UDavide wala ukubulala uSawule
1Ukubuya kwakhe uSawule emfazweni, evela kulwa namaFilistiya, waxelelwa ukuba uDavide wayekwintlango yase-Engedi. 2USawule wathatha amawaka amathathu amadoda akhethiweyo kwaSirayeli, wangena ekhondweni, esiya kukhangela uDavide ngakwicala langasempumalanga laMaweempunzi. 3Endleleni apho uSawule wafika kwindawo eneentango zeegusha. Apho bekukho umqolomba, waza uSawule wangena kuwo, efuna ukuya kuzithuma. Yayinguloo mqolomba kanye wayezímele kuwo uDavide namadoda akhe, besengontsini phakathi kanye. 4Athi amadoda akhe akuyibona loo nto: “Nali ithuba lakho! Akazanga atsho *uNdikhoyo ukuthi wolunikela kuwe utshaba lwakho, wenze nantoni na ofuna ukuyenza ngalo?” Wachwechwa ke uDavide, wafika wasika isondo lesambatho sikaSawule, phofu uSawule engakuqondi okuqhubekayo.
5Loo nto wayenza kuSawule yamdla kakhulu uDavide. 6Wathi kumadoda akhe: “Makandithintele uNdikhoyo ekwenzeni into enje kwinkosi yam umthanjiswa kaNdikhoyo, nditsho le yokuba ndise isandla sam kuye, kuba kaloku ungumthanjiswa kaNdikhoyo!” 7Wawakhalimela ngaloo mazwi uDavide amadoda akhe, wawanqanda ukuze angamhlaseli uSawule.
Wesuka kuloo ndawo uSawule, wangena endleleni. 8UDavide waphuma emqolombeni, wamlandela ekhwaza esithi: “Wa, mhlekazi, nkosi yam!” Wajika wakhangela ngasemva uSawule. Wawa ngobuso emhlabeni uDavide ekhahlela. 9Waqhuba wenjenje: “Mhlekazi, kungani na ukuba uhambisane nolwimi oluthi mna ndizungula ukukwenzakalisa? 10Wena akuyiboni into yokuba khona ngoku uNdikhoyo ebekunikele esandleni sam phaya kulaa mqolomba? Bekusithiwa mandikucim' igama, kodwa ndaba nenceba, ndala konke mna ukukubulala, kuba kaloku wena ungukumkani, umthanjiswa kaNdikhoyo. 11Bawo, khangela, nali isondo lesambatho sakho esandleni sam! Ngendikucim' igama, koko ndisuke nje ndasika le ndawo engubeni yakho. Yazi ke ngoku uqonde ukuba mna andikhange ndafuna kukuvukela okanye kukwenzakalisa. Nguwe ozingela mna, ufuna ukundibulala, naxa ndingakwenzanga nto imbi. 12Wanga ke uNdikhoyo angahlula phakathi kwam nawe. Ubenga angandiphindezela ngenxa yobubi ondenzele bona. Mna andingekhe ndikuse sandla. 13Kaloku sitsho njalo isaci samandulo ukuthi: ‘Inkohlakalo iphuma kwabakhohlakeleyo.’ Ke mna andiyi kukusa sandla konke. 14Ngaba úyayiqonda yona le nto ayileqayo ukumkani wamaSirayeli? Yintoni le ayisukelayo? Ngaba usukela inja efileyo okanye intakumba enye? 15Hayi, makahlule uNdikhoyo, kucace ukuba ngubani owonileyo phakathi kwam nawe. Makayigqale imeko yam, andigwebele, ancede andihlangule kuwe!”
16Uthe akupheza ukuthetha uDavide, wavakala uSawule esithi: “Davide, mfo wam, ngaba lilizwi lakho na elo?” Watsho elila. 17Waqhuba wathi kuDavide: “Unyanisile, ndim lo wonileyo, kuba ubusoloko usenza ubuhle kum, kanti mna bendikuphatha kakubi! 18Ukubonakalalisile ukulunga kwakho kum namhlanje, kuba akundibulalanga uNdikhoyo selendinikele esandleni sakho! 19Yakha yabonwa phi into yokuba athi umntu, selelubambile utshaba lwakhe, abuye aluyeke angalwenzakalisi? Ubenga uNdikhoyo angakuthamsanqela ngale nto ilungileyo undenzele yona namhlanje. 20Ngoku ndiyazi ukuba iza kuba nguwe ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, nokuba ulawulo lwakwaSirayeli luya kuzinziswa ezandleni zakho. 21Kodwa ke funga uNdikhoyo ukuba akuyi kuyitshabalalisa inzala yam, ukuze igama lam lingabhangi endlwini kabawo.” 22Wafunga ke uDavide.
Emva koko uSawule wabuyela komkhulu, waza yena uDavide namadoda akhe babuyela endaweni yabo enqatyisiweyo.
