Idabi likaDavide nama-Amaleki
1Ngomhla wesithathu bagaleleka eZikelage ooDavide namadoda akhe. Bafika ama-Amaleki esanda kungenela amazantsi elakwaJuda, ahlasela neZikelage. Ayeyitshise pam loo dolophu, 2athimba abafazi nabantwana bonke. Kwakungafanga mntu phofu; ayethimbe nje konke okushukumayo endleleni yawo.
3Ukufika kwabo ooDavide bafika loo dolophu iluthuthu, abafazi noonyana kunye neentombi zabo kumkiwe nazo. 4Hayi ke, abhomboloza loo madoda ada aphelelwa ngamandla. 5Kwakuthathwe nabafazi ababini bakaDavide, uAhinowam waseYizereli kunye noAbhigeli umhlolokazi kaNabhali waseKarmele.
6Wazibona selesengxakini embi uDavide, kuba amadoda akhe ayefuna ukumxuluba ngamatye, kuba ayekhathazekile ngenxa yokuduka kweentsapho zawo. Kodwa uDavide wazomeleza ngokuthembela *kuNdikhoyo uThixo wakhe kuyo yonke loo nto. 7UDavide wabiza unyana ka-Ahimeleki, uAbhiyatare umbingeleli, wathi kuye: “Khawuze *nesidanga eso, mfo ka-Ahimeleki.” Wasisa uAbhiyatare. 8UDavide wabuza kuNdikhoyo wenjenje: “Ndibasukele na aba banqolobi? Ndobafumana na?”
“Baleqe; uza kubafumana, ubakhulule abaya bathinjwa,” utshilo uNdikhoyo.
9Wanduluka ke uDavide kunye naloo makhulu mathandathu amadoda. Bathi bakufika kwintlambo iBhesore, asala apho amadoda 10angamakhulu amabini awayedinwe kangangokuba angabi nako ukuyiwela loo ntlambo. Wabheka phambili yena uDavide kunye namakhulu amane amadoda, 11abhaqa umJiputa endle apho, aza amsa kuDavide. Ampha ukutya, watya; amnika namanzi, wathoba unxano; 12ampha nomqwayito wamafiya kunye nezikhinkci zeerasentyisi zazibini. Uthe akugqiba ukutya, waziva edlamkile. Kaloku kwakusekuziintsuku ezintathu engafumani nto ityiwayo, nditsho neyokuthoba unxano. 13Emva koko ke uDavide wambuza wathi: “Khawutsho ke, ungokabani, uphuma phi?”
“Mna ndingumJiputa, ikhoboka lomAmaleki,” kuphendula umfo lowo. “Ndishiywe yinkosi yam, kuba ndisuke andaphila. Sekuziintsuku ezintathu ngoku. 14Sasiye kuthimba kulaa mmandla wamaKreti ukumazantsi elakwaJuda, sadlulela kummandla wakwaKalebhi, senjenjeya saya kutshisa iZikelage.”
15“Ungasisa apho bakhoyo abo banqolobi?” kubuza uDavide.
Wenjenje ukuphendula: “Ewe, ndinganisa ukuba ungafunga uThixo ukuba anizi kundibulala okanye nindinikele kwinkosi yam.” 16Emva koko ke loo mfo wabasa ooDavide apho babemise kona abanqolobi.
Babethe saa abanqolobi abo kuloo ndawo, kutyiwa, kuselwa, kubhiyozelwa amaxhoba angako awayethinjwe kwelamaFilistiya nakwaJuda. 17Kwathi xa kumpondo-zankomo ngomhla olandelayo, zanqoza, ebahlasela uDavide, zatsho kwada kwangongcwalazi. Akwasinda namnye kubo ngaphandle kwamakhulu amane abafana abasuka bona bakhwela ezinkameleni, babaleka. 18UDavide wabahlangula bonke abathinjwa bama-Amaleki, wabuya nawo onke loo maxhoba babewathimbile, kunye nabafazi bakhe bobabini, akwabikho nto ingafunyanwanga. 19Oonyana neentombi zamadoda akhe kunye nawo onke loo maxhoba ama-Amaleki wabuya nawo uDavide. 20Wabuya nemihlambi yeenkomo neegusha, ahamba eqhuba loo mihlambi amadoda akhe, esithi: “Huntshuu! Amaxhoba kaDavide!”
21Wesuka apho uDavide, wafika kulawa makhulu mabini amadoda awasala entlanjeni eBhesore ngenxa yokudinwa. Aphuthuma ukuhlangabeza uDavide namadoda akhe. Wawabulisa uDavide, wawabuza nempilo, 22kodwa kwabakho amatshijolo nabaphembi-qhushululu kubalandeli bakaDavide, abathi: “Aba bebengahambanga nathi. Ngoko abazi kuba nanxaxheba kula maxhoba size nawo. Indoda nganye ingasuka ithathe umfazi wayo nabantwana bayo, ihambe.”
23Wenjenje ukuwaphendula loo madoda uDavide: “Mawethu, aninako ukwenjenjalo ngento esiyiphiwe nguNdikhoyo! NguNdikhoyo lo usikhuseleyo wasoyisela abaya banqolobi bathimbe izinto zethu. 24Ayamkeleki le nto niyithethayo. Kaloku umntu osala nemithwalo ufumana isabelo esinye nalo uya edabini. Makunikwe inxaxheba kumntu wonke ngokulinganayo.” 25Loo mthetho wawiswa nguDavide waba ngummiselo nesiko kwaSirayeli ukususela ngaloo mini.
26Wathi akufika eZikelage uDavide, wathatha isabelo kuloo maxhoba, wasithumela kumadoda amakhulu angoogxa bakhe kwaJuda, esithi: “Nantso inxaxheba esinabela yona kumaxhoba esiwathimbe kubachasi bakaNdikhoyo.” 27Wabela abantu baseBhetele, nabaseRama, kwaJuda emazantsi, nakubantu baseYatire, 28eArohere, eSifimoti, e-Eshtemowa, 29kunye naseRakeli. Wabela nomzi wakwaJerameli, namaKeni, 30kwakunye nabantu baseHoma, eBhorashan, eAtaki, 31nabaseHebron, nakuzo zonke iindawo apho wakha waxhwarha khona kunye namadoda akhe.
