USAMUWELI I 13

₁USawule ebeneminyaka ezelwe, akuba ngukumkani, waba ngukumkani kumaSirayeli iminyaka emibini.

₂USawule wazinyulela amawaka amathathu kumaSirayeli; amawaka amabini ayenoSawule eMikmas nakweleentaba laseBheteli, iwaka elinye laye linoYonatan eGibheha yakwaBhenjamin. Abantu abaseleyo wabandulula, baya elowo ententeni yakhe.

₃UYonatan wayoyisa ikampu yamaFilisti eseGebha, eva amaFilisti. USawule wavuthela ngesigodlo ezweni lonke, esithi, Makeve amaHebhere. ₄AmaSirayeli onke eva kusithiwa, USawule uyoyisile ikampu yamaFilisti; kananjalo amaSirayeli azinukisile kumaFilisti. Abantu bahlatyelwa umkhosi, beza bamlandela uSawule baya eGiligali.

₅AmaFilisti azihlanganisela ukulwa namaSirayeli: iinqwelo zokulwa zaba ngamashumi omathathu amawaka, nabamahashe bangamawaka amathandathu, abantu bangangentlabathi eselunxwemeni lolwandle ukuba baninzi; anyuka ke amisa iintente eMikmas phambi kweBhetaven. ₆Abona amadoda akwaSirayeli ukuba abandezelekile (kuba abantu bebefingiwe), abantu bazímela emiqolombeni, nasezimfanteni, nasezingxondorheni, nasemiweweni, nasemihadini. ₇Ke kaloku kwawela amaHebhere eYordan, aya ezweni lakwaGadi nelaseGiliyadi. Ke yena uSawule ebeseseGiligali; abantu bonke bamlandela begubha.

₈Walinda iintsuku zasixhenxe, ngokwexesha elibe limisiwe nguSamuweli, àkafika uSamuweli eGiligali; bamphalala abantu bemka kuye. ₉Wathi uSawule, Zisani kum idini elinyukayo nemibingelelo yoxolo. Wenyusa idini elinyukayo. ₁₀Kwathi, xa agqibileyo ukulinyusa idini elinyukayo, nanko uSamuweli efika; waphuma uSawule waya kumkhawulela, ukuba ambulise. ₁₁Wathi uSamuweli, Yintoni le uyenzileyo? Wathi uSawule, Kungokuba bendibona abantu bendiphalala, besimka kum, nawe ungàfiki ngexesha elibe limisiwe, namaFilisti ehlanganiselana eMikmas; ₁₂ndathi, Kaloku amaFilisti aya kuda ehle eze kum eGiligali, ndingambongozanga uYehova; ndazinyanzela, ndalinyusa idini elinyukayo.

₁₃Wathi uSamuweli kuSawule, Wenzé ngobudenge; akuwugcinanga umthetho kaYehova uThixo wakho awakuwiselayo; ngokuba uYehova ange ebuzinzisile kaloku ubukumkani bakho kwaSirayeli, kude kuse ephakadeni. ₁₄Ke ngoko ubukumkani bakho abusayi kuma. UYehova uzifunele indoda engantliziyo yakhe; wayimisa uYehova ukuba ibe yingànga yabantu bakhe; ngokuba akukugcinanga oko uYehova akuwisele umthetho ngako.

₁₅Wesuka uSamuweli wenyuka, wemka eGiligali, waya eGibheha yakwaBhenjamin. USawule wababala abantu abafunyenwe benaye, bengamadoda akumakhulu amathandathu. ₁₆USawule, noYonatan unyana wakhe, nabantu abafunyenwe benabo, bahlala eGibheha yakwaBhenjamin. AmaFilisti amisa iintente eMikmas. ₁₇Kwaphuma amatutu emkhosini wamaFilisti, engamaqela amathathu: elinye iqela labheka ngendlela yaseOfra ezweni lakwaShuwali; ₁₈elinye iqela labheka endleleni yaseBhete-horon; elinye iqela labheka endleleni yasemdeni ovelela umfula weTsebhoyim, uye entlango.

₁₉Ke bekungekho mkhandi ezweni lonke lakwaSirayeli; ngokuba amaFilisti ebesithi, Aya kuze amaHebhere enze amakrele neentshuntshe. ₂₀AmaSirayeli onke abesihla aye kumaFilisti, alole elowo isikhali sakhe, nesitshetshe sepuluwa yakhe, nezembe lakhe, negaba lakhe, ₂₁zakuba nezikhewu iintlangothi zamagaba, nezezitshetshe zeepuluwa, nezeefolokhwe, nezamazembe, nezokubaza iimviko. ₂₂Kwathi ke ngomhla wokulwa, akwafunyanwa krele nantshuntshe esandleni sabantu bonke ababenoSawule noYonatan; ke kuSawule noYonatan unyana wakhe bezikho.

₂₃Kwaphuma amaFilisti ekampini, aya engxingweni yaseMikmas.