1 KASAMWELI 13

₁Akuba nonyaka ukuya kwiminyaka emibini elawula kwaSirayeli ₂uSawule wakhetha amawaka amathathu amadoda akwaSirayeli. Amawaka amabini asala naye eMikimashe naseBhetele kweleentaba. Elinye iwaka walithumela eGibheya kummandla wakwaBhenjamin kunye noJonatan. Amanye amadoda wathi makagoduke.

₃UJonatan wahlasela ikampana yamaFilistiya eyayiseGebha. Yaduma kwelamaFilistiya into yokuba amaSirayeli avus' umnyele. USawule wathumela izigidimi ukuba zihambe zibeth' izigodlo kulo lonke, zithi: “Bekan' iindlebe, maHebhere!” ₄Weva ke uSirayeli ephela, kusithiwa: “USawule uyihlasele ikampana yamaFilistiya, asuka amaSirayeli aba lizothe kumaFilistiya.” Amadoda akwaSirayeli abizelwa kuSawule eGiligali.

₅AmaFilistiya aqokelela umkhosi wokulwa namaSirayeli. Yaba ngamashumi amathathu amawaka eenqwelo zokulwa, namawaka amathandathu amadoda akhwele kuzo, nenyambalala yamajoni. Enjenjeya ukuya kumisa ikampu yawo eMikimashe ngasempumalanga yeBhetaven. ₆Athi amadoda akwaSirayeli akubona ukuba mbi kwemeko yawo, nokuxinwa komkhosi wawo, asuka aya kuziqhusheka emiqolombeni nasezihlahleni, ezixhotyeni zamawa, emihadini, nasemaquleni. ₇Amanye amaHebhere awelela ngaphesheya kweJordan kwimimandla yakwaGadi naseGiliyadi.

Wasala eGiligali yena uSawule, esankwantya luloyiko amadoda awayesele naye. ₈Walinda iintsuku zasixhenxe, njengoko wayeyalelwe nguSamweli. Akafika yena uSamweli eGiligali. Amadoda kaSawule aya echithakala, ₉waza ke wathi: “Sondezani kum izinto zokwenza amadini atshiswayo namadini obudlelane.” Zithe zakusiwa, wanikela idini elitshiswayo. ₁₀Kuthe kanye xa agqibezelayo, wagaleleka uSamweli. USawule waya kumhlangabeza, ethakazela. ₁₁Wasuka uSamweli wabuza wathi: “Yintoni le uyenzileyo, Sawule?”

Uphendule ngelithi uSawule: “Hayi, ndithe ndakubona amadoda echithakala, nawe ungafiki ngexesha obuthe uya kufika ngalo, namaFilistiya eqokelelana eMikimashe, ₁₂ndaqonda ukuba la maFilistiya ngahle asihlasele apha eGiligali singekabhekisi *kuNdikhoyo. Ndeva ndinyanzelekile ke ukuba ndinikele idini elitshiswayo kuNdikhoyo.”

₁₃“Wenze ubudenge ke khona!” kutsho uSamweli. “Uwutyeshele umyalelo kaNdikhoyo uThixo wakho. Ukuba ubumthobele uNdikhoyo ubukumkani bakho kwaSirayeli bebuya kuma bumi. ₁₄Kodwa ke ngoku luza kunqamka ulawulo lwakho, kuba uwutyeshele kaloku umyalelo kaNdikhoyo. UNdikhoyo uzityumbele enye indoda esenyongweni yakhe ukuba ibalawule abantu bakhe.”

₁₅USamweli wesuka eGiligali waya eGibheya kummandla wakwaBhenjamin. USawule wawabala amadoda asele naye, wafumana ukuba amalunga namakhulu amathandathu.

₁₆USawule nonyana wakhe uJonatan kunye nomkhosi wabo babemise eGebha kummandla wamaBhenjamin. Wona amaFilistiya amisa eMikimashe. ₁₇Umkhosi wamaFilistiya wakhupha amahlelo amathathu. Elinye ihlelo laphuma laya ngaseOfra kummandla waseShuwali, ₁₈elinye laya ngaseBhete-horon, elesithathu labheka kwimida ejongene nentili iZebhoyim ngasentlango.

₁₉KwaSirayeli kwakungekho bakhandi, kuba amaFilistiya athi: “AmaHebhere osuka enze amakrele nemikhonto.” ₂₀Kwakufuneka amaSirayeli aye kumaFilistiya xa afuna ukulolelwa amakhuba namagaba, amazembe kunye neerhengqa zawo. ₂₁Kwakuhlawulwa iqhosha lemali ngokulola izembe nangokulungisa incula, abe mabini xa kulolwa isikali sekhuba okanye kubazwa iimviko. ₂₂Ke ngoko ngomhla wedabi kwakungekho nanye indoda kwaSirayeli eyayinekrele okanye umkhonto, ngaphandle nje kukaSawule nonyana wakhe uJonatan.

₂₃AmaFilistiya athumela igqiza lomkhosi wawo ukuya kuvala ingxingwa yaseMikimashe.