USawule Ulwa NamaFilisti
1USawule wayesekhulakhulile ngesikhathi eqala ukubusa. Esebuse iminyaka emibili kwa-Israyeli, 2waqoka abantu abayizi-3 000 kwa-Israyeli. Abayizi-2 000 baba noSawule eMikhimashi nasentabeni eBhethele, inkulungwane yaba noJonathani eGibheya kwaBhenjamini. Abanye abantu wabaphindisela emuva, kwaba yilowo nalowo waya ethendeni lakhe.
3UJonathani wabhubhisa ibutho lamaFilisti elalikanise eGebha, amaFilisti ezwa ngalokho. USawule wabetha icilongo ezweni lonke, wathi: “AmaHebheru mawezwe!”
4U-Israyeli wonke wezwa ukuthi uSawule ubhubhise impi yamaFilisti nokuthi u-Israyeli uyanengeka kuwo amaFilisti. Abantu baqoqana ukuba balandele uSawule, baye eGiligali.
5AmaFilisti abuthanela ukulwa no-Israyeli: izinqola eziyizi-30 000, abamahhashi abayizi-6 000, nabantu ababebaningi ngangesihlabathi ogwini lolwandle, benyuka bakanisa eMikhimashi empumalanga eBhethi Aveni. 6Kwathi lapho abantu bakwa-Israyeli bebona ukuthi basenkathazweni ngenxa yengcindezelo enkulu ababekuyo, abantu bacasha emigedeni, emahlozini, emaweni, ezinqabeni, nakuyo imithombokwakhiwa. 7AmaHebheru awela iJordani, aya kwaGadi nakwaGileyadi. USawule wayeseseGiligali, bonke abantu bamlandela bethuthumela.
USawule Weqa Umyalo KaSimakade Ngokunikela
8USawule wahlala izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, okuyisikhathi uSamuweli ayemnqumele sona, kodwa uSamuweli akafikanga eGiligali. Abantu base beqala ukuhlakazeka bemshiya uSawule. 9USawule wayesethi: “Lethani kimi umnikelo wokushiswa neminikelo yokuthula.”
Wanikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa. 10Kwathi eseqedile ukunikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa; waqhamuka uSamuweli. USawule waphuma wayomhlangabeza, wambingelela.
11USamuweli wambuza, wathi: “Wenzeni na?”
USawule wathi: “Kuthe ukuba ngibone ukuthi abantu sebeyahlakazeka, bayangishiya, nokuthi nawe awufiki ngesikhathi obusinqumile, namaFilisti abuthene eMikhimashi, 12ngathi: ‘Manje amaFilisti azokwehlela kimi angihlasele eGiligali ngingakakhuleki,’ ngase ngiziphoqa, nganikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa.”
13USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Wenze ubuwula, awuwugcinanga umyalo kaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho akuyale ngawo. USimakade ubezowuqinisa umbuso wakho kwa-Israyeli kuze kube phakade, 14kodwa manje umbuso wakho awusezukuqhubeka. USimakade uzifunele umuntu oqokwe yinhliziyo yakhe. USimakade ummisile ukuba abe ngumholi wabantu bakhe, ngokuba awukugcinanga lokho uSimakade akuyala ngakho.”
15USamuweli wayesesuka wakhuphuka eGiligali, waya eGibheya kwaBhenjamini. USawule wabala abantu ababesasele naye, babecishe babe ngama-600.
16USawule noJonathani, indodana yakhe, nabantu ababe naye bahlala eGebha kwaBhenjamini; amaFilisti akanisa eMikhimashi. 17Amabutho amaFilisti aphuma enkanjini ngezigaba ezintathu; esokuqala sahamba ngendlela eya e-Ofira eShuhali; 18esinye isigaba sahamba ngendlela eya eBhethi Horoni; esinye isigaba sahamba ngendlela eya emngceleni obheke esigodini eZebhoyimi ngasehlane.
19Wayengekho umkhandinsimbi kulo lonke izwe kwa-Israyeli, ngokuba amaFilisti athi: “Funa amaHebheru azakhele izinkemba nemikhonto.”
20Bonke abakwa-Israyeli behlela kuwo amaFilisti ukuze kube yilowo nalowo alole ummese wakhe, igejazembe, imbazo nesikela lakhe. 21Imali ababeyikhokhela ukulola igejazembe noma imfologo kwakuyizingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zeshekeli, kuthi imbazo nezincijo zokuhlokoloza izinkomo kube yingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu zeshekeli.
22Kwathi ngosuku impi eyayibambene ngalo, akwaba bikho muntu kwabakwa-Israyeli ophethe inkemba noma umkhonto esandleni kulabo ababenoSawule noJonathani, ngaphandle kukaSawule noJonathani, indodana yakhe.
23Ibutho lamaFilisti laphuma, laya ngasentubeni eMikhimashi.
