I SAMUELE 23

₁Ebile ba tsebisa Davida, ba re: Bafilista ba futuhetse Keila, ba thotha tse diotlong. ₂Davida a botsa Jehova, a re: Na ke tla ya, ke hlole Bafilista bao na? Jehova a re ho Davida: Eya, o hlole Bafilesta, o namolele Keila. ₃Empa banna ba Davida ba re ho yena: Bona, haele moo re tshaba re sa le kwano, Juda, re tla tshaba hakakang, ha re ka ya Keila ho makgotla a Bafilesta? ₄Davida a eketsa hape, a botsa Jehova; Jehova a mo arabela, a re: Tloha, o theohele Keila, hobane ke tla neela Bafilesta matsohong a hao. ₅Jwale, Davida le banna ba hae ba ya Keila, ba lwana le Bafilesta, ba hapa kgomo tsa bona, mme ba ba bolaya ka polao e kgolo. Davida a namolela ba ahileng Keila jwalo.

₆Mohla Abiathare, mora Akimeleke, a balehelang ho Davida, o ne a tlile Keila, a ena le efoda. ₇Saule ha a tsebiswa hobane Davida o ile Keila, Saule a re: Modimo o mo lahletse matsohong a ka, hobane o thibelletswe ha a kene motseng o nang le mamati le mekwallo. ₈Saule a mema setjhaba kaofela ho futuha, le ho theohela Keila, le ho thibella Davida le banna ba hae. ₉Davida ha a utlwa hobane Saule o mo otsitse, a re ho moprista Abiathare: Tlisa efoda kwano. ₁₀Davida a re: Oho Jehova, Modimo wa Iseraele, mohlanka wa hao o utlwile kannete hobane Saule o batla ho tla Keila, le ho fedisa motse ka baka la ka. ₁₁Hleka beng ba Keila ba tla nneela matsohong a hae na? Na le Saule o tla theohela kwano, jwalokaha mohlanka wa hao a utlwile na? Oho Jehova, Modimo wa Iseraele, o ke o tsebise mohlanka wa hao hle. Jehova a re: O tla tla. ₁₂Davida a eketsa, a re: Hleka beng ba Keila ba tla re neela, nna le batho ba ka, matsohong a Saule na? Jehova a re: Ba tla le neela.

₁₃Jwale, Davida a tloha, a ena le banna ba hae, e batla e eba batho ba makgolo a tsheletseng, ba tswa Keila, ba ya moo ba yang. Saule a tsebiswa hobane Davida o balehile Keila; a lesa ke hona ho ya pele. ₁₄Haele Davida, a ya dula feelleng diqhobong, a dula thabeng, feelleng la Sife; leha Saule a ne a ntse a mmatla ka matsatsi wohle, Modimo ha o a ka wa mo neela matsohong a hae. ₁₅Leha Davida a bone hobane Saule o tswetse ho mmatla, Davida a dula feelleng la Sife, morung. ₁₆Yaba Jonathane, mora Saule, o tloha, a tla ho Davida morung, a tiisa letsoho la hae ho Modimo; ₁₇a re ho yena: Se tshabe, hobane letsoho la ntate Saule le ke ke la o fihlela; hape o tla ba morena wa Iseraele, nna ke be ya o hlahlamang; le ntate Saule o a tseba hobane ho tla ba jwalo. ₁₈Ebile bobedi ba bona ba etsa selekane pela Jehova; mme Davida a sala morung, Jonathane yena a kgutlela hae.

₁₉Jwale ba Sife ba tla ho Saule, Gibea, ba re: Ha re re, Davida o ipata haeso diqhobong, morung, leralleng la Hakila, ka nqa borwa ho lefeella na? ₂₀Jwale, morena, tloo kamoo o hopotseng kateng, e be rona re mo neelang matsohong a morena. ₂₁Saule a re: Le ke le hlohonolofatswe ke Jehova, hobane le nkutlwetse bohloko. ₂₂Eyang le batle, mme le tsebe le ho bona moo leoto la hae le hatang teng, hape ke mang ya mmoneng teng, hobane ke boleletswe hoba o etsa ka bohlale. ₂₃Bonang ke hona, le tsebe sephiri seo a ipatang ho sona, le ntoo boya le tsebile, ke tle ke ye le lona; etlare ha a dutse lefatsheng lena, ke tla nne ke mmatle, ke be ke qete dikete tsohle tsa Juda. ₂₄Ebile ba tloha ho Saule, ba ya Sife; Davida yena le banna ba hae ba le feelleng la Maone, thoteng, ka nqa borwa ho lefeella.

₂₅Saule a ya jwalo le banna ba hae ho batla Davida. Davida a tsebiswa, a ba a theohela lefikeng, a dula feelleng la Maone. Saule ha a utlwa, a phallela Davida feelleng la Maone. ₂₆Saule o ba a tsamaya lehlakoreng le ka kwano ho thaba, Davida yena le banna ba hae ba tsamaya lehlakoreng le ka nqane ho thaba. Davida a baleha pela Saule, a tshaba, kahobane Saule le banna ba hae ba ne ba se ba ya teela Davida le banna ba hae hare, ba ba tshware. ₂₇Ha mpa ha fihla lenqosa ho Saule, la re; Phakisa o tle, hobane Bafilesta ba futuhetse naha. ₂₈Saule a kgutla kahoo, a lesa ho phallela Davida, a ya kgahlanyetsa Bafilesta. Ka baka leo, baka seo sa bitswa Sela-Hammalekothe (lefika la karohano).

₂₉Yaba Davida o tloha teng, a ya diqhobong tsa Ene-Gedi.