1 USAMYELA 24

₁USawula selabuyile ekuqotheni amaFilista, kwathiwa kuye: “UDavida useentabeni ze-Eni-Gedi.” ₂Yeke uSawula wathatha iinkulungwana ezintathu zamadoda akhethwe kibo boke bakwa-Israyeli, waphuma bona ayokuqala uDavida nabantu bakhe eduze kwamaDwalepunzi. ₃USawula wafika esibayeni sezimvu eqadi kwendlela, bekunerholo lapho, wangena khona wazithuma. UDavida nabantu bakhe bebangaphakathi kwerholwelo!

₄Abantu bakaDavida bathi kuye: “Namhlanje kunamhlanje! Angithi uSomnini utjhwile kuwe wathi, ‘Ngizakunikela isitha sakho esandleni bona wenze njengokuthanda kwakho.’ ” Yeke uDavida wasikima, wakhukhutha, wafese watsepunya umphetho wephuraphura kaSawula. ₅Emva kwalokho uDavida wabethwa sisazela sokutsepunya umphetho wephuraphura kaSawula. ₆Wathi ebantwini bakhe: “USomnini akavumi bona ngenze into enje ekosinami, umzeswa kaSomnini, nanyana ngiphakamise isandla sami kiyo ngombana imzeswa kaSomnini.” ₇UDavida wakhalimela abantu bakhe ngokuncama. Akhange abavumele bona bathinte uSawula.

USawula nasikimako aphuma ngerholweni ₈uDavida waphumisana naye khonokho wamlandela. Wamrhuwelela wathi: “Bayede, kosi!” USawula naqala emuva, uDavida waguqa wahloma ihloko phasi. ₉Wathi kuSawula: “Kosami, kubayini ulalele abantu lokha nabathi, ‘UDavida ufuna ukukulimaza?’ ₁₀Namhlanjesi uzibonele ngawakho bona uZimu ukusindise njani ezandleni zami ngerholweni. Abantu bami bangihlohlozele bona ngikubulale, kodwana mina ngakubabalela. Ngathi kibo, ‘Angizusiphakamisa isandla sami ekosinami ngombana imzeswa kaSomnini.’ ₁₁Ubaba akaqale, naku umphetho wephuraphurakhe esandleni sami! Ngitsepunye umphetho wephuraphura kababa nokho ubaba ngangambulala. Ubaba uyabona-ke bona anginantwembi namkha ikani kuye. Akhange ngikone baba, kodwana ubaba uzumana nepilwami. ₁₂UZimu akabe mgwebi phakathi kwethu. Mhlamunye yena angangibuyiselela kubaba ngalokho akwenze kimi, kodwana mina angeze ngambeka isandla ubaba. ₁₃Angithi ikulumo yabadala ithi, ‘Ziinkhohlakali zodwa ezenza ubukhohlakali’? Yeke mina angeze ngambeka isandla ubaba. ₁₄Kuhlekuhle ikosi yakwa-Israyeli izumana nobani? Ilandelelene nenja efileko, itsetse nje! ₁₅UZimu uzakuba mgwebi phakathi kwethu abe akhombe onomlandu. Ngebanga lokobana ubona koke, uzakujamela indabami angitjhaphulule kubaba.”

₁₆Kwathi bona uDavida aqede ukutjho lokho, uSawula wabuza wathi: “Davida ndodanami, lilizwi lakho lelo na?” Wakhihla isililokazi, ₁₇wathi: “Ulunge khulu kunami ngombana wangiphatha kuhle, kodwana mina ngakuphatha kumbi. ₁₈Ukhombisile khona nje bona awunantwembi ngami: USomnini bekanginikele esandleni sakho kodwana akhange ungibulale. ₁₉Abasibangaki abantu abangathi sele babambe isitha sabo ngezandla basilise sikhambe siphephile. Kwanga uSomnini angakuhlomulisa khulu ngendlela ongiphethe ngayo namhlanje. ₂₀Sengiyazi bona ngambala uzokuba yikosi begodu umbuso wakwa-Israyeli uzokunzinza ezandleni zakho. ₂₁Nje-ke funga bona ngoSomnini awuzukubhubhisa iinzukulwani zami namkha uphelise ibizo lami endlini kababa.” ₂₂UDavida wafunga-ke kuSawula. USawula wabuyela ekhaya kodwana uDavida nabantu bakhe bakhuphukela eentabeni.