Kutibulala kwaSawula
1EmaFilisti alwa nema-Israyeli; ema-Israyeli abaleka, labanyenti basala bafile entsabeni iGilbowa. 2EmaFilisti abahlala emsileni boSawula nemadvodzana akhe. EmaFilisti abulala emadvodzana aSawula: boJonathani, na-Abinadabi, naMalkhi Shuwa. 3Imphi yashuba ngakuSawula, labadubula ngebutjoki bamkhandza, bamhlaba kamatima ngemicibisholo.
4Sawula wakhuluma neludzibi lwakhe, watsi: “Khipha inkemba yakho ungicedzele, kungaze kufike labantfu labangasoki bangicedzele, ngihlazeke.”
Kodvwa loludzibi lwakhe lwalwesaba, lungeke lukwente loko; ngako Sawula watsatsa inkemba yakhe, watiwisela kuyo, atibulala. 5Loludzibi lwakhe lwatsi kube lubone kutsi Sawula sewufile, nalo lwawela enkembeni yalo, lwafa naye. 6Sawula nemadvodzana akhe omatsatfu, kanye neludzibi lwakhe, nawo onkhe emabutfo akhe bafela ndzawonye ngalanga linye.
7Ema-Israyeli labengasesigodzini nalowo bekangesheya kweJordane, atsi kube abone kutsi imphi yema-Israyeli seyibalekile, nekutsi Sawula nemadvodzana akhe sebafile, esuka abaleka, ashiya emadolobha awo. EmaFilisti efika ahlala kuwo lawo madolobha.
8Kwatsi ngakusasa emaFilisti nasatewuhlubula letidvumbu talabafile, akhandza Sawula nemadvodzana akhe omatsatfu, bafele entsabeni iGilbowa. 9Ajuba inhloko yakhe, atsatsa netikhali takhe, atfumela tigijimi kulo lonkhe lemaFilisti kumemetela lendzaba endlini yabonkulunkulu bawo nakubantfu bakubo. 10Afaka tikhali takhe ethempelini la-Ashtarothe, abetsela sidvumbu sakhe elubondzeni lwaseBhethi Shani.
11Batsi kube bantfu baseJabeshi Gileyadi beve ngalesento semaFilisti lasenta kuSawula, 12tonkhe tihlabani takhona tashuca busuku bonkhe tacondza eBhethi Shani. Tafike tetfula tidvumbu taboSawula nemadvodzana akhe elubondzeni lweBhethi Shani, tancandzeka nato tabuyela eJabeshi, lapho tafike tatishisela khona ngemlilo. 13Tatsatsa ematsambo abo tayakuwangcwaba ngaphansi kwesihlahla selitamariske, eJabeshi, tazila emalanga lasikhombisa.
