UDavida ubabalela ipilo kaSawula godu
1AmaZifu aya kuSawula eGibeya afese athi kuye: “Angithi nguDavida obhace entatjaneni yeRhakila, eqalene nerhalawumba leJetjhimoni?” 2Yeke uSawula wehlela erhalawumbeni leZifu, wayokuzuma uDavida lapho, wakhamba neenkulungwana ezintathu zamadoda akhethiweko wakwa-Israyeli. 3USawula wenza ikampakhe hlanukwendlela entatjaneni yeRhakila eqalene nerhalawumba leJetjhimoni.
UDavida gade aseserhalawumbeni lokha nabona bonyana uSawula umlandelele khonapho. 4Yeke wathumela iinhloli bona ziyokuhlola bonyana uSawula ukuphi. 5UDavida waphuma waya lapha uSawula enze ikampakhe khona. Wafese wabona lapha uSawula no-Abineri umsa kaNeri induna yebutho balele khona. USawula gade alele phakathi kwekampa azonjwe libutho. 6Nje-ke uDavida wabuza u-Arhimeleki umHite no-Abitjhayi umsa kaTseruya umnakwabo lakaJowabi, wathi: “Ngubani ozokukhamba nami ekampeni siye kuSawula?” U-Abitjhayi wathi: “Ngimi ozakukhamba nawe.”
7Nje-ke uDavida no-Abitjhayi bakhamba baya ebantwinabo ebusuku. Nabafikako, qala nango uSawula alele phakathi kwabo, umkhontwakhe uhlatjwe phasi ngeenhloko zakhe. U-Abineri namabutho bebalele bamzombile. 8U-Abitjhayi wahlebela uDavida wathi: “Namhlanje, uZimu unikele isitha sakho ezandleni zakho. Yeke yithi ngimthungelele phasi ngomkhonto kube kanye; angeze ngamkhutha bona ngibuyelele kabili.” 9Kodwana uDavida wathi ku-Abitjhayi: “Awa, ungathomi umbulale! Ngubani ongabeka isandla phezu kozesiweko kaSomnini angabi nomlandu?” 10UDavida wabuye wathi: “NgoZimu ngiqinisile ngithi, nguSomnini kwaphela ozambulala, nakungasinjalo isikhathi sakhe sizakufika azifele, namkha uzakuya epini abhubhele khona. 11Kodwana uSomnini uyangalela bona ngingabeka isandla phezu kozesiweko wakhe. Yeke, thatha umkhonto hlanu kwehlokwakhapho nomjekana wamanzi lowo sikhambe.”
12UDavida wathatha njalo-ke umkhonto nomjekana wamanzi hlanu kwehloko kaSawula, bakhamba. Akakho owabonako nowakhe wazi ngalokho begodu akakho owaphaphamako. Boke bebalele ngombana uSomnini bekabehlisele ubuthongo obukhulu. 13UDavida wayamela ngaphetjheya komrhotjana, wajama phezu kwesiqongo sentatjana ebangeni eliphephileko phakathi kwabo. 14Warhuwelela ibutho no-Abineri umsa kaNeri, wathi: “Abineri-ke! Uyangizwa na?” U-Abineri waphendula wathi: “Ungubani wena orhuwelela ikosi?” 15UDavida waphendula wathi: “Abineri, bewufanele ube yindoda yamambala kwa-Israyeli! Kubayini ungakhange ugade ikosakho? Bekunomuntu ogade eze ukuzokubulala ikosakho leyo. 16Okwenzileko akusikuhle. NgoSomnini ngiqinisile ngithi, wena nebutho lakho nifanele ukufa ngombana akhange nigade ikosenu, umzeswa kaSomnini. Akhe niqale hlanu kwenu: Uphi umkhonto wekosenu nomjekana wamanzi obekugade kuhlanu kwehlokwayo na?”
17USawula walemuka ilizwi lakaDavida bewathi: “Davida ndodanami, lilizwi lakho lelo na?” UDavida waphendula wathi: “Iye kosami, ngilo.” 18Godu wathi: “Kubayini ikosami ilandelelana nencekwayo na? Ngenzeni? Uyini umlandwami ekosini na? 19Ngibawa ikosami kheyilalele amezwi wencekwayo. Nangabe ubaba udlumbana bona nguSomnini ofuna bonyana angibulale, kubayini angayenzeli umnikelo? Kodwana nakube babantu abahlohloloja ubaba, abanikelelwe phambi kwakaSomnini! Bangikhuphile enarheni kaSomnini lapha nginesabelo khona. Kwaba sengasuthi bathi, ‘Khamba uyokukhothamela abosingazimu abanye.’ 20Ngiyakubawa, angingafeli enarheni yabatjhili kude noSomnini. Ubaba, ikosi yakwa-Israyeli, uphume nebutho bona azokufunana netsetse lakotsetse, uzumana nekwali eentabeni na?”
21Yeke uSawula wathi: “Davida ndodanami, ngonile; yewubuye. Angeze ngisazama ukukulimaza ngombana ubone ubuphilo bami buqakathekile namhlanjesi. Ngenze ubudlhayela, ngatjhapha khulu.” 22UDavida waphendula wathi: “Naku-ke umkhonto wekosi, akweqe elinye lamasokana lize nganeno lizowuthatha. 23UZimu uhlomelisa loyo naloyo ngokulunga nokwethembeka kwakhe. Unikele ubaba ezandleni zami namhlanjesi, nokho bengingeze ngabeka isandla sami phezu komzeswa kaSomnini. 24Njengombana ngibabalele ukuphila kwakababa nanamhlanjesi, kwanga uSomnini angababalela ipilwami, angisindise kiwo woke amatshwenyeko.” 25USawula wathi kuDavida: “Kwanga ungabusiseka Davida ndodanami; uzakwenza izinto ezikulu uphumelele.”
UDavida wathatha indlelakhe, noSawula wabuyela ekhaya.
