UDavide uxelelwa ngokufa kukaSawule
1Akuba uSawule efile, uDavide wabuyela eZikelage emva kokoyisa kwakhe ama-Amaleki, wachitha khona iintsuku zambini. 2Ngolwesithathu usuku kwafika mfo uthile, evela kwikampu yomkhosi kaSawule. Wayambethe iingubo ezikrazukileyo, ezigalele umhlaba entloko. Wathi akufika kuDavide, wawa phantsi ekhahlela.
3UDavide wathi kuye: “Uvela phi?”
Uphendule ngelithi: “Ndibaleke ekampini yamaSirayeli.”
4UDavide wathi: “Kwenzeke ntoni? Khawundixelele.”
“Umkhosi wethu usuke wabaleka,” utshilo ukuphendula, “yaye maninzi amadoda awileyo edabini. Nditsho nkqu uSawule noJonatan unyana wakhe nabo itshoba lilele umbethe.”
5Wathi uDavide kuloo mfana wayemzisela ezi ndaba: “Wazi ngantoni ukuba uSawule nonyana wakhe uJonatan bafile?”
6Umfana lowo waphendula wathi: “Kwathi ndilapho entabeni iGilibhowa ndabona ukuba uSawule wayexhathise ngomkhonto, seleza kufunyanwa ziinqwelo nabakhweli-mahashe abamsukelayo. 7Wathi akukhangela ngasemva wandibona, wandibiza, nam ke ndasabela ndathi: ‘Ndikwenzele ntoni?’ 8Wathi kum: ‘Ungubani?’ Ndathi kuye: ‘NdingumAmaleki.’ 9Uthe kum ke: ‘Sondela undigqibezele. Ubomi bam sebungamacimi-cimi, kodwa andikaphelelwa.’ 10Ndaya ke, ndafika ndamgwaza, kuba ndandiqonda mhlophe ukuba akasokube angafi, ukuba ukhe wawa nje. Emva koko ndamothula esi sithsaba awayesithwele, ndamkhulula nesi sacholo engalweni. Nazi ke, mhlekazi; ndizizisile kuwe!”
11Wazikrazula izambatho zakhe uDavide, enjenjalo nawo onke amadoda awayekunye naye. 12Bazila, balila, abatya nokutya oku kwada kwahlwa, belilela uSawule nonyana wakhe uJonatan kunye namaSirayeli, abantu *bakaNdikhoyo, ababewe ngekrele.
13Emva koko uDavide wabuza loo mfana wayeze nezi ndaba, wathi: “Uvela phi kakade wena, mfana?”
“Mna ndingunyana wendoda engumngeneleli, umAmaleki,” uphendule watsho loo mfana.
14UDavide ke wathi: “Ngani ungoyiki ukuphakamisa isandla sakho ubulale umthanjiswa kaNdikhoyo?” 15Waza uDavide wabhekisa kwenye yamadodana akhe, wathi: “Bulala le nto!” Loo ndodana ke imgwaze kwangoko umfana lowo, yaphel' intw' ibithethwa. 16Wavakala uDavide esithi: “Igazi lakho malibe phezu kwentloko yakho. Urhintyelwe kwangulo mlomo wakho xa ubungqina usithi: ‘Ndimbulele umthanjiswa kaNdikhoyo.’ ”
Isililo sikaDavide
17Emva koko uDavide wavuma le ngoma, elilela uSawule nonyana wakhe uJonatan. 18Wathi kufuneka bayifundiswe bonke abemi bakwaJuda, ibe yingoma yesaphetha. (Ibhalwe kwiNcwadi kaYashare.) Ithi loo ngoma:
19“Awu! Itshoba lilel' umbethe kwiimbalasane zakwaSirayeli!
Awil' amagorha akuthi phaya endulini!
20“Ze ningayithethi le ntlekele eGati,
ningayidizi nasezitalatweni zaseAshkelon;
hleze sihlekwe ziintombi zamaFilistiya;
hleze zivuye iintombi zeentlanga ezingalukiyo.
21“Hoyina, zintaba zaseGilibhowa!
Mawunibukul' umbethe ngokunjalo nemvula,
uz' umhlab' uhlal' ungumqwebedu,
ungavelisi umnikelo wengqolowa.
Kaloku lahlazek' apho kun' ikhaka lenqeberh' enkulu;
kungokunje alisawev' amafutha ikhaka likaSawule.
22Kwajub' ugodo lutolo lukaJonatan,
lenz' iziqweng' ikrele likaSawule,
kwaw' izigantsontso luqikilek' utshaba.
23“Ziinzwana, ziintandane uSawule noJonatan;
ngumtya nethunga behleli, befile.
Asingomendu, kuncam' ixhalanga;
ziingwanzilili, bodlul' iingonyama.
24“Gixani, zintombi zakwaSirayeli, nililel' uSawule
owayenambes' ezimbeje-mbeje zon' iingubo,
ehombis' izambatho zenu ngegolide.
25“Awu! Ewe, awil' amagorh' amakhulu,
itshoba lalal' umbeth' esedabini.
Ukhahlelwe phantsi uJonatan phaya endulini.
26Kubuhlung' ukushiywa nguwe, Jonatan, mfo wethu!
Ubuyinceke, intandane kum.
Uthando lwakho kum beluncamisile;
beludlul' uthando lwentombazana.
27“Awu! Ngenene, itshoba lilel' umbethe kumagorh' akuthi;
nezo zikrweqe zemfazwe zifane zalal' umhlwa.”
