1Ke kaloku uSamweli urhole iqhaga elalinamafutha omnquma, wawagalela entloko kaSawule, wamanga, wathi: “Uyakuthambisa *uNdikhoyo ukuze ulawule abantu bakhe. 2Ukwahlukana kwethu namhlanje uya kuhlangana namadoda amabini phaya ngakwingcwaba likaRakeli eZeleza kumda wakwaBhenjamin. Aya kuthi kuwe: ‘Eziya donki ubuye kuzikhangela zifumanekile, yaye noyihlo akasazidubi ngazo ngoku, seleziduba ngawe. Selesithi: “Yaz'ba ndiza kuyithini na into yokungabuyi konyana wam?” ’
3“Ùya kudlula apho, uye kutsho eTabhore kumthi wom-oki, apho wohlangana khona namadoda amathathu esendleleni eya eBhetele ukuya kukhonza uThixo. Enye indoda yoba ithwele amatakane ebhokhwe amathathu, enye iphethe izonka ezithathu, enye ixwaye imvaba yewayini. 4Loo madoda aya kukubulisa, akunike izonka ezibini, oya kuthi wena uzithathe. 5Emva koko uya kufika kulaa nduli kaThixo iseGibheya, apho amaFilistiya anekampu yamajoni. Ekungeneni kwakho edolophini apho wohlangana nomgcelele *wabashumayeli, bevela endulini apho, behamba bebetha iihapu, amagubu, iimpempe, neekatala, beshumayela besemoyeni. 6Nawe ke uya kungenwa nguMoya kaNdikhoyo ngamandla, utsho ungenelele kuloo ntshumayelo nakuloo ntsholo yabo, ube mntu wumbi. 7Yakuba le miqondiso izalisekile uze wenze oko kusemandleni akho, kuba uThixo unawe. 8Uya kundandulela ukuya eGiligali. Nakanjani ndiya kufika, senzele khona uNdikhoyo amadini atshiswayo nawobudlelane. Uze undilinde apho iintsuku ezisixhenxe, ndide ndifike, ndikuyalele into omawuyenze.”
USawule phakathi kwabashumayeli
9Uthe uSawule xa ejika enika uSamweli umva, uThixo wamnika mo yimbi uSawule. Yaye yonke loo miqondiso yayithethwe nguSamweli yazalisekiswa kwangaloo mini. 10Ukufika kukaSawule nesicaka eGibheya wahlangatyezwa ngumgcelele wabashumayeli. UMoya kaThixo wamngena ngamandla, waza naye wangenelela washumayela. 11Bathi bakumbona esenza loo nto abantu ababekade bemazi, babuzana besithi: “Yeha ke! Nithi ungenwe yini na unyana kaKishe? Nithi noSawule selewaba ngomnye *wabashumayeli na?”
12“Bangoonyana bakabani bona aba?” wavakala esitsho omnye wabemi balapho.
Savela loo mini ke isaci esithi: “NoSawule lo kanti selewaba ngomnye wabashumayeli na?” 13Wathi akuyeka ukushumayela uSawule, wenyuka waya endulini.
14Uyisekazi akumbona yena nesicaka sakhe, wathi: “Khawutsho; nivela phi?”
“Besikhangela iidonki,” uphendule watsho uSawule. “Sithe ke sakungaziboni saya kuSamweli.”
15“Waza wathini ke uSamweli kuni?” kubuza uyisekazi.
16“Usixelele ukuba iidonki zifunyenwe.” NguSawule ke otshoyo; phofu akachaza nto kuyisekazi ngentetho kaSamweli ngombandela wokuba ngukumkani.
USawule umiselwa ebukumkanini
17Ke kaloku uSamweli wabiza abantu bakwaSirayeli ukuya *kwaNdikhoyo eMizpa. 18Wabhekisa kubo wathi: “Utsho uNdikhoyo, uThixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi: ‘Ndim owakhupha amaSirayeli eJiputa, ndawahlangula kwingcinezelo yamaJiputa nezinye iikumkani.’ 19Kodwa ngoku nimfulathele uThixo wenu onihlangulayo kuzo zonke iinkxwaleko neenzingo, naza nathi: ‘Simisele ikumkani isilawule.’ Ngoko ke, dwelani apha phambi koNdikhoyo ngokwezizwe zenu neziduko zenu.”
20Akuba uSamweli ezisondezile zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli uNdikhoyo watyumba isizwe sakwaBhenjamin. 21Waza uSamweli wasondeza isizwe sakwaBhenjamin ngokweziduko zaso, kwaza kwatyunjwa indlu kaMatri, kuyo kwatyunjwa uSawule unyana kaKishe. Bamkhangela kodwa ababi nakumfumana. 22Baza babuza kuNdikhoyo bathi: “Ngaba selefikile na?”
UNdikhoyo wathi: “Ewe, nankuya ezimele phaya emva kwemithwalo.”
23Akhawuleza aya kumrhola apho amadoda, amzisa ebantwini. Kwathi xa emi phakathi kwabo wavela ngentloko kubo bonke. 24Wenjenje ke uSamweli ukubhekisa ebantwini: “Nanku ke umntu otyunjwe nguNdikhoyo. Niyabona nani ukuba akukho namnye onjengaye phakathi kwethu.”
Baduma bonke abantu, bathi: “Huntshu-u-u, ad' akhokhob' ukumkani!”
25Ke uSamweli wabachazela ngemigaqo yobukumkani, wayibhala encwadini, waza wayibeka phambi kukaNdikhoyo. Wabandulula ke bonke, bagoduka. 26Naye uSawule waya kowabo eGibheya. Kwabakho magorha antliziyo zichukunyiswe nguThixo, ahamba naye. 27Babakho kambe noongantweni ababesithi: “Yintoni engenziwa ngulaa mfo ukusihlangula?” Bamdela, abamenzela zinwe; phofu wathi cwaka yena uSawule.
