USimakade Ukhetha USawule Abe Yinkosi
1Kwakukhona umuntu kwaBhenjamini ogama lakhe kunguKishi, indodana ka-Abhiyeli kaZerori kaBhekhorathi ka-Afiya, indodana yowakwaBhenjamini, iqhawe elinamandla. 2Wayenendodana igama layo kunguSawule, insizwa enhle; kwakungekho muntu omuhle kunaye phakathi kwabantu bakwa-Israyeli. Kusukela emahlombe akhe kuya phezulu wayemude kunabo bonke abantu.
3Izimbongolo zikaKishi, uyise kaSawule, zalahleka. UKishi wathi kuSawule, indodana yakhe: “Thatha enye yezinceku uvuke nihambe niyofuna izimbongolo.”
4Wadabula kwelezintaba kwa-Efrayimi, wadabula eShalisha, kodwa abazifumananga, base bedabula eShahalimi; nalapho zazingekho. Wadabula kwaBhenjamini, kepha kabazitholanga. 5Kwathi lapho befika eZufi, uSawule wathi encekwini yakhe eyayihamba naye: “Woza, siphindele emuva, funa ubaba ayeke ukukhathazeka ngezimbongolo, bese ekhathazeka ngathi.”
6Yathi kuye: “Bheka, kukhona umuntu kaNkulunkulu kulo muzi, umuntu ohloniphekile; konke akukhulumayo kuyakwenzeka impela. Masiye khona, mhlawumbe angasitshela indlela esihamba ngayo.”
7USawule wayesethi encekwini yakhe: “Uma siya lapho, siyakumnikani lowo muntu na? Isinkwa siphelile emigodleni yethu, akusekho sipho esingasiyisa kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu; sisenani na?”
8Inceku yabuye yamphendula uSawule, yathi: “Uyabona-ke, ngiphethe esandleni sami okwesine kweshekeli lesiliva; lokhu ngiyakumnika khona lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu ukuba asitshele mayelana nendlela yethu.”
9Inceku yathi, kudala kwa-Israyeli noma ngubani owayeya ukuyobuza kuNkulunkulu, wayethi: “Woza siye kumboni.” Ngokuba lowo okuthiwa ngumphrofethi manje kuqala wayebizwa ngomboni. 10USawule wayesethi encekwini yakhe: “Lihle izwi lakho, woza sihambe.”
Baya emzini lapho kwakukhona umuntu kaNkulunkulu.
11Besakhuphuka ummango bephikelele emzini bahlangana namantombazane eyokukha amanzi, bathi kuwo: “Ukhona yini umboni na?”
12Abaphendula athi: “Ukhona, bhekani nangu phambi kwenu. Nokho sheshani ngokuba ufike namuhla emzini, ngoba abantu benomhlatshelo namuhla endaweni ephakemeyo. 13Lapho ningena nje emzini niyomfumana, engakenyukeli endaweni ephakemeyo ukuyokudla; ngokuba nabantu abayukudla engakafiki, ngoba nguye obusisa umhlatshelo andukuba abamenyiweyo badle. Khuphukani khona manje, nizomthola ngalesi sikhathi.”
14Benyukela emzini; kuthe besangena khona, uSamuweli wazithela kubo, lapho ephuma enyukela endaweni ephakemeyo.
15USimakade wayemambulele ngayizolo uSamuweli, engakafiki uSawule, wathi: 16“Kusasa ngalesi sikhathi ngizothumela kuwe umuntu wakwaBhenjamini; uyakumgcoba abe ngumholi wabantu bami u-Israyeli. Uyobasindisa abantu bami esandleni samaFilisti, ngokuba ngibabonile abantu bami, nokukhala kwabo sekufinyelele kimi.”
17USamuweli esembonile uSawule, uSimakade wathi kuye: “Nangu-ke umuntu engikhulume ngaye kuwe, ngathi: ‘Lo uyakubusa abantu bami.’ ”
18USawule wayesesondela kuSamuweli esangweni, wathi: “Ake ungitshele ukuthi iphi indlu yomboni.”
19USamuweli wamphendula uSawule, wathi: “Yimi engingumboni; khuphuka phambi kwami, uye endaweni ephakemeyo, ngokuba niyakudla nami namuhla; ekuseni ngiyakukudedela uhambe, ngikutshele konke okusenhliziyweni yakho. 20Mayelana nezimbongolo zakho ezilahlekile ezinsukwini ezintathu ezedlule, ungabe usayibeka inhliziyo yakho kuzo, ngokuba sezitholakele. Ngokuba libekwe kubani kanti ithemba lika-Israyeli, uma kungekuwe nakubo bonke abendlu kayihlo na?”
21USawule waphendula wathi: “Angisiye yini owakwaBhenjamini, isizwana esincane ezizwaneni zakwa-Israyeli na? Umndeni wami awumncane yini kuyo yonke imindeni yezizwana zakwaBhenjamini na? Ukhulumelani kimi ngale ndlela na?”
22USamuweli wathatha uSawule nenceku yakhe wangena nabo endlini yokudlela, wabahlalisa endaweni ephambili, phakathi kwababemenyiwe; kwakungamadoda angama-30. 23USamuweli wathi kumpheki: “Letha isabelo engakunika sona engasho kuwe ngaso ukuthi: ngigcinele sona.”
24Umpheki waphakamisa umlenze nokwakuphezu kwawo, wawubeka phambi kukaSawule. USamuweli wathi: “Nakhu ohlinzekwe ngakho. Kubeke phambi kwakho, udle, ngokuba kugcinelwe wena kuze kufike lesi sikhathi, njengalokhu ngithe ngimeme abantu.”
USawule wayesedla noSamuweli ngalolo lusuku.
25Sebehlile endaweni ephakemeyo, bangena emzini. USamuweli waxoxa noSawule besophahleni lwendlu. 26Bavuka ekuseni kuseluvindi, uSamuweli wambiza uSawule ophahleni lwendlu, wathi kuye: “Vuka khona ngizokumukisa.”
Wavuka-ke uSawule. Baphuma bobabili baya phandle, uSamuweli noSawule. 27Kwathi besehlela ngasemaphethelweni omuzi, uSamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Tshela inceku yakho ukuba yedlule ihambe phambi kwethu.” Yase yedlula. “Yima wena ukuze ngikutshele izwi elikhulunywe nguNkulunkulu.”
