UDavide Uyamyeka USawule Okwesibili
1Abantu baseZifi baya kuSawule eGibheya, bathi: “UDavide akacashile yini entabeni iHakhila engaphambi kweJeshimoni, na?”
2USawule wasuka wehlela ehlane eZifi ukuyofuna uDavide ehlane, ehamba nabantu abakhethiweyo bakwa-Israyeli abayizi-3 000. 3USawule wakanisa entabeni iHakhila engaphambi kwehlane, ngasendleleni. UDavide wahlala ehlane, nokho wabona ukuthi uSawule uyamlandela lapho ehlane. 4UDavide wathumela izinhloli, ukuze aqinisekise ukuthi nguSawule zinqotho ofikile.
5UDavide wasuka, waya lapho kwakukanise khona uSawule; wayibona indawo lapho uSawule ayehleli khona no-Abhineri, indodana kaNeri, umkhuziwempi yakhe. USawule wayelele enkanjini, abantu bemngunge nxazonke.
6UDavide wakhuluma ku-Ahimelekhi, umHethi, naku-Abhishayi, indodana kaZeruya, umfowabo kaJowabe, wathi: “Ngubani ozokwehla nami siye kuSawule enkanjini na?”
U-Abhishayi wathi: “Ngizokwehla nawe.”
7UDavide no-Abhishayi baya kubantu ebusuku. Bheka, uSawule wayelele zwi enkanjini, umkhonto wakhe ugxunyekwe emhlabathini ngasekhanda lakhe. U-Abhineri nabantu bakaSawule babelele bemzungeze nxazonke.
8U-Abhishayi wathi kuDavide: “UNkulunkulu usinikele esandleni sakho isitha sakho namuhla, ngakho-ke mangimbhokode kanye ngomkhonto ngimhlanganise nomhlabathi, ngingamphindi.”
9UDavide wathi ku-Abhishayi: “Ungambulali, ngokuba ngubani ongelula isandla sakhe amelane nogcotshiweyo kaSimakade, angabi nacala na?”
10UDavide wathi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela, uSimakade uyakumshaya, noma afikelwe wusuku lokufa, ehlele empini, abhubhe. 11Mawungabi bikho nhlobo kimi lowo mcabango wokuba uSimakade angivumele ukuba ngelule isandla ngimelane nogcotshiweyo kaSimakade. Wena thatha umkhonto ongasekhanda lakhe nesigubhu samanzi, sihambe.”
12UDavide wayesewuthatha umkhonto nesigubhu samanzi ngasekhanda likaSawule, bahamba. Ababonwanga muntu, akekho owayazi ngalokho, futhi akuvukanga muntu, ngokuba bonke babezunywe ngubuthongo obunzulu obabuvela kuSimakade.
13UDavide wayesewelela ngaphesheya, wema esicongweni sentaba ekude, washiya isikhala esikhulu phakathi kwabo. 14UDavide wamemeza abantu no-Abhineri, indodana kaNeri, wathi kubo: “Abhineri, awusabeli ngani na?”
U-Abhineri waphendula wathi: “Ungubani wena omemeza inkosi na?”
15UDavide wambuza u-Abhineri wathi: “Kanti wena awusiye yini umuntu, ukhona yini onjengawe kwa-Israyeli na? Awuyiqaphanga ngani inkosi yakho, inkosi uSawule na? Kufike omunye wabantu ukuzobulala inkosi yakho, inkosi uSawule. 16Lokhu okwenzileyo akukuhle. Ngifunga ngiyagomela, nimelwe wukufa, ngokuba anizange niyiqaphe inkosi yenu, ogcotshiweyo kaSimakade. Manje bhekani-ke ukuthi uphi umkhonto wenkosi nesigubhu samanzi esasingasekhanda layo.”
17USawule walazi izwi ukuthi ngelikaDavide, wathi: “Yizwi lakho lelo, ndodana yami Davide na?”
UDavide wathi: “Yizwi lami, nkosi yami, nkosi.”
18UDavide wathi: “Inkosi yami iyihubhelani inceku yayo na? Ngenzeni na? Bubi buni lobu engibenzile na? 19Ngakho-ke inkosi yami, inkosi uSawule, mayizwe amazwi enceku yayo. Uma kunguSimakade okwenza ukuba umelane nami, makawamukele umnikelo, kodwa uma kungabantwana babantu, mabaqalekiswe phambi kukaSimakade, ngokuba bangixoshile namuhla ukuba ngingabi nenhlanganyelo efeni likaSimakade, bethi: ‘Hamba ukhonze abanye onkulunkulu.’ 20Ngalokho igazi lami malingaweli emhlabathini ngikude noSimakade, ngokuba inkosi yakwa-Israyeli iphumele ukufuna intwakumba eyodwa, njengalokhu umuntu ezingela intendele ezintabeni.”
21 USawule wathi: “Ngonile; buya, ndodana yami, Davide, ngokuba angizukukulimaza futhi, njengoba ukuphila kwami kube yigugu emehlweni akho namuhla; ngenzise okwesiwula, ngidukile kakhulu.”
22UDavide waphendula wathi: “Bheka, umkhonto, nkosi! Makuwele enye yezinsizwa, iwulande. 23USimakade uyakuphindisela, kube yilowo nalowo ngokulunga kwakhe nangokwethembeka kwakhe, lokhu uSimakade ekunikele esandleni sami namuhla, angivumanga ukwelula isandla sami ngibulale ogcotshiweyo kaSimakade. 24Futhi bheka, njengoba ukuphila kwakho kube kukhulu emehlweni ami namuhla, ukuphila kwami makube kukhulu emehlweni kaSimakade; makangisindise ekuhluphekeni konke.”
25USawule wathi kuDavide: “Mawubusiswe wena ndodana yami, Davide; uyakwenza izinto ezinkulu, uphumelele kahle.”
Wayesebamba indlela yakhe uDavide, noSawule wabamba abeze ngayo, wabuyela endaweni yakhe.
