1 USAMYELA 14

₂Kwakunamadoda amakhulu asithandathu agade anoSawula ngaphandle kweGibeya. USawula wayehlezi ngaphasi komuthi ocwengileko wamarharinada eMigroni, ₃ano-Arhija ogade embethe i-efodi. (U-Arhija gade angomunye wabaphristi beTjhilo. Uyise kungu-Arhitubi, umnakwabo ka-Ikabhodi; uyisemkhulu kunguFiniyasi umsa ka-Eli.)

Akakho owakhe watjheja bonyana uJonathani unyamalele. ₄Ngakelinye nelinye ihlangothi lendlela enqombe entabeni gade kunentatjana lapha uJonathani agade anqophe ukuyama khona nakaya kibogadi bamaFilista. Enye kwakuthiwa yiBhosesi kanti enye kuthiwa yiSene. ₅Intatjana enye beyinzinze ngetlhagwini yeMikimasi, enye ingesewula yeGeba.

₆UJonathani wathi kusonkhandakhe: “Namba siyamele kibogadi abangakasoki labaya. USomnini angasisiza, nanyana siliwoma namkha sinzunzwana.” ₇Usonkhandakhe wathi kuye: “Yewenze koke okusemkhumbulwenakho. Ragela phambili ngizakusekela ngakho koke.” ₈UJonathani wathi: “Asikhambe-ke siyamele ebantwinabaya ukuze basibone kuhle. ₉Nange basithi kithi, ‘Jamani lapho besifike kini,’ sizakujama lapha sikhonapho singenyukeli kibo. ₁₀Kodwana nange basithi, ‘Yenyukelani kithi,’ sizakwenyuka ngombana lokho kuzabe kulitshwayo lethu lokutjengisa bona uSomnini ubanikele ezandleni zethu.”

₁₁Yeke baziveza bobabili kibogadi bamaFilista. AmaFilista abizana athi: “Akhese niqale! Nakaya amaHebheru arhubhuluka emgodini lapha agade abhace khona.” ₁₂Abogadi barhuwelela uJonathani nosonkhandakhe bathi: “Yenyukelani kithapha ukuze sinikhombise into enamehlo.” Yeke uJonathani wathi kusonkhandakhe: “Yenyuka ungilandele; uSomnini ubanikele esandleni saka-Israyeli.”

₁₃UJonathani wakhuphuka akhasa ngamadolo; usonkhandakhe wamlandela eenthendeni. AmaFilista asala awile lapha kudlule khona uJonathani; kwathi usonkhandakhe yena wakhamba awaqedelela. ₁₄Ehlandleni lokuthoma lokusahlela kwabo, uJonathani nosonkhandakhe babulala abantu abamatjhumi amabili, iindumbu zabo zakghubelelana.

₁₅Kwaba khona ivalo kwabasekampeni, emmangweni, nakiwo woke amajoni. Abagadileko nabahluthulako nabo babethwa livalo. Ukuhlengezela kwephasi kwabethusa khulu. ₁₆Iinhloli zakaSawula zeGibeya kwaBhenjamini zabona ibutho lamaFilista lihlangahlangene emahlangothini woke. ₁₇USawula wathi emadodeni agade anawo: “Akhe nihlanganise ibutho loke nihlole bonyana ngubani ongekho phakathi kwalo.” Sele bakwenzile lokho bafunyana ukuthi nguJonathani nosonkhandakhe abangekho ebuthweni. ₁₈USawula wathi ku-Arhija: “Yenilethe umfaji kaZimu lowo.” (Ngesikhatheso gade ukwa-Israyeli.) ₁₉Kwathi uSawula nasakhuluma nomphristi, isiyaluyalu esisekampeni yamaFilista saya ngokurhagala. USawula wathi kumphristi: “Yeniwulise, ningasawuletha.”

₂₀USawula nabantu bakhe babuthana banqomba epini. Bafika bafunyana amaFilista ahlangahlangene kwamanikelela, abulalana wodwa ngeensabula. ₂₁AmaHebheru akhambako begodu ahlala namaFilista ekampenawo, abuyela kuma-Israyeli agade anoSawula noJonathani. ₂₂Kwathi lokha ama-Israyeli agade abhace emibundwini ngenarheni yakwa-Efrayimu nakezwa bonyana amaFilista ayabaleka, arhubhuluka awahlala eenthendeni. ₂₃Mhlokho uSomnini wawasiza ama-Israyeli.

Ipi yaragela phambili kufikela eBhethe-Aveni. ₂₄Mhlokho abantu bakwa-Israyeli baphela amandla ngombana uSawula wafunga kibo wathi: “Akathuweleliswe umuntu ogoma ukudla kungakarhwaqeli; ngingakazibuyiseleli ezitheni zami!” Yeke ibutho azange likunambithe nakancani ukudla.

₂₅Ibutho loke langena ngehlathini lafunyana iinyosi ngemgodini. ₂₆Zazithwele zithonta, kodwana kwangaba khona ozitapako ngombana bebesaba isifungo. ₂₇Kodwana uJonathani gade angakezwa bona uyise ubophe abantu ngesifungo. Watlhorholoja amanembe ngedondolo egade aliphethe, wakhotha. Kuthe lokha nanambithako, amehlwakhe aphazima. ₂₈Elinye lamabutho lathi kuye: “Uyihlo ubophe abantu ngesifungo esimanzima wathi, ‘Akathuweleliswe umuntu ozokugoma ukudla namhlanjesi!’ Kungakho abantwaba babogaboga nje.” ₂₉UJonathani wathi: “Ubaba ubangele inarha le inyakanyaka. Akhese uqale bonyana amehlwami afese aphazima kangangani lokha nangigoma ilujwanyaneliya. ₃₀Kuyatjho bonyana abantwaba nangathana bafese bavunyelwa ukobana bagome ezinye zezinto abazithumbe emanabeni wabo, amaFilista bekazakuloba khulu kunalokhu.”

₃₁Mhlanokho ama-Israyeli amadlha amaFilista phasi ukusukela eMikimasi bekube se-Ayaloni. Ngebanga lokobana abantu babesele badinwe khulu ₃₂baziphosa phezu kwepango. Babhudungela izimvu, iinkomo namakonyana, bahlabela khona phasapho, badla inyama isese neengazi. ₃₃Omunye wathi kuSawula: “Qala, abantwaba bayona phambi kwakaSomnini nabagoma inyama ingakaphophi iingazi.” Yena wathi: “Nenze kumbi. Gedani ilitje elikhulu nililethapha.” ₃₄Godu wathi: “Tjela abantwabo bonyana ngithi, ‘Omunye nomunye akalethe ikomakhe nemvakhe bese nizihlabela elitjenapha nigome. Nilise ukona phambi kwakaSomnini ngokugoma inyama ningakasi iingazi e-aldarini.’ ” Yeke omunye nomunye weza araga ikomakhe ngobusukobo wayihlabela khonapho. ₃₅Njalo-ke uSawula wakhela uSomnini i-aldari; nokho bekathoma ukwenza into enjalo.

₃₆USawula wathi: “Nambani sehlele kumaFilista ngamarhwaqela siwasahlele, siwaphange bekuse, singatjhiyi namunye ophilako.” Abantu bathi: “Akube njengombana usitjho.” Kodwana umphristi wathi: “Akhe sibuze kuZimu qangi.”

₃₇USawula wabuza wathi: “Ngiwalandelele amaFilista na? Uzawanikela esandleni sama-Israyeli?” Kodwana mhlokho uZimu wathi du. ₃₈USawula wathi: “Yizanapha noke nina barholi bebutho, akhe sihlolisiseni bonyana sisono bani esenzakeleko namhlanjesi. ₃₉Ngifunga uZimu owasindisa u-Israyeli ngithi: Ngitjho nanyana kungathiwa msanami uJonathani owonileko, kuzakufanela bonyana afe.” Kodwana abantu bazithulela. ₄₀USawula wathi ku-Israyeli woke: “Jamani lapha; mina nendodanami uJonathani sizakujama laphaya.” Abantu bathi: “Awa, yewenze ngokubona kwakho.”

₄₁USawula wathandaza kuSomnini uZimu ka-Israyeli wathi: “Zimu yewungiphe ipendulo enqophileko.” Kwase kwenziwa ifumbe phakathi kwakaJonathani noSawula nabantu. Kwafumaniseka bona abantu abanamlandu. ₄₂USawula wathi: “Yenzani ifumbe phakathi kwami nendodanami uJonathani.” Ifumbe yadla uJonathani. ₄₃USawula wathi kuJonathani: “Akhe utjho-ke, wenzeni?” UJonathani wamtjela wathi: “Senganambitha ilujwanyana ngedondolo lami. Alo kufuze ngifele lokho na?”

₄₄USawula wathi: “UZimu angangibulala nange ngingakubulali wena Jonathani.” ₄₅Kodwana abantu bathi kuSawula: “Uthi uJonathani kufuze abulawe na? Yena lo olwele u-Israyeli kangaka? Afeke! Sifunga uSomnini ajame ngeenyawo, abe akunamuntu ongamthinta ngombana wenze into ekulu namhlanjesi ngokusizwa nguZimu.” Ngaleyondlela abantu bamsindisa uJonathani; azange asabulawa.

₄₆USawula wakhawula ukugijimisana namaFilista, nawo abuyela enarheni yekhabo.

₄₇Ngemva kobana uSawula anzinzise ubukhosi kwa-Israyeli, walwa nezitha zakhe ezimzombelezileko: uMowabi, ama-Amoni, u-Edomu, amakhosi wakwaTsobha namaFilista. Qobe kuhlangana nawo; gade awahlunguphaza. ₄₈Walwa ngamandla wahlula ama-Amalekhi, wasindisa ama-Israyeli esandleni salabo ebegade bawahlunguphaza.

₄₉Amadodana kaSawula bekunguJonathani, uYitjhivi noMaliki-Tjhuwa. Ibizo lomntazanakhe omkhulu bekunguMeraba, lomncani kunguMikala. ₅₀Ibizo lomkakhe kungu-Arhinowami indodakazi ka-Arhimatsa.

Ibizo lomphathi webutho lakaSawula bekungu-Abineri umsa kaNeri; uNeri lo, bekungusonghwanakhe kaSawula. ₅₁Uyise kaSawula uKhitjhi noyise ka-Abineri, uNeri bebamadodana ka-Abiyela.

₅₂Ngeenkhathi zoke zokuphila kwakaSawula bekuhlala kunezipi ezimasikizi njalo namaFilista. Qobe kuhlangana kwakhe nomuntu onamandla nonesibindi, bekamthatha amfake ebuthweni lakhe.