1 Samuweli 14

₁Ngalelinye lilanga Jonathani, umsa waSawula, wakhuluma kuloludzibi lolwaluphatsa tikhali takhe, watsi: “Kota sambe, siye kulenkambu yemaFilisti lapha ngesheya.” Noko akamtjelanga uyise.

₂Sawula abehleti emaphetselweni aseGibeya ngaphansi kwesihlahla semahananandza eMigroni. Abenemadvodza labengaba ngema-600, ₃emkhatsini wawo kwakuna-Ahiya labembatsa sidziya sebaphristi. Yena-ke abengumsa wemnakabo-Ikhabodi, Ahitubi, umsa waFinehasi, umsa wa-Eli, umphristi waSimakadze labeseShilo. Kute lowanaka kutsi Jonathani abesahambile.

₄Kulomsaho waseMikmashi, Jonathani abetawuhamba kuwo, kuze efike enkambu lapho kwakumise khona emaFilisti, kwakunemawa latihhehle amabili abukene: kuyiBhosesi neSene. ₅Liwa lelinye lalime ngasenyakatfo kuya ngaseMikmashi, bese kutsi leli lelinye lime ngaseningizimu kuya ngaseGeba.

₆Jonathani wakhuluma kuloludzibi lwakhe, watsi: “Kota sambe, siye kulenkambu lapho kumise khona labantfu labangakasoki. Mhlawumbe Simakadze utawuba ngakitsi. Kute lokungavimba Simakadze kutsi asimelele. Kute lokungaphatamisa Simakadze kutsi asisindzise ngebantfu labanyenti nome ngebantfu labambalwa.”

₇Loludzibi lwakhe lwatsi: “Yenta konkhe lokusengcondvweni yakho. Chubeka; ngikanye nawe ngenhlitiyo nangemphefumulo.”

₈Jonathani watsi: “Kota-ke; sitakwewela siye kulamadvodza khona atesibona. ₉Nangabe akhuluma kitsi atsi: ‘Manini lapho size sifike lapho kini,’ sitakuma lapho sikhona khona singayi kuwo. ₁₀Kodvwa nangabe atsi: ‘Wotani lapha kitsi,’ sitawukhuphuka, ngobe loko kutawuba sibonakaliso kutsi Simakadze ubanikele esandleni setfu.”

₁₁Ngako bahamba bobabili, bafike batibonakalisa enkambu yemaFilisti. EmaFilisti atsi: “Ase nibuke! EmaHebheru akhokhotela aphuma emigodzini labebhace kuyo.” ₁₂Emadvodza asenkambu amemeta Jonathani kanye neludzibi lwakhe, atsi: “Yenyukani nite lapha, sitanifundzisa sifundvo.”

Jonathani wase ukhuluma kuloludzibi lwakhe, watsi: “Yekhwela, ungilandzele; Simakadze ubanikele esandleni sema-Israyeli.”

₁₃Jonathani wekhwela, ahamba ngetinyawo, abambelela nangetandla, akanye neludzibi lwakhe lolwalumlandzela edvute. Jonathani wahlasela emaFilisti wawagwaza alala lucaca, ludzibi lwakhe solomane lumlandzela ngemuva nalo luwabulala. ₁₄Kuloko kuhlasela kwabo kwekucala Jonathani neludzibi lwakhe babulala emadvodza langaba ngema-20, endzaweni lelibanga lelingaba ngangemjikijelo.

₁₅Kutfutfumela kwahlasela onkhe emabutfo labesenkambu nalawo labesesigangeni, nalawo labesetichemeni kanye nalawo labehlasela, umhlaba watamatama. Lokutfutfumela kwaba shangatsi kutfunyelwe nguNkulunkulu.

₁₆Tinhloli takaSawula tatsi tiyabuka tiseseGibeya kulakaBhenjamini, tabona emabutfo emaFilisti asakateka yonkhe indzawo. ₁₇Sawula wakhuluma kulamadvodza labenawo, watsi: “Balani onkhe lamadvodza lanatsi lapha, khona sitewubona kutsi bobani laba lasebasishiyile.” Batsi nababala, bakhandza kutsi bekunguJonathani neludzibi lwakhe lababengekho lapho.

₁₈Sawula wakhuluma ku-Ahiya, watsi: “Letsa libhokisi lesivumelwane saNkulunkulu.” Ngobe ngaleso sikhatsi lalisemkhatsini wesive sema-Israyeli. ₁₉Sawula watsi asakhuluma nemphristi, sidzidzidzi sachubeka sandza kakhulu lapha enkambu yemaFilisti. Ngako Sawula wakhuluma kumphristi watsi: “Finyeta sandla sakho.”

₂₀Sawula nawo onkhe emadvodza akhe bahlangana, baviva, baya emphini. Bakhandza emaFilisti asasangene, agwazana odvwana ngetikhali tawo. ₂₁LamaHebheru labekadze angakumaFilisti labesenyuke nawo aya enkambu yemaFilisti, ase abuyela kuma-Israyeli labenaSawula naJonathani. ₂₂Atsi kube onkhe ema-Israyeli labebhacile eveni letintsaba laka-Efrayimu eve kutsi emaFilisti asayabaleka, nawo ase ayahlasela awacosha ngemuva. ₂₃Ngako Simakadze wawasindzisa kanjalo ema-Israyeli ngalelo langa, imphi yachubeka eBhethi Aveni.

₂₄Emadvodza aka-Israyeli abaselusizini ngalelo langa, ngobe Sawula abesabophe sonkhe sive ngesifungo watsi: “Akacalekiswe umuntfu lotakudla lilanga lisengakashoni, nami ngingakatiphindziseli etitseni tami!” Ngako kute nome munye lowake wanambitsa kudla kulamabutfo.

₂₅Onke emabutfo angena ehlatsini, akhandza luju emhlabatsini. ₂₆Atsi asangena nje kulelihlatsi abona luju luvuta, noko kwabate ngisho nome munye lowase wabeka sandla sakhe emlonyeni, ngobe abesaba lesifungo. ₂₇Kodvwa Jonathani abengakeva kutsi uyise ubophe sonkhe sive ngesifungo. Ngako wenya sihloko salendvuku yakhe labeyiphetse ngesandla kuloluhlanga lwetinyosi. Waphakamisa sandla sakhe wasimikisa ngasemlonyeni, emehlo akhe akhanya. ₂₈Lelinye lalamabutfo lakhuluma kuye, latsi: “Uyihlo ubophe sonkhe sive ngesifungo lesimatima kabi, watsi: ‘Akacalekiswe umuntfu lodla kudla lamuhla!’ Nguko nje phela lamadvodza asacaleka.”

₂₉Jonathani watsi: “Babe ufake live lonkhe elusizini. Ase ubuke nje kutsi emehlo ami avele akhanya kanjani ngesikhatsi nginambitsa lolwa luju loluncane. ₃₀Bekutawuba ncono kanganani-ke kube lamadvodza lamuhla asake adla lenye imphango lasayitfumbe kuletitsa tawo. Bekungeke yini kubulawe emaFilisti lamanyenti kakhulu kunalawa?”

₃₁Ngalelo langa atsi ema-Israyeli nase ehlule emaFilisti labewagwaza, kusukela eMikmashi kuya e-Ayaloni, adzinwa kakhulu. ₃₂Ema-Israyeli advumela imphango atfumba timvu, netinkhomo nematfole, akuhlaba khona lapho phansi, akudla kanye nengati yako. ₃₃Kwabikwa kuSawula, kwatsiwa: “Ase ubuke, lamadvodza enta sono embikwaSimakadze ngekudla inyama lenengati.”

Sawula wakhala, watsi: “Ningemambuka! Gicitelani litje lelikhulu lapha kimi.” ₃₄Waphindze watsi: “Ngenani emkhatsini walamadvodza, niyekuwatjela nitsi: ‘Ngulowo nalowo wenu akaletse tinkhomo takhe netimvu takhe kutewuhlatjwa lapha, kudliwe. Ningoni kuSimakadze ngekudla inyama lesenengati.’ ”

Kwatsi kulobo busuku ngulowo nalowo waletsa inkhabi yakhe, wayihlabela khona lapho. ₃₅Sawula wakhela Simakadze lilati; bekakwenta kwekucala loko.

₃₆Sawula wakhuluma watsi: “Asehle sicoshe lamaFilisti kulobusuku, khona sitekuwagwaza kuze kuse, singashiyi nome munye wawo aphila.”

Baphendvula batsi: “Yenta loko lokubona kukuhle kakhulu kuwe.”

Kodvwa umphristi watsi: “Ase sicale ngekuyawubuta Nkulunkulu kutsi utsini yena.”

₃₇Sawula wase ubuta Nkulunkulu, watsi: “Ngingehla yini ngicoshe emaFilisti? Utawanikela yini esandleni sema-Israyeli?” Kodvwa Nkulunkulu akazange amphendvule ngalelo langa.

₃₈Ngako-ke Sawula watsi: “Wotani lapha, nine nonkhe lenitindvuna temabutfo, sitewutfolisisa kahle kutsi sono sini lesentiwe lamuhla. ₃₉Ngetsembisa ngaNkulunkulu lophilako, Simakadze lonika ema-Israyeli kuncoba, kutsi nome ngabe kungumsa wami, Jonathani, lowonile, naye kufanele afe.” Kodvwa kute nome yinye indvodza leyase yatsi vu.

₄₀Sawula wakhuluma kuwo onkhe ema-Israyeli, watsi: “Manini ngalapho, mine nemsa wami, Jonathani, sitakuma ngalapha.”

Lamadvodza amphendvula atsi: “Yenta loko lobona kukuhle kakhulu kuwe.”

₄₁Sawula wathandaza kuSimakadze Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli, watsi: “Nginike imphendvulo lengiyonayona.” BoJonathani naSawula badliwa yinkatho, kodvwa lamadvodza atfolakala angenacala. ₄₂Sawula watsi: “Yentani inkatho emkhatsini wetfu naJonathani, umsa wami.” Inkatho yadla Jonathani.

₄₃Sawula wabuta kuJonathani watsi: “Ase ungitjele kutsi wenteni.”

Jonathani wamphendvula watsi: “Nginambitse luju kancane ngesihloko sendvuku yami. Pho, manje sekufanele ngife yini?”

₄₄Sawula watsi: “Shangatsi Nkulunkulu angangishaya kamatima, nangabe wena, Jonathani, ungafi.”

₄₅Kodvwa lamadvodza akhuluma kuSawula, atsi: “Jonathani sekufanele afe, yena lona losindzise sive sema-Israyeli kangaka? Cha, ngeke! Setsembisa ngaSimakadze kutsi kute ngisho nelunwele lwenhloko yakhe lolutakuwela phansi emhlabatsini, ngobe loku lakwente lamuhla uphumelele ngekusitwa nguNkulunkulu.” Lamadvodza amsindzisa Jonathani, akazange abulawe.

₄₆Sawula wayekela kucosha emaFilisti, nawo avele ancandzeka abuyela eveni lawo.

₄₇Watsi kube Sawula abekwe kuba yinkhosi yema-Israyeli, walwa nato tonkhe titsa takhe letatimtungeletile: emaMowabi, nema-Amoni, nema-Edomu, nemakhosi aseSobha kanye nemaFilisti. Abetsi lapho ajikele ngakhona, ente umonakalo. ₄₈Walwa ngesibindzi, wancoba ema-Amaleki, wakhulula ema-Israyeli etandleni talabo besebawaphangile.

₄₉Emadvodzana aSawula bekuboJonathani, na-Jishvi, naMalkhi Shuwa. Libito lendvodzakati lendzala bekunguMerabi, kantsi lena lencane bekunguMikhali. ₅₀Libito lemkakhe bekungu-Ahinowami, indvodzakati ya-Ahimasi. Libito lendvuna yemphi yaSawula bekungu-Abneri, umsa waNeri, kantsi yena Neri bekungumalume waSawula. ₅₁Uyise waSawula, Khishi, kanye neyise wa-Abneri, Neri, bekungemadvodzana a-Abiyeli.

₅₂Kuwo onkhe emalanga ekuphila kwaSawula ema-Israyeli abelwa timphi letesabekako nemaFilisti. Sawula abetsi nakabona indvodza lenemandla nome lenesibindzi, ayitsatse ayifake ebutfweni lakhe.