USAMUWELI I 13

₁USawule wabusa umnyaka; esebusile iminyaka emibili kwaIsrayeli,

₂uSawule wazikhethela abantu abayizinkulungwane ezintathu kwaIsrayeli; izinkulungwane ezimbili zazinoSawule eMikimashi nasentabeni yaseBethele, nenkulungwane yayinoJonathani eGibeya lakwaBenjamini; abanye abantu wabamukisa, kwaba-yilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe.

₃UJonathani wachitha ikhanda lamaFilisti elaliseGeba, amaFilisti akuzwa. USawule wabetha icilongo ezweni lonke, wathi: Makezwe amaHeberu.

₄Wonke uIsrayeli wezwa kuthiwa uSawule uchithile ikhanda lamaFilisti nokuthi uIsrayeli uyanengeka kuwo amaFilisti. Abantu babuthwa ukuba bamlandele uSawule, baye eGiligali.

₅AmaFilisti abuthana ukuba alwe noIsrayeli: izinqola eziyizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu, nabamahashi abayizinkulungwane eziyisithupha, nabantu abangangesihlabathi esisogwini lolwandle ngobuningi; benyuka bamisa eMikimashi ngasempumalanga kwaseBeti-Aveni.

₆Lapho abantu bakwaIsrayeli bebona ukuthi basengcingweni, ngokuba bacindezelwa kakhulu, abantu bacasha emihumeni, nasemahlozini, nasemaweni, naezinqabeni, nasemigodini.

₇NamaHeberu ayewelile iJordani ukuya ezweni lakwaGadi nakwelakwaGileyadi; kepha uSawule wayeseseGiligali; abantu bonke bamlandela bethuthumela.

₈Wahlala izinsuku eziyisikhombisa njengesikhathi esimisiwe nguSamuweli, kepha uSamuweli akafikanga eGiligali; abantu bahlakazeka kuye.

₉USawule wayesethi: Lethani kimi umnikelo wokushiswa neminikelo yokuthula. Wanikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa.

₁₀Kwathi eseqedile ukunikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa, bheka, uSamuweli wafika; uSawule waphuma ukumhlangabeza ukuba ambingelele.

₁₁USamuweli wathi: Wenzeni na? USawule wathi: Njengokuba ngabona ukuthi abantu bahlakazekile kimi, nokuthi awufikanga ngesikhathi esimisiweyo, nokuthi amaFilisti abuthene eMikimashi,

₁₂ngathi: Manje amaFilisti ayakwehlela kimi eGiligali ngingakhulekanga; ngase ngiziphoqa, nganikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa.

₁₃USamuweli wathi kuSawule: Wenzé ngobuwula, awugcinanga umyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho akuyala ngawo, ngokuba uJehova ubeseyakuqinisa umbuso wakho kwaIsrayeli kuze kube-phakade.

₁₄Kepha manje umbuso wakho awuyikuqhubeka; uJehova usezifunele umuntu ngokwenhliziyo yakhe; uJehova ummisile abe-ngumholi wabantu bakhe, ngokuba ungagcinanga lokho uJehova akuyala ngakho.

₁₅USamuweli wayesesuka, wakhuphuka eGiligali, waya eGibeya lakwaBenjamini. USawule wabala abantu abafumaniseka bekuye, kungathi abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha.

₁₆OSawule noJonathani indodana yakhe nabantu ababenaye bahlala eGeba lakwaBenjamini, kepha amaFilisti amisa eMikimashi.

₁₇Abaphangi baphuma ekamu* lamaFilisti ngezigaba ezintathu; esinye isigaba sahamba ngendlela eya eOfira ezweni laseShuhali;

₁₈esinye isigaba sahamba ngendlela eya eBeti-Horoni; esinye isigaba sahamba ngendlela eya emkhawulweni obheka esigodini saseSeboyimi ngasehlane.

₁₉Kwakungekho-mkhandi ezweni lonke lakwaIsrayeli, ngokuba amaFilisti athi: Funa amaHeberu azenzele izinkemba nemikhonto.

₂₀Bonke abakwaIsrayeli behlela kuwo amaFilisti, kwaba-yilowo nalowo ukuba alole umese wakhe, nempumulo yakhe, nembazo yakhe, nesikela lakhe;

₂₁imali yayiyipimi* ngezimpumulo nangezimfoloko, nenxenye yesithathu yeshekeli* ngezimbazo nangokulungisa izincijo zezinkabi.

₂₂Kwathi ngosuku lokulwa akwabakho-nkemba namkhonto esandleni samuntu owayenoSawule noJonathani; kodwa koSawule noJonathani indodana yakhe kwakukhona.

₂₃Ikhanda lamaFilisti laphuma, laya ngasentubeni yaseMikimashi.