1 Samuweli 17

₁EmaFilisti abutsa emabutfo awo awalungiselela imphi, awahlanganisela eSokho yakaJuda. Emisa emathende awo e-Efesi Damimu, emkhatsini weSokho ne-Azekha. ₂Sawula nema-Israyeli babutsana bemisa eSigodzini sase-Ela, bahlela imphi yabo batilungiselela kubhekana nemaFilisti. ₃EmaFilisti ema kulelinye ligcuma, nema-Israyeli ema kulelinye; saba lesigodzi semkhatsini wabo.

₄Ingwazi lekwakutsiwa nguGoliyathi libito layo, ingeyekuchamuka eGathi, yabonakala iphuma etichemeni temaFilisti. Yayiyindze iluhalakasha, ingetulu kwemamitha labengaba matsatfu. ₅Goliyathi abefake imphantitje yelitfusi enhloko yakhe, embetse libhantji lelitfusi lelalingemazengezenge, sisindvo salo sasingemakhilogremu labengaba ngema-57. ₆Emilenteni abefake tivikelo tayo telitfusi, emhlane wakhe abetjetse sikhali sekujijimeta selitfusi. ₇Lutsi lwalesikhali lwalungangelipulango lembongolo yemeluki; emadlebe aso ensimbi abenesisindvo lesasingemakhilogremu labengaba sikhombisa. Ludzibi lwekwetfwala lihawu lakhe lwaluhamba embikwakhe.

₈Goliyathi wema, wamemeta leticheme temphi yema-Israyeli, watsi: “Niteleni lapha kutawuma emahele emphi? Angisiye umFilisti yini mine? Nine anisito yini tinceku taSawula? Khetsani indvodza ibe yinye emkhatsini wenu, niyitfumele lapha kimi. ₉Nakatakulwa nami angehlule, tsine sitawuba tigcili tenu; kodvwa mine nangimehlula ngimbulale, nine nitawuba tigcili tetfu nisisebentele.” ₁₀LomFilisti wachubeka watsi: “Ngitibita insayeya tonkhe ticheme tema-Israyeli lamuhla. Nginikeni indvodza ibe yinye, khona ngitekulwa nayo.” ₁₁Watsi kube Sawula nema-Israyeli onkhe eve lenkhulumo yalomFilisti, bajabha bonkhe batfutfumela.

₁₂Davide bekuyindvodzana yem-Efratha waseBhetlehema kaJuda lekwakutsiwa nguJese. Jese abanemadvodzana lasiphohlongo. Ngesikhatsi kubusa Sawula abesakhulile asaneminyaka leminyenti. ₁₃Emadvodzana aJese lamatsatfu lamadzala abehambe naSawula kuya emphini. Wematubulo bekungu-Eliyabe, elanywa ngu-Abinadabi, bese kuta Shama. ₁₄Davide bekulitfumbu laJese. Laba labatsatfu bekucala bona balandzela Sawula, kwatsi ₁₅Davide yena abevamise kubuyela ekhaya ashiye Sawula ayewubona timvu teyise ekhaya eBhetlehema.

₁₆Kwadzimate kwaphela emalanga langema-40, solomane lomFilisti abohle avuka ekuseni ajangaze kantsi nasentsambama abema, ajangaze endzaweni yakhe.

₁₇Jese wakhuluma endvodzaneni yakhe Davide, watsi: “Tsatsa nansi imbasha lengemakhilogremu langaba lishumi kanye netinkhwa letilishumi, ugijime, umikisele bomnakenu enkambu. ₁₈Tsatsa nanaba boshizi labalishumi, ufike unike lendvuna yabo lephetse lesicheme sabo semabutfo layinkhulungwane. Ubofike ubone bomnakenu kutsi banjani, ubuye nesiciniseko kutsi ubabonile. ₁₉BanaSawula nawo onkhe emabutfo aka-Israyeli eSigodzini sase-Ela, balwa nemaFilisti.”

₂₀Ekuseni ngakusasa Davide washiya timvu nemelusi, wetfwala umtfwalo wahamba, njengobe Jese abemtfumile, wefika enkambu ngesikhatsi emabutfo aphuma ema ngeticheme tawo ekhuta sicubulo semphi. ₂₁Ema-Israyeli nemaFilisti abetsatsa tindzawo tawo ngeticheme tawo, ticheme tibhekene. ₂₂Davide wafike wabeka lemiphako yakhe kulona logadze tintfo, wagijima waya etichemeni wayawuvusela bomnakabo. ₂₃Watsi asakhuluma nabo, Goliyathi waseGathi, ingwazi yemaFilisti, waphuma etichemeni takhe, wamemeta njengobe abesolomane enta; Davide wakuva loko. ₂₄Onkhe emadvodza aka-Israyeli abetsi angayibona lendvodza, ayibalekele, ngobe abeyesaba kakhulu.

₂₅Ema-Israyeli abesolomane atsi: “Uyayibona yini lendvodza lesolomane iphumela ebaleni? Iphumela kusibita insayeya sive sema-Israyeli. Inkhosi itsite itamnika umcebo lomyenti umuntfu longahle ayibulale. Itawuphindze imendzisele nendvodzakati yayo, iphindze ikhiphe nendlu yeyise waleyo ndvodza emtselweni wema-Israyeli.”

₂₆Davide wabuta lamadvodza labeme eceleni kwakhe, watsi: “Utakwentelwani umuntfu lotawubulala lomFilisti esuse lihlazo ka-Israyeli? Ungubani yena lomFilisti longakasoki nekusoka kutsi angabita insayeya emabutfo aNkulunkulu lophilako?”

₂₇Baphindza bamtjela yona leyo nkhulumo, batsi: “Nguloko-ke lokuyakwentiwa kumuntfu loyakuyibulala.”

₂₈Kwatsi Eliyabe, umnakaboDavide lomkhulu, nakeva loku lokwakukhulunywa nguDavide nalamadvodza, wamvutsela ngelulaka watsi: “Utewufunani wena lapha? Utishiye nabani letimvu letimbalwa lena ehlane? Ngiyati kutsi utikhukhumeta kanjani nekutsi inhlitiyo yakho yimbi kanganani; utele kutawubukela imphi nje kuphela.”

₂₉Davide wabuta watsi: “Manje sengenteni? Sengingabe ngisakhuluma nje nekukhuluma?” ₃₀Wase ugucukela kulomunye wakhuluma kona loko labekushito kucala, nawo lamadvodza amphendvula njengawo lawa akucala. ₃₁Loko lokwakushiwo nguDavide bakuva bantfu, base babikela Sawula. Sawula wase uyambita.

₃₂Davide watsi kuSawula: “Akubete lophelelwa ngemandla ngenca yalomFilisti, inceku yakho itakuya iyekulwa naye.”

₃₃Sawula waphendvula watsi: “Ungeke ukhone kuyakulwa nalomFilisti, ngobe wena usengumfana nje, kantsi yena uyingwazi yekutalwa.”

₃₄Kodvwa Davide wakhuluma kuSawula, watsi: “Inceku yakho beyeluse timvu teyise. Kwatsi nakuchamuka libhubesi nome libhele latsatsa lenye imvu emhlambini, ₃₅ngalisukela, ngalilandzela, ngalishaya, ngakhipha lemvu emlonyeni walo, latsi nalitsi ligucukela kimi, ngalibamba ngesilevu salo, ngalidladlabula ngalibulala. ₃₆Inceku yakho yabulala libhubesi nelibhele; nalomFilisti longakasoki utawufanana nato letilwane, ngobe uwabite insayeya emabutfo aNkulunkulu lophilako. ₃₇LoSimakadze lowangephula esidladleni selibhubesi nasesidladleni selibhele utangikhulula nasesandleni salomFilisti.”

Sawula wakhuluma kuDavide, watsi: “Hamba, shangatsi Simakadze angaba nawe.”

₃₈Ngako Sawula wabe sewembatsisa Davide ngetembatfo takhe. Wamfaka imphantitje yelitfusi enhloko, wamembatsisa ngelibhantji lensimbi lemphi. ₃₉Davide wabophela inkemba yakhe kulengubo yakhe, wabe sewetama kuhambahamba, ngobe abengakakwetayeli.

Davide wakhuluma kuSawula watsi: “Ngiyehluleka kuhamba ngifake letimphahla, angikatetayeli.” Wase uyatikhumula. ₄₀Wase utsatsa indvuku yakhe ngesandla, wakhetsa ematje lashelelako aba sihlanu emfuleni, wawafaka esikhwameni sakhe sekwelusa labesiphetse, wacondza kuye lomFilisti aphetse sidubulelo sakhe.

₄₁LomFilisti abesolomane asondzela kancane kancane kuDavide, nalendvodza leyayiphetse lihawu ihamba embikwalomFilisti. ₄₂Wabuka Davide wambona kutsi usengumfana, abovana, amuhle, wamedzelela. ₄₃Watsi kuDavide: “Ngiyinja yini, kutsi ungeta kimi uphetse tindvuku?” LomFilisti wacalekisa Davide ngabonkulunkulu bakhe, ₄₄watsi: “Buya lapha kimi, sidvumbu sakho ngitasinika tinyoni telizulu netilwane tesiganga.”

₄₅Davide wakhuluma kulomFilisti, watsi: “Wena uta kimi uphetse inkemba, nelijozi, nesikhali, kodvwa mine ngita kuwe ngelibito laSimakadze wetimphi, Nkulunkulu wemabutfo aka-Israyeli, wona lawo mabutfo bewuwabita insayeya. ₄₆Lamuhla Simakadze utakunikela esandleni sami, ngitakushaya ngikulahle phansi, ngihhumbule inhloko yakho esidvunjini sakho. Lamuhla tidvumbu temaFilisti ngitatinika tinyoni telizulu kanye netilwane tesiganga, kuze umhlaba wonkhe wati kutsi kukhona Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ₄₇nekutsi bonkhe labantfu lababutsene lapha bati kutsi Simakadze akasindzisi ngenkemba nangesikhali. Ngobe imphi ngeyaSimakadze, nguye lotaninikela nonkhe etandleni tetfu.”

₄₈Kwatsi lomFilisti asasondzela kutawugadla kuDavide, Davide washesha wagijima wacondza emgceni wemphi, acondze kulomFilisti. ₄₉Davide wafaka sandla esikhwameni sakhe wakhipha litje, wadubulela; washaya lomFilisti etulu ebuntini. Lelitje langena ebuntini laGoliyathi lafahlata lukhakhayi, walahleka phansi emhlabatsini ngebuso.

₅₀Ngaloko Davide wancoba lomFilisti ngesidubulelo nangelitje, washaya umFilisti, wamlahla phansi, wambulala, ngaphandle kwenkemba esandleni sakhe.

₅₁Davide wagijima wema etikwalomFilisti, wabamba inkemba yalomFilisti wayihoshula kulomgodla wayo, wamcedzela ngayo; wajuba inhloko yakhe.

Atsi kube emaFilisti abone kutsi lengwazi yabo seyifile, esuka ngematubane, abaleka. ₅₂Emadvodza aka-Israyeli newakaJuda asondzela nawo amemeta, asacosha emaFilisti, aze ayawuwangenisa eGathi nasemasangweni ase-Ekroni. Tinkhubela temaFilisti tatisakateke nawo wonkhe umgwaco waseSharayimu loya eGathi nase-Ekroni. ₅₃Kwatsi ema-Israyeli nasabuya ekucosheni emaFilisti, afike ayidla inkambu yawo. ₅₄Davide watsatsa inhloko yalengwazi waya nayo eJerusalema, wafike wabeka letikhali talomFilisti ethendeni lakakhe.

₅₅Kwatsi ngesikhatsi Sawula abuka Davide nakayawuhlangabetana nalomFilisti, wabuta ku-Abneri, indvuna yemphi yakhe, watsi: “Abneri, ngumsa wabani lomfana?”

Abneri wamphendvula watsi: “Kuphila kwakho, nkhosi, angimati.”

₅₆Inkhosi yatsi: “Ngitfoleleni kahle kutsi ungumsa wabani lomfana.”

₅₇Watsi efika nje Davide, abuya ekubulaleni umFilisti, Abneri wamtsatsa, wammikisa kuSawula, Davide abesolo ayiphetse lenhloko yalomFilisti.

₅₈Sawula wambuta watsi: “Ungumsa wabani, mfana?”

Davide waphendvula watsi: “Ngitalwa yinceku yakho lenguJese waseBhetlehema.”