba yisiliva lengemagremu labengaba siphohlongo; kwase kutsi kulola timfologo nemazembe kanye nemizaca yensimbi kwaba yisiliva lengemagremu labengaba mane.

₂₂Ngalelo langa lemphi, kute nalinye lisotja lelalinaSawula naJonathani lelalinenkemba nome sikhali esandleni salo, ngaphandle kwaboSawula naJonathani, umsa wakhe, lababenako.

₂₃Licembu lelitsite lemaFilisti laphakwa laya emsahweni waseMikmashi.