USawula wenza iphoso ekulu
1USawula bekanamatjhumi amathathu weminyaka lokha naba yikosi. Wabusa u-Israyeli iminyaka ematjhumi amane nambili. 2Ekuthomeni uSawula wakhetha amadoda aziinkulungwana ezintathu kwa-Israyeli, wathatha aziinkulungwana ezimbili wahlala nawo eMikimasi nemibundwini yeBhethe-Eli, kwathi ayikulungwana eyodwa akhamba noJonathani eGibeya kwaBhenjamini. Inengi lamadoda aseleko wawabuyisela emizinawo.
3UJonathani wasahlela isithala samaFilista eGeba, amaFilista akwizwa lokho. USawula wathi akuliliswe ipalapala enarheni yoke kubizwe amajoni wamaHebheru. 4Boke abantu bakwa-Israyeli bayizwa indaba yokuthi: “USawula usahlele isithala samaFilista, nje-ke u-Israyeli sele asikhubekiso kumaFilista.” Yeke woke amadoda abizelwa eGiligali kobana ahlangane noSawula. 5AmaFilista abuthana bonyana alwe no-Israyeli, aphuma ngeenkarana eziziinkulungwana ezintathu, nabakhweli bakhona abaziinkulungwana ezintathu, namajoni amanenginengi kwanga yitjhwabatjhwaba yelwandle. Enyuka ahloma eMikimasi ngepumalanga yeBhethe-Aveni. 6Kuthe lokha amadoda wakwa-Israyeli nabona ukuthi ubujamo akibo bumasikizi, nokuthi ibutho lawo ligandeleleke kangangani, abhaca emarholweni, hlangana namarharha, emirhobeni, emigodini neenkhelebetheni. 7Amajoni wamaHebheru ayama iJordana aya enarheni yakwaGadi neyakwaGiliyadi. USawula wahlala eGiligali amabuthwakhe athuthumela ngemva kwakhe.
8Walinda amalanga alikhomba, okwakusikhathi esasibekwe nguSamyela, kodwana uSamyela akhange afike eGiligali, amadoda akhamba noSawula abe athoma ukunghala. 9USawula wathi: “Ngilethelani umhlabelo wokutjhiswa newetjhebiswano.” USawula wanikela ngomhlabelo wokutjhiswa. 10Uthe naqeda ukwenza umhlabelo wokutjhiswa, nakhuya uSamyela afika. USawula wamhlangabeza wambingelela. 11USamyela wabuza wathi: “Wenzeni?” USawula waphendula wathi: “Ngithe lokha nangibona amadoda sele anghala; ngabona nesikhathi esibekiweko sesibethe besadlula ungakabonakali, kanti namaFilista sele ahlomile eMikimasi, 12ngadlumbana bona amaFilista la azabe angisahlele eGiligalapha ngingakabawi isisa kuSomnini. Yeke ngazibona ngikatelelekile kobana nginikele ngomhlatjelo wokutjhiswa.”
13USamyela wathi: “Wenze ubudlhadlha, awukabulungi umyalo uSomnini uZimakho akunikele wona. Nangathana bewuwubulungile, uSomnini bekazakusekela umbuswakho phezu kwaka-Israyeli ngeenkhathi zoke. 14Kodwana umbuswakho awukazokudzimelela, uSomnini sele afune umuntu osehliziywenakhe bewamkhetha bona abe mrholi wabantu bakhe ngombana wena ubhalelwe kubulunga umyalwakhe.”
15USamyela wasuka eGiligali waya eGibeya kwaBhenjamini. USawula wabala amadoda agade asele nawo. Imbalo yawo yayimakhulu asithandathu. 16USawula nendodanakhe uJonathani kanye namadoda agade akhamba nawo bahlala eGibeya kwaBhenjamini, kanti amaFilista wona ahloma eMikimasi. 17Iinqhema ezihluthulako zaphuma ekampeni yamaFilista zenza iimpondo ezintathu. Iphondo elinye laphuma lanqomba e-Ofira nca ngeTjhuwali, 18elinye lanqomba eBhethe-Rhoroni; lesithathu lona lanqomba ngembundwini lapha ungabona khona umrhoba weTseboyimu omalungana nerhalawumba.
Izenzo zobungwenya zakaJonathani
19Kwakutlhogeka ngitjho namunye umbumbisimbi enarheni yoke yakwa-Israyeli ngombana amaFilista athi: “Nakungasinjalo, amaHebheru azakwenza iinsabula namkha imikhonto.” 20Woke ama-Israyeli gade ehlela kumaFilista ukuyokulungisa iinkara zeemplurhu, amalembe, amazembe neensegere zawo. 21Inani lokulungisa isikara seplurhu nelembe beliziinkghedlhwana ezimbili zesiliva bese kuba sikghedlhu sinye ukulungisa iforogo nezembe kanye nokuvuselela isitlhorholojakomo. 22Ngelanga lepi bekunganajoni egade liphethe umkhonto namkha isabula esandleni kilawa agade akhamba noSawula noJonathani, ngaphandle kwakaSawula nendodanakhe uJonathani.
23Abogadi bamaFilista gade sele baphumile banqombe eMikimasi endleleni edlula hlangana neentaba.
