USawula akasathembi uDavida
1-2Kusukela mhlokho uSawula akhange asavuma bona uDavida abuyele endlini kayise kodwana wamenza bona ahlale naye.
Emva kobana uDavida aqede ukukhuluma noSawula, ihliziyo kaJonathani yanamathela kuDavida ngombana wamkhathalela njengombana azikhathalela yena. 3UJonathani wenza isivumelwano noDavida ngombana wamkhathalela njengombana azikhathelela yena. 4UJonathani wahlubula iphuraphura ebegade ayembethe wayinikela uDavida. Wamnikela izambatho zakhe zepi, ngitjho nesabulakhe, nomsebe kanye nebhande lakhe.
5Noma yini uSawula agade amthuma yona, uDavida wayenza ngokuphumelela okukhulu. USawula wamupha isikhundla esiphakamileko ebuthweni. Lokhu kwathabisa abantu boke ngitjho neenkhulu zakaSawula.
6Ekubuyeni kwabantu emva kobana uDavida abulele umFilista, abafazi baphuma kiyo yoke imizi yakwa-Israyeli bona bahlangabeze ikosi uSawula ngokuvuma nokugida, ngeengoma zethabo, ngabosotjherere nangegatara yeenara ezintathu. 7Basagida njalo gade bavuma bathi:
“USawula ubulele iinkulungwana,
uDavida ubulele iinkulungwana ezilitjhumi.”
8USawula wasilingeka khulu, ingoma egade ivunywa le yamhlabekisa. Waba nomkhumbulo othi: “Bakhakhazisa uDavida ngamatjhumi weenkulungwana kodwana mina ngeenkulungwana nje. Sekusele nje bonyana bambeke abe yikosi!” 9Kusukela lokho uSawula wathoma ukuqala uDavida ngokumrhonona.
10Kwathi ngakusasa uSawula wangenwa ziinlwana, wadlharuma njengehlanya esigodlweni sakhe. UDavida wabetha iharibha njengombana gade asenza emihleni. USawula gade aphethe umkhontwakhe ngesandla, 11wawuphosa ngamandla azitjela athi: “Ngifuna ukuhlaba uDavida ngimhlanganise neboda.” Kodwana uDavida waphepha bekwaba kabili.
12USawula gade esaba uDavida ngombana uSomnini gade anoDavida kodwana amtjhiyile uSawula. 13Ngebangelo wasusa uDavida eduze kwakhe, wambeka induna yekulungwana yabantu. UDavida warhola amajoni ejimeni lawo. 14Ezintweni zoke agade azenza uDavida waphumelela khulu ngombana uSomnini gade anaye. 15Lokha uSawula nabona indlela uDavida aphumelela ngayo, wamesaba ukudlula. 16Kodwana u-Israyeli woke noJuda bamthanda uDavida ngombana wabarhola emajimenabo.
UDavida utjhada indodakazi kaSawula
17Yeke uSawula wathi kuDavida: “Nangu uMerabi indodakazami elizibulo, ngizakwendisela yena abemkakho; kwaphela ngisebenzela ngesibindi ulwe izipi zakaSomnini uZimakho.” USawula wazitjela wathi: “Angingasibeki isandla sami phezu kwakhe, akube maFilista ambulalako.” 18Kodwana uDavida wathi kuSawula: “Ngingubani mina begodu uyini umndeni wekhethu namkha ikoro kababa kwa-Israyeli, bonyana ngibe mkhwenyana wekosi na?” 19Kwathi nakufika isikhathi sokobana uMerabi indodakazi kaSawula anikelwe uDavida, wendiselwa u-Adriyeli wakwaMerhola. 20Kwathi kusesenjalo uMikali indodakazi kaSawula wakarwa nguDavida. USawula wathaba lokha nabamtjela ngalokho, 21wacabanga wathi: “Ngizomendisela yena, ngaleyondlela uzakugadanga isifu ukuze isandla samaFilista sibe phezu kwakhe.” Nje-ke uSawula wathi kuDavida: “Unethuba lesibili lokobana ube mkhwenyanami.”
22Alo-ke uSawula wabiza iinceku zakhe wathi: “Khulumani noDavida ngemsitheleni nithi, ‘Qala ndoda, ikosi izwana nawe, neenceku zayo zoke ziyakuthanda. Yeke yiba mkhwenyanayo.’ ” 23Iinceku zazinande zikhobelela uDavida. Kodwana uDavida wathi: “Enjephana ukuba mkhwenyana wekosi yintwana encancani ngokucabanga kwenu na? Mina ngisichakana begodu angaziwa kangako.”
24Lokha iinceku zakaSawula zimtjela bonyana uDavida utheni, 25uSawula waphendula wathi: “Yenithi kuDavida, ‘Ikosi ifuna ukuzibuyiselela ezitheni zayo, nje-ke abe ayifuni ilitho elingako elililobolo ngomlobokazi ngaphandle kwamajwabu alikhulu wamaFilista.’ ” USawula gade anethemba lokobana uDavida uzakuwela ezandleni zamaFilista.
26Kuthe lokha iinceku zibikela uDavida iindabezi, zamthabisa kwaba kuhle kuye bonyana abe mkhwenyana wekosi. Yeke uDavida akhange asalinda bona iphole, 27waphuma nabantu bakhe wabulala amakhulu amabili wamaFilista. Waletha amajwabawo wawabeka aphelele phambi kwakaSawula ukuze abe mkhwenyanakhe. USawula wamendisela uMikali indodakazakhe bona abe mkakhe.
28Lokha uSawula alemuka bona uSomnini unoDavida nokuthi uMikali indodakazakhe uthanda uDavida, 29kwaba khona amesaba khulu gadesi begodu waba sisitha sakhe ipilwakhe yoke.
30Iinduna zamaFilista zaragela phambili nokulwa no-Israyeli; kodwana ngesikhathi soke uDavida gade aphumelela ukuzihlula ukudlula iinkhulu zakaSawula. Ngebangelo ibizo lakhe laduma khulu.
