1 USAMYELA 27

₁UDavida wadlumbana wathi: “Ngelinye ilanga, uSawula uzongibamba. Okungcono angibalekele enarheni yamaFilista, ngisinde. Nangenze njalo, uSawula uzakudinwa ukufunana nami nanyana kukuphi kwa-Israyeli. Ngizabe ngiphunyurhile-ke esandleni sakhe.”

₂UDavida nabantu abamakhulu asithandathu abagade banaye, bakhamba bayamela ku-Akhitjhi umsa kaMawoko ikosi yeGathi. ₃UDavida nabantu bakhe banzinza eGathi no-Akhitjhi. Omunye nomunye gade anomndenakhe, noDavida anabafazi bakhe ababili: U-Arhinowami weJizriyela no-Abigeyili weKarameli, umfelokazi kaNabhali. ₄Lokha uSawula natjelwa bona uDavida ubalekele eGathi, akhange asamfuna.

₅Yeke uDavida wathi ku-Akhitjhi: “Kungaba njani nange ikosi ingangipha indawo komunye wemizi esemaphandleni ukuze ngihlale khona? Incekwakho ingahlala njani nekosayo edorobheni na?”

₆Nje-ke mhlanokho u-Akhitjhi wamabela iTsikhilagi. Yona yaba ngeyamakhosi wakwaJuda kusukela mhlokho. ₇UDavida wahlala emkhawulweni wamaFilista umnyaka neenyanga ezine.

₈Ngesikhatheso uDavida nabantu bakhe benyuka basahlela amaGetjhuri, amaGirizi nama-Amalekhi. Abantwaba bebahlala endaweni le ukusuka eThelamu ukuya eTjhuri emaphethelweni weGibhide. ₉Ngesikhathi soke lokha uDavida nasahlela inarha gade abulala boke abantu. Kodwana izimvu, iinkomo, abodumbana namakamela kanye nezambatho azithathele zona. Kuthi emva kwalokho abuyele ku-Akhitjhi. ₁₀U-Akhitjhi ubephele ambuze athi: “Bewusahlelephi namhlanje, wena Davida?” Ubephendula athi: “Esewula yakwaJuda”, nanyana “Isewula yeJerarhamiyeli”, nanyana “Isewula yamaKheni.” ₁₁Gade angalethi umuntu aphila eGathi ngombana wacabanga wathi: “Bangasikhaphela bathi, ‘UDavida wenze lokhu nalokhu.’ ” Lokhu bekumumukghwakhe ngesikhathi soke asahlala enarheni yamaFilista. ₁₂U-Akhitjhi wathemba uDavida bewazitjela wathi: “Uzondeke khulu ebantwini bekhabo kwa-Israyeli, yeke sewuzaba yincekwami isiphelani.”