UDavida noJonathani
1UDavida wabaleka endlini yabaphorofidi eRama waya kuJonathani, wafese wabuza wathi: “Kanti ngenzeni? Umlandwami uyini? Ngimone ngani ubabakho ukuze afune ukungibulala na?”
2UJonathani waphendula wathi: “Nakanye! Awukazukufa! Ngiyathembisa akunalitho ubaba alenzako, nanyana likhulu nanyana lincani angakangitjeli. Alo, ubaba uzabe ayifihlelani indaba le kimi na? Akunanto enjalo.”
3UDavida wathi: “NgoZimu uqinisile, ubabakho uyazi bona ngiyathandeka kuwe, nje-ke uzitjele wathi, ‘UJonathani akakafaneli akwazi lokhu ngombana angaphatheka kumbi.’ Nokho ngiqinisile ngithi uSomnini uyangizwa, phila ngiphile, ngisemlonyeni wokufa.”
4UJonathani wathi kuDavida: “Alo-ke ungathanda bona ngikwenzeleni?”
5UDavida wathi: “Qala, kusasa lilanga lomgidi wokuthwasa kwenyezi, kufanele ngihlale esidlweni kanye nekosi. Yeke ngivumela bona ngiyokubhaca emmangweni bekube lilanga laphambi kwakusasa ntambama. 6Nange ubabakho angabona bona angikho, umtjele uthi, ‘UDavida ungirabhele khulu bona ngimvumele arhabele eBhethe-Lehema emzinekhabo ngombana ikoro yekhabo yoke inomhlatjelo womnyaka.’ 7Nangabe uthi, ‘Awa kulungile,’ khona umkhozakho uzabe aphephile. Kodwana nange angasilingeka, yazi-ke nawe bona unqophe ukungilimaza. 8Ngebanga lesithembiso owasenza phambi kwakaSomnini, umkhozakho ubopheleke kuwe. Yeke nange kunento embi engiyenzileko, yewungisize ungibulale wena. Ngiyakubawa, unganginikeli ezandleni zakababakho.”
9UJonathani wathi: “Awa, angeze ngakwenza lokho kuwe! Nangabe bekukhona okumbi engikwaziko ubaba akunqophe ngawe, bengizokwazisa nakanjani.”
10UDavida wabuza wathi: “Ngubani ozongazisa nakube ubabakho uphendula ngokuhluthuka na?”
11UJonathani wathi: “Iza, namba siphume siye emmangweni.” Bakhamba-ke bobabili baya emmangweni. 12UJonathani wathi kuDavida: “Ngiyakuthembisa phambi kwakaSomnini uZimu wakwa-Israyeli, ngesikhathesi phambi kwakusasa, ngizakubuzisisa kubaba ngawe. Nangabe uyakwamukela ngizakuthumelela ilizwi ngikwazise. 13Kodwana nangabe ubaba unqophe ukukulimaza, ngizakwazisa bengiqinisekise bonyana ukhamba uphephile. Nange ngingenzi njalo uSomnini akangibulale.
“USomnini uzakuba nawe njengombana abe nobaba. 14Nangisaphilako, yiba nomusa kimi njengombana noSomnini anomusa kuwe ukuze ngingabulawa. 15Lokha uSomnini asusa zoke izitha zakho ephasini, yiba nesisa endlinami nawusaphilako.”
16UJonathani wenza isivumelwano nendlu kaDavida wathi: “USomnini uzamhlunguphaza ongagcini isibopho lesi.”
17UJonathani wenza uDavida bona abuye afunge bonyana uzakwethembeka, amkhathelele njengombana azikhathelela yena.
18Yeke wathi uJonathani kuDavida: “Kusasa lilanga lomgidi wokuthwasa kwenyezi. Uzokukhunjulwa ngombana isihlalo sakho sizobe singanamuntu. 19Phambi kwakusasa ntambama, iya endaweni owazifihla kiyo phambilini, ulinde elitjeni i-Ezeli. 20Ngizakudumuza imisubi emithathu ngehlangothini lalo, kubesengathi nginqophise entweni. 21Ngizakuthumela umsana bese ngithi kuye, ‘Khamba uyokufuna imisubi leya.’ Lokha nangithi kuye, ‘Naso imisubi inganeno kwakho, yiza nayo la,’ ungaphuma-ke ngombana kuphephile. NgoZimu ngiqinisile akunangozi. 22Kodwana nangithi emsaneni, ‘Imisubi ingale kwakho!’ Yewukhambe ngombana uZimu ukutjhaphululile. 23Mayelana nesithembiso esisenzilekwesiya, khumbula bonyana uSomnini ungufakazi phakathi kwami nawe isiphelani.”
24UDavida wazifihla emmangweni.
Ngelanga lomgidi wokuthwasa kwenyezi, ikosi uSawula yahlala phasi bona igome. 25Yahlala endaweni engebodeni njengesiko layo, yalungana noJonathani, u-Abineri ahlezi hlanu kwayo; kodwana indawo kaDavida beyinganamuntu. 26USawula akhange atjho ilitho mhlokho ngombana waba nomkhumbulo othi: “Ikhona into esilapheleko eyenze uDavida angezi emgidini. Iye, kutjho bona usilaphele.”
27Kwathi ngelanga elilandelako, ilanga lesibili enyangeni, indawo kaDavida yatlhoga umuntu godu. USawula wabuza indodanakhe uJonathani wathi: “Kubayini umsa kaJese angakhange eze ekudleni izolo nanamhlanjesi na?”
28UJonathani waphendula wathi: “UDavida ungibawile warabhela bona ngimvumele aye eBhethe-Lehema. 29Wathi, ‘Yithi ngikhambe ngombana ikoro yekhethu inomhlatjelo emzinekhethu, nje-ke umnakwethu ungibawe bona ngibe khona. Nakulungileko kuwe, ithi ngikhambe ngiyokubona abafowethu.’ Kungebangelo angakezi etafuleni lekosi.”
30USawula wasilingekela uJonathani bewathi kuye: “Wena sidlhadlha somsana ndina! Udlumbana angazi bona sewukhethe ukukhambisana nomsa kaJese! Lokho kuzakuba lihlazo lakho neenhloni zakanyoko owakubelethako! 31Nakusaphila umsa kaJese ephasinapha, uzasoloko ayingozi kuwe nembuswenakho. Akalethwe njenganje kimapha, kumele afe!” 32UJonathani wabuza uyise uSawula wathi: “Kanti ubulawelani? Wenzeni?” 33Kodwana uSawula wamjikijela ngomkhonto bona ambulale. UJonathani walemuka bona uyise gade anqophe ukubulala uDavida. 34UJonathani wasikima etafuleni asilingeke khulu, akhange agome mhlokho ngombana gade akhubekile ngepatho eziinhloni uyise aphatha ngayo uDavida.
35Ekuseni ngakusasa uJonathani wakhamba nomsana emmangweni bona ahlangane noDavida. 36Wathi emsaneni: “Gijima uyokuqala imisubi engiyidumuzako.” Umsana asagijima wadumuza umsubela ngaphambi kwakhe. 37Kuthe lokha umsana nafika lapha umsubela kaJonathani uwele khona, uJonathani wamrhuwelela wathi: “Umsubela awusingaphambi kwakho na?” 38Warhuwelela godu wathi: “Rhaba! Ungariyadi!” Umsana wadobha umsubela wabuyela ekosinakhe. 39Umsana gade angazi litho ngalokhu; nguJonathani noDavida kwaphela egade bazi. 40UJonathani wanikela umsana iinhlabano zakhe wathi: “Zithathe ukhambe ubuyele nazo emzini.”
41Emva kobana umsana akhambile, uDavida wasikima ngemva kwelitje waguqa wakhothama kathathu phambi kwakaJonathani. Base bayangana balila bobabili, kufikela lapha uDavida acola khona. 42UJonathani wathi kuDavida: “Khamba uphephile kwanjesi ngombana sifunge ubuhlobo phakathi kwethu sobabili ebizweni lakaSomnini sathi, ‘USomnini ungufakazi phakathi kwami nawe, naphakathi kwesizukulwani sami nesakho isiphelani.’ ”
Wakhamba-ke uDavida, noJonathani wabuyela emzinekhabo.
