1KWAZA kwaxelwa ku‐Davide, kusitwa: Nanga ama‐Filistiya esilwa ngakuyo i‐Kehila, epanga izibaya zokubula. 2Ngako u‐Davide wabuza kuyehova, esiti: Ndiya kuya na ndibete lama‐Filistiya? Waza uyehova wati ku‐Davide: Yiya ubete ama‐Filistiya, usindise i‐Kehila. 3Kodwa amadoda ka‐Davide ati kuye: Bona ke, silapa nje kwa‐Juda siyoyika; kangakananina ngakumbi ke, nxa siya kuya e‐Kehila ngakuwo amabandla ama‐Filistiya? 4Wapinda kanjako u‐Davide ukubuza kuyehova. Waye uyehova wampendula, wati: Suka, yihla uye e‐Kehila; ngokuba ndiya kunikela ama‐Filistiya esandleni sako. 5Waza waya u‐Davide namadoda ake e‐Kehila, walwa ngakuwo ama‐Filistiya, watimba inkomo zawo, wawabeta ngesibulalo esikulu. Kwa njalo u‐Davide wasindisa abemi base‐Kehila.
6Kwaye kute, akusaba u‐Abiyatare unyana ka‐Ahimeleki ukuya ku‐Davide e‐Kehila, wehla neyefodi esandleni sake.
7Kwada kwaxelwa ku‐Saule ukuba u‐Davide utikile e‐Kehila. Wayesiti u‐Saule: Utixo umlahlele esandleni sam; ngokuba evalelwe, ngokungena esixekweni esinengcango nemivalo. 8Waza u‐Saule wababiza bonke abantu emfazweni, ukuya kuhlela e‐Kehila, ukuvingcela u‐Davide namadoda ake.
9Kekaloku akwazi u‐Davide ukuba u‐Saule ebeqinga ububi ngakuye, waza wati ku‐Abiyatare umperisite: Sondeza iyefodi. 10Wandula wati u‐Davide: Yehova, Tixo wo‐Sirayeli! isicaka sako sivile ngenyaniso ukuba u‐Saule uyafuna ukuza e‐Kehila, ukusitshabalalisa isixeko ngenxa yam. 11Baya kundinikela na abemi base‐Kehila esandleni sake? uya kuhla na u‐Saule, njengokuba isicaka sako sivile? Yehova, Tixo wo‐Sirayeli! zusixelele ke isicaka sako. Wayesiti uyehova: Uya kuhla. 12Waza wati u‐Davide: Abemi base‐Kehila baya kunikela na mna namadoda am esandleni sika‐Saule? Wayesiti uyehova: Baya kukunikela.
13Wandula wesuka u‐Davide, namadoda ake, anga angamakulu matandatu, bapuma e‐Kehila, bahamba apo babenokuhamba kona. Kwaza kwaxelwa ku‐Saule ukuba u‐Davide usindile e‐Kehila; ngako wayeka ukupuma. 14Waza u‐Davide wahlala entlango ezinqatyeni, wahlala entabeni esentlango ye‐Zifi. Waye u‐Saule wamfuna imihla yonke; kodwa uyehova akamnika esandleni sake.
15Wati u‐Davide wabona ukuba u‐Saule upumile ukufuna ubomi bake: waye u‐Davide esentlango ye‐Zifi, ehlatini. 16Kekaloku wesuka u‐Jonatane unyana ka‐Saule, waya ku‐Davide ehlatini, wasomeleza isandla sake kutixo. 17Wayesiti kuye: Ungoyiki; ngokuba isandla sika‐Saule ubawo singayi kukufumana; koko wena uya kuba ngukumkani pezu kwo‐Sirayeli, nam ndiya kuba ngosemva kwako; kanjako no‐Saule ubawo uyazi njalo. 18Baza bobabini benza ucebano ebusweni bukayehova: wati u‐Davide wahlala ehlatini, kodwa u‐Jonatane waya endlwini yake.
19Bandula benyuka aba‐Zifi baya ku‐Saule e‐Gibeha, besiti: u‐Davide akazifihlanga nati na ezinqatyeni ehlatini, endulini ye‐Hakila, engasesuyide yobala? 20Ngako kaloku, kumkani! yihla, ngako konke ukukanuka kwompefumlo wako ukuhla; nokwetu, siya kumnikela esandleni sokumkani. 21Waza u‐Saule wati: Manitanyusanqelwe nina nguyehova; ngokuba ninenceba pezu kwam. 22Kanihambe ke, nibe nisalungisa, nazi nibone indawo yake, apo unyawo lwake lukona, nokuba ngubanina ombonileyo kona; ngokuba kutshiwo kum ukuba uyenza ngobuqinga futi. 23Ngako bonani, nazane nendawo zokuzimela apo azimela kona, nize nibuyele kum ninenyaniso, ndandiya kuhamba nani; kwakuya kuti, ukuba uko elizweni, sendiya kumfunisela pakati kwawo onke amawaka akwa‐Juda. 24Baza besuka, bandulela ku‐Saule ukuya e‐Zifi.
Kodwa u‐Davide namadoda ake bebesentlango yase‐Mahone, etafeni, ngasesuyide yobala. 25Waya no‐Saule namadoda ake ukufuna. Kwada kwaxelwa ku‐Davide; ngako wehla eliweni, wahlala entlango yase‐Mahone. Wati u‐Saule akuva oko, wamputuma u‐Davide entlango yase‐Mahone. 26Waye u‐Saule ehamba ngelicala lentaba, no‐Davide namadoda ake ngeliya icala lentaba: waza u‐Davide wanxama ukumka ngenxa ka‐Saule; ngokuba u‐Saule namadoda ake bebemṙaula u‐Davide namadoda ake, ukuze bababambe. 27Koko bekufika isigidimi ku‐Saule, sisiti: Nxama uze; ngokuba ama‐Filistiya egalelekile pezu kwelizwe. 28Wandula wabuya u‐Saule ekumputumeni u‐Davide, waya ngakuwo ama‐Filistiya: kukona londawo ibibizwa ngokuti yi‐Sela‐mahelekote. 29Waza u‐Davide wenyuka apo, waya wahlala ezinqatyeni zase‐Hene‐gedi.
