URitsipa namadodanakhe
1Ngesikhathi sokubusa kwakaDavida kwaba nendlala iminyaka emithathu ngokulandelana. UDavida walila kuSomninini. USomnini wathi: “Kungebanga lakaSawula kanye nekumbakhe ezele iingazi; ngokubulala kwakhe amaGibiyoni.”
2(AmaGibiyoni la gade angasiyo ingcenye yama-Israyeli, kodwana bekusiqubutjhwana sabakwa-Amori abasindako. Bakwa-Israyeli bafunga bonyana bazabababalela, kodwana uSawula wasuka wancama khulu ngo-Israyeli noJuda bewazama nokuwabhubhisa).
Ikosi uDavida yabiza amaGibiyoni bona ikhulume nawo, 3yawabuza yathi: “Nginenzeleni? Ngingalungisa njani ukuze koke kubuyele esigeni enarheni kaZimu?”
4AmaGibiyoni amphendula athi: “Asifuni isiliva namkha igolide kuSawula nesizukulwana sakhe. Godu asinalungelo lokubulala umuntu kwa-Israyeli.”
UDavida wathi: “Alo, nifuna nginenzeleni?”
5Amphendula athi: “USawula walinga ukusibhubhisa bewasibekela isifu kobana asirhayile ukuze singabi nesabelo kwa-Israyeli. 6Nje-ke sifuna iinzukulwana zakhe eziduna ezilikhomba zibulawe bezirhubutjhwe phambi kwakaSomnini uZimu. Siziphanyeke eGibeya lakaSawula, ikosi yokuthoma eyakhethwa nguZimu.”
Yeke uDavida wathi: “Ngizaninikela zona.”
7Ikosi yambabalela uMefi-Bhotjheti umsa kaJonathani umsa kaSawula ngebanga lesifungo esenziwa phambi kwakaSomnini phakathi kwakaDavida noJonathani. 8Kodwana ikosi yathatha amadodana amabili wakaRitsipa ongomunye wemingena kaSawula. URitsipa gade kuyindodakazi ka-Aya. Amabizo wamadodana lawo gade kungu-Aramoni noMefi-Bhotjheti. Godu ikosi yathatha amadodana amahlanu wendodakazi kaSawula uMikali. UMikali gade kumfazi ka-Adriyeli umsa kaBharzilayi weMerhola. 9Yawanikela ezandleni zamaGibiyoni, awabulala awaneka embundwini e-aldarini lakaSomnini. Afa ndawonye wolikhomba njalo, abulawa emalangeni wokuthoma wokuvuna njengombana bekuthonywa ukuvunwa kwebhali.
10URitsipa indodakazi ka-Aya wazendlalela ingubo yesizilo phezu kwedwala. Wagada iindumbezo kusukela ekuthomeni kokuvunwa bekwaba sikhathi sokuna kwezulu. Azange avumele bona zithintwe madlanga emini nanyana abophagana ebusuku.
11Kuthe lokha uDavida nezwa ngalokho okwenziwa nguRitsipa umngena kaSawula, 12wakhamba wayokuthatha amathambo kaSawula newendodanakhe uJonathani emphakathini weJabetjhi-Giliyadi. (Abantu beJabetjhi bebawathethe ngemsitheleni esirhodlweni seBhethe-Tjhani lapha bebaphanyekwe khona maFilista ngemva kobana amadlhe uSawula eGilibowa.) 13UDavida waletha amathambo kaSawula newakaJonathani kanye newabanye ababulawa bebaphanyekwa eGibiyoni. 14Bafihla woke amathambo lawo ethuneni lakaKitjhi uyise kaSawula, eTsela kwaBhenjamini. Ngemva kobana sele benze koke ikosi eyabayala ngakho, uZimu waphendula umthandazo wenarha.
Ukulwa namaFilista
15-16Kwabuya godu kwaba nepi phakathi kwamaFilista nama-Israyeli. UDavida waphuma namabuthwakhe wehla wayokulwa namaFilista eGobo. Lokha uDavida nathoma ukudinwa, umFilista wadlumbana bona angambulala. UmFilista lo gade ayitsitsirimba, anomkhonto onetlobo enobudisi obungaphezu kwamakhilogremu amathathu begodu ahlome nangesabula etja. 17Kodwana u-Abitjhayi umsa kaTseruya walamulela uDavida, wamadlha umFilista loyo wambulala. Ngemva kwalokho amabutho kaDavida afunga kuye athi: “Angeze bewusakhamba nathi epini, asifuni bonyana ilanga lakwa-Israyeli licime.”
18Kwaba nenye godu ipi namaFilista eGobo. Ngesikhatheso uSibekayi weRhutjha wabulala uSafi enye yeentsitsirimba. 19Kenye ipi namaFilista eGobo, u-Elirhanana umsa kaJare-Oregimi weBhethe-Lehema wabulala uGoliyadi weGathi. Umphini womkhontwakhe wawulingana nomphekgho.
20Nakenye godu ipi eyaba seGathi, kwakunendoda ede enemino esithandathu esandleni ngasinye namazwani asithandathu enyaweni ngalinye, okuba matjhumi amabili nane sele kukoke. Nayo gade ingenye yeentsitsirimba. 21Yathi lokha nayitlhorholoja ama-Israyeli, uJonathani umsa kaTjhimeyi, umfowabo kaDavida wayibulala.
22Laba abane gade baziinzukulwana zakaRafa eGathi, bafa babulawa nguDavida namabuthwakhe.
