UDavide wala kwakhona ukubulala uSawule
1AmaZifi ahambela kuSawule eGibheya, athi: “Nanko uDavide ezímele kulaa nduli iHakila ekumaphethelo entlango yelakwaJuda.”
2Unduluke kwangoko uSawule wenjenjeya, ehamba namawaka amathathu amadoda akhethiweyo kwaSirayeli, ukuya kukhangela uDavide kuloo ntlango yaseZifi. 3Wafika wamisa ikampu ngasendleleni kuloo nduli iHakila. Wayesesentlango uDavide lo gama kufika uSawule. Uthe ke akubona ukuba nanko uSawule emlandela, 4wathumela iintlola, ziye kuqonda ukuba ngaba wayelapho ngenene na uSawule. 5UDavide usuke kwangoko wayijongisisa loo ndawo wayemise kuyo uSawule. Wayibona indawo apho uSawule noAbhinere, unyana kaNere, umphathi-mkhosi kaSawule, babelalisa kuyo. USawule wayelala phakathi ekampini, engqongwe ngumkhosi wakhe.
6Emva koko uDavide ubhekise kuAhimeleki umHeti, nakuAbhishayi umntakwabo-Jowabi (onina yayinguZeruya) wenjenje: “Ngubani phakathi kwenu ofuna ukuya nam kulaa kampu kaSawule?”
“Ndim oza kuhamba nawe,” uvakele esitsho uAbhishayi.
7Ngobusuku bangaloo mini ke uDavide kunye noAbhishayi baya kungena ekampini kaSawule, elele ubuthongo phakathi ekampini, umkhonto wakhe ugxunyekwe phantsi ngasentloko. Amajoni noAbhinere babelele obentlombe bemngqongile. 8Kwesi sithuba uAbhishayi uthe kuDavide: “Utshaba lwakho ulunikezele esandleni sakho namhlanje uThixo! Ndiyeke ndimgwaze ndimhlabanisele ngomkhonto. Andiyi kuphinda kabini!”
9Uphendule wathi uDavide: “Uze ungambulali! Ngubani ongamsa isandla umthanjiswa *kaNdikhoyo aze abe msulwa? 10Inene, ekho nje uNdikhoyo,” waqhuba watsho uDavide, “nguNdikhoyo ngokwakhe oya kumbetha, nokuba kungokufika kwemini yakhe yokufa, nokuba kungokubulawa kwakhe edabini. 11Ngenxa kaNdikhoyo mna mandingaze ndimse isandla umthanjiswa kaNdikhoyo. Thatha laa mkhonto wakhe, nalaa ngqayi yakhe yamanzi ingasentlokweni yakhe, sihambe.”
12Bawuthatha ke loo mkhonto naloo ngqayi zazisentla koSawule, bemka nazo ooDavide noAbhishayi. Akukho bani owababonayo, nabani owakuvayo okwakuqhubeka, nabani owaphaphamayo; bonke babelel' obentlombe, kuba kaloku uNdikhoyo wabahlisela obunzulu obu ubuthongo xa bebonke.
13Wasuka apho wawela intlambo uDavide, waya kuthi qingqi ngaphesheya endulini ethe qelele, wafika 14wamemeza ekhwaza umkhosi kaSawule noAbhinere, esithi: “Wa, Abhinere! Khawuphendule, mfondini!”
“Ngaba ngubani na lo ufundekela ukumkani?” NguAbhinere lowo utshoyo.
15Kuphendule kwauDavide, wenjenje: “Andibi kanene, Abhinere, nguwe intshatsheli emfazweni? Ukhona na omnye olingana nawe kwaSirayeli? Ngani ke ungamkhuseli umhlekazi ikumkani yakho? Ngoku ndithethayo kungene umntu apho emkhosini wenu, eze kubulala ukumkani. 16Imbi le nto uyenzileyo, Abhinere! Ekho nje uNdikhoyo, ndithi nimelwe kukufa nonke, kuba noyisakele kukukhusela ukumkani wenu, umthanjiswa kaNdikhoyo! Khawukhangele: uphi umkhonto kakumkani? Iphi yona ingqayi yakhe, le ibisentla kwakhe?”
17Waliva ilizwi ukuba lelikaDavide uSawule. Uvakele esithi: “Ngaba nguwe lowo, Davide, nyana wam?”
“Ewe, ndim, mhlekazi,” kuphendule uDavide. 18Watsho eqhuba esithi: “Khawutsho, mhlekazi, usandizungula ngantoni kangaka! Ndenzeni, mhlekazi? Liyintoni ityala lam kuwe? 19Mhlekazi, nkosi yam, khawuphulaphule amazwi omkhonzi wakho! Ukuba nguNdikhoyo okuxhokonkxileyo ngakum angáxoliswa ngumnikelo. Phofu ukuba ngabantu, mabahlelwe sisiqalekiso sikaNdikhoyo. Kaloku bandiphephethe ndatsho ndabhacela ngaphandle komhlaba olilifa lethu esilinikwe nguNdikhoyo, besithi: ‘Deda, uye kunqula *thixo bambi!’ 20Mhlekazi, igazi lam malingaphalali ezizweni kude noNdikhoyo! Inene, ukumkani wakwaSirayeli uphumele ukuzingela intakumba enye, exela ubani osukela isakhwatsha ezintabeni.”
21Uphendule wenjenje uSawule: “Ndonile; buyel' ekhaya, Davide nyana wam! Andisobe ndikuse sandla konke, ngokuba namhlanje ubomi bam bube lixabiso kuwe. Ngenene ndenze ubudenge ndaphazama gqitha!”
22Waphendula uDavide wathi: “Umkhonto wakho nguwo lo, mhlekazi. Thumela omnye wabafana bakho eze kuwuthatha. 23NguNdikhoyo ongumvuzi wabenza okulungileyo kwanâbo bathembekileyo. Wena ebekubeke esandleni sam namhlanje uNdikhoyo, kambe ke mna andikusanga sandla, kuba ungukumkani othanjiswe nguye. 24Njengoko ndibuxabisileyo ubomi bakho namhlanje, ubenga uNdikhoyo abuxabise nobam, andihlangule kuzo zonke iimbandezelo.”
25USawule wathi kuDavide: “Wanga ungathamsanqeleka, nyana wam Davide. Uya kuya usomelela ngokomelela, ude ube ngotshatsheleyo.”
Emva koko ke uDavide wahamba indlela yakhe, yena uSawule wagoduka.
