USawule udibana noSamweli
1Ke kaloku kwakukho indwalutho yakwaBhenjamin eyayinguKishe igama, unyana ka-Abhiyeli, kaZerore, kaBhekorati, ka-Afiya. 2UKishe wayenonyana ogama linguSawule, igatyana lenzwana yomfana. Lo mfana wayesukile egadeni evela kuwo onke amaSirayeli.
3Ke kaloku kwalahleka iidonki zikaKishe uyise kaSawule. UKishe wabiza uSawule, wathi kuye: “Hamba kunye nesinye isicaka, uye kufuna iidonki zam, mfo wam.” 4Banduluka ke abafana, bacanda kwaEfrayim kweleenduli, bawutyhutyha nommandla waseShalisha, abazifumana noko. Bajika baya kucanda nakummandla waseShalim, nalapho abazibona. Babuya bawutyhutyha ummandla wakwaBhenjamin, kodwa nalapho azabikho.
5Bathe bakufika kummandla waseZufi, uSawule wathi kwisicaka awayehamba naso: “Mfondini, ndithi mna masigoduke ngoku. Ngahle ubawo akasacingi ngazidonki ngoku, selenexhala ngathi.”
6Sithe isicaka: “Khawume! Apha kule dolophu kukho umfo wakwaThixo ohlonitshwe kakhulu nothi akuzithetha izinto zibe njengoko atshiloyo. Makhe siye kuye; mhlawumbi ke nathi angasibeka emkhondweni.”
7USawule uthe: “Mfondini, uthi siya kumnika ntoni? Asisenamphako nasezingxoweni; asinanto sinayo konke esingamnikayo umfo wakwaThixo lo. Ngaba sinento esinayo na?”
8Sithe isicaka ukuphendula: “Ndinabumalana apha kum endingamnika bona ukuze asibeke emkhondweni.”
9-11Uthe uSamweli: “Ngxatsho ke! Utsho endodeni; masiye!” Baya ke kuloo dolophu kwakuhlala kuyo lo mfo wakwaThixo. Bathi besanyuka induli bejonge edolophini, bahlangana negqiza leentombi ezaziya kukha amanzi. Babuza kuzo bathi: “Ngaba imboni ikho na edolophini?” (Kaloku ngaloo maxesha *abashumayeli kwakusithiwa ziimboni.)
12Zathi ezo ntombi: “Ewe, ikhona. Yandulela nina. Khawulezani. Isandul' ukufika namhlanje apha edolophini. Ize kulaa msebenzi wokwenza idini phaya endulini. 13Ukuba niyasukela, noyifumana ingekanyuki phaya kulaa nduli ukuya kutya. Akusayi kutya bani ingekafiki yona. Kaloku kufuneka idini lisikelelwe yiyo kuqala, bandule abamenyiweyo ukutya. Sukelani ke, ningaphozisi maseko; noyifumana.”
14Basukela ooSamweli nesicaka ukusinga edolophini. Bathe bakungena baqubisana noSamweli esendleleni eya endulini.
15Kwangomhla ongaphambi kwalowo *uNdikhoyo wayeseletyhilele uSamweli esithi: 16“Malunga neli xesha kanye ngomso ndiza kuthumela kuwe umfana ovela kwelakwaBhenjamin. Uze umthambise abe ngumlawuli wabantu bam amaSirayeli. Iza kuba nguye oya kubakhulula kumaFilistiya. Ndiyibonile inkxwaleko yabantu bam, ndasiva nesikhalo sabo.”
17Wathi uSamweli akumthi ntla uSawule, uNdikhoyo wathi kuye: “Nguloo mfana ke lowo bendithetha ngaye. Nguye oza kulawula abantu bam.”
18Wasuka uSawule waya kuSamweli owayesesangweni, wafika wathi: “Khawutsho, bawo, singayifumana phi imboni apha?”
19Uphendule ngelithi uSamweli: “Ndim loo mboni. Hambani apha phambi kwam, siye phaya kulaa ndawo kunqulelwa kuyo, nidle kunye nam namhlanje. Loo nto nize ngayo ndoyichaza ngomso, ndinikhulule ke, nihambe. 20Musani kuba sazikhathaza ngeedonki eziyâ bezilahlekile izolo elinye; sezifunyenwe. Ngubani na oza kuzuza elona wonga kwaSirayeli? Asinguwe na nomzi kayihlo uphela?”
21USawule uthe ukuphendula: “Mna ndingowakwaBhenjamin, esona sizwe sincinane kwaSirayeli, yaye nabesiduko sakowethu ngowona mzi uphantsi kweso sizwe. Kungani na ukuba uthethe nam ngolu hlobo?”
22USamweli wabangenisa ooSawule nesicaka sakhe egumbini elikhulu, wabahlalisa ezihlalweni zabona bahloniphekileyo phambi kwezinye iindwendwe ezimenyiweyo ezazimalunga namashumi amathathu. 23Wabhekisa kumpheki uSamweli, wathi: “Yiza nalaa nyama bendikunike yona ndathi yibeke bucala.”
24Waza ke umpheki weza nomlenze nokuhamba nawo, wawubeka phambi koSawule. Uthe ke uSamweli: “Nantso ke inyama obuyibekelwe. Yitye. Bendiyigcinele wena, ukuze uyitye kwesi sidlo kunye nabo bamenyiweyo.”
USawule ke waba lundwendwe lukaSamweli ngaloo mini. 25Bathe ukubuya kulaa ndawo yokunqula, uSamweli wancokola noSawule endaweni eyakhiweyo phezu kwendlu. Walala apho ngobo busuku.
USamweli uthambisa uSawule
26Kuthe ekuseni uSamweli waya kuvusa uSawule kulaa ndawo wayelele kuyo, wathi: “Vuka ngoku, ndikukhulule uhambe.” Wavuka uSawule. Baphuma kunye noSamweli.
27Bathe xa bengasekuphumeni kwedolophu, wathi uSamweli kuSawule: “Yithi kwesi sicaka sakho masikhe sibe sihamba phambili.” Sahamba ke isicaka, waza ke uSamweli waqhuba wathi: “Khawuthi xha nje kancinci khe ndikuxelele udaba oluvela kuThixo.”
