1 USamuweli 31

₁AmaFilisti alwa no-Israyeli. Abantu bakwa-Israyeli babaleka phambi kwamaFilisti, abanye babo bawa, basala enkundleni, entabeni iGilibhowa. ₂AmaFilisti amhubha uSawule namadodana akhe. AmaFilisti abulala uJonathani, u-Abhinadaba, noMalikhi Shuwa, amadodana kaSawule. ₃Impi yaba nzima kakhulu kuSawule; abacibayo bamfica esebuhlungwini obukhulu ngenxa yokugwazwa ngumcibisholo.

₄USawule wathi odibini lwakhe: “Hosha inkemba yakho, ungigwaze ngayo, funa abangasokile bafike bangigwaze, bangijivaze.”

Kepha udibi lwakhe lwenqaba, ngoba lwesaba kakhulu. USawule wayesethatha inkemba yakhe, waziphonsa phezu kwayo. ₅Kwathi lungabona udibi lwakhe ukuthi uSawule usefile, nalo lwaziphonsa phezu kwenkemba yalo, lwafa kanye naye. ₆USawule wafa namadodana akhe omathathu, nodibi lwakhe, nabo bonke abantu bakhe ngalolo lusuku.

₇Kwathi ukuba abantu bakwa-Israyeli ababephesheya kwesigodi nalabo ababengaphesheya kweJordani, babone ukuthi abantu bakwa-Israyeli bayabaleka, nokuthi uSawule namadodana akhe bafile, bashiya imizi yabo, babaleka. AmaFilisti afika, ahlala kuyo.

₈Kwathi ngakusasa, amaFilisti abuya ukuyophanga ababebulewe, afumana uSawule namadodana akhe omathathu befele entabeni iGilibhowa. ₉Amnquma ikhanda, athatha izikhali zakhe, athumela ezweni lamaFilisti ukumemezela yonke indawo endlini yezithombe zawo nakubantu. ₁₀Abeka izikhali zikaSawule endlini ka-Ashitharothi, isidumbu sakhe asibethela ogangeni eBhethi Shani.

₁₁Kwathi ukuba izakhamuzi zaseJabheshi Gileyadi zizwe ngokwenziwe ngamaFilisti kuSawule, ₁₂kwasuka wonke amadoda anamandla, ahamba ubusuku bonke, asithatha isidumbu sikaSawule nezidumbu zamadodana akhe ogangeni eBhethi Shani, ahamba nazo, afika eJabeshi azishisela khona. ₁₃Athatha amathambo abo awambela phansi komthamariske, eJabeshi. Azila ukudla izinsuku eziyisikhombisa.