Eyokuqala ka‐Samyali 31

₁KEKALOKU ama‐Filistiya alwa no‐Sirayeli; aza amadoda akwa‐Sirayeli esaba pambi kwama‐Filistiya, awa ehlatyiwe entabeni ye‐Giliboha. ₂Asuka ama‐Filistiya ati nama ukulandela u‐Saule nonyana bake; ada ama‐Filistiya abulala u‐Jonatane, no‐Abinadabi, no‐Maleki‐shuha, onyana baka‐Saule. ₃Kwabekunzima ke ukulwa ngakuye u‐Saule, ati amadoda abetola ngesipeta amcana; waza watutumela kakulu ngenxa yabatoli. ₄Wandula u‐Saule wati kumtwali wezixo̔bo zake: Ṙola iṙele lako, undihlabe ngalo; hleze aba bangalukileyo beze, bandihlabe, badlale ngam. Kodwa umtwali wezixo̔bo zake ebengavumi; ngokuba ebesoyika kakulu. Waza u‐Saule watabata iṙele, wawa pezu kwalo. ₅Wati umtwali wezixo̔bo zake, akubona ukuba u‐Saule ufile, wawa naye pezu kweṙele lake, wafa kunye naye. ₆Kwa njalo wabuba u‐Saule, nonyana bake bobatatu, nomtwali wezixo̔bo zake, nawo onke amadoda ake, ngalomini kwa kunye.

₇Ati akubona amadoda akwa‐Sirayeli abenganeno kwomhlambo, nabenganeno kwe‐Yoredane, ukuba amadoda akwa‐Sirayeli esabile, nokuba u‐Saule nonyana bake bafile, andula ashiya izixeko, esaba; ati ama‐Filistiya eza ahlala kuzo.

₈Kwaye kute ngomnye umhla, akufika ama‐Filistiya ukuhluba abahlatyiweyo, afumana u‐Saule nonyana bake bobatatu belele entabeni ye‐Giliboha. ₉Aza anqumla intloko yake, ahluba izixo̔bo zake, atumela ezweni lama‐Filistiya elingqongayo, ukushumayela endlwini yezitixo zawo nasebantwini. ₁₀Kekaloku izixo̔bo zake azibeka endlwini ka‐Hashetorete, nesidumbu sake asibetela eludongeni lwase‐Bete‐shane. ₁₁Bati bakuva abemi base‐Yabeshe‐gileyadi oko akwenzileyo ama‐Filistiya ku‐Saule, ₁₂bandul’ ukusuka bonke abangamaṙoti, bahamba bonke ubusuku, batula isidumbu sika‐Saule, nezidumbu zonyana bake, eludongeni lwase‐Bete‐shane, beza e‐Yabeshe, bazitshisa kona. ₁₃Baza batabata amatambo abo, bawancw̔aba ngapantsi kwomti wetamariske e‐Yabeshe, bazila ukutya intsuku zasixe̔nxe.