USAMUWELI I 23

₁Kwabikwa kuDavide ukuthi: Bheka, amaFilisti ayalwa neKeyila, aphanga izibuya.

₂Ngalokho uDavide wabuza kuJehova, wathi: Ngiye ngibulale lawomaFilisti na? UJehova wathi kuDavide: Hamba uwabulale amaFilisti, usindise iKeyila.

₃Abantu bakaDavide bathi kuye: Bheka, siyesaba lapha kwaJuda; kakhulu kangakanani, uma siya eKeyila, silwe nezimpi zamaFilisti na?

₄UDavide waphinda wabuza kuJehova. UJehova wamphendula wathi: Suka wehlele eKeyila, ngokuba ngiyakunikela amaFilisti esandleni sakho.

₅UDavide nabantu bakhe baya eKeyila, balwa namaFilisti, bathumba izinkomo zawo, bawaceka ngokuceka okukhulu. Wayesebasindisa uDavide abaseKeyila.

₆Kwathi lapho uAbiyathara indodana ka-Ahimeleki ebaleka eya kuDavide eKeyila, wehla, ingubo yamahlombe isesandleni sakhe.

₇Kwabikwa kuSawule ukuthi uDavide ufikile eKeyila. Wayesethi uSawule: UNkulunkulu umkhaphele esandleni sami, ngokuba uzivalele ngokungena emzini onamasango nemigoqo.

₈USawule wabiza abantu bonke, baye empini, behlele eKeyila, bavimbezele uDavide nabantu bakhe.

₉UDavide wazi ukuthi uSawule uceba okubi ngaye; wathi kuAbiyathara umpristi: Letha ingubo yamahlombe.

₁₀Wayesethi uDavide: Jehova Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, inceku yakho izwile nokuzwa ukuthi uSawule ufuna ukuza eKeyila ukuba achithe umuzi ngenxa yami.

₁₁Abantu baseKeyila bayakungikhaphela yini esandleni sakhe na? USawule uyakwehla njengalokho inceku yakho izwile na? Jehova Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ake uyitshele inceku yakho. Wathi uJehova: Uyakwehla.

₁₂Wayesethi uDavide: Abantu baseKeyila bayakungikhaphela mina nabantu bami esandleni sikaSawule na? Wathi uJehova: Bayakukukhaphela.

₁₃Wayesesuka uDavide nabantu bakhe kungathi abangamakhulu ayisithupha, baphuma eKeyila, bahamba lapho bebenokuhamba khona. Kwabikwa kuSawule ukuthi uDavide ubalekile eKeyila; wayeseyeka ukuphuma.

₁₄UDavide wahlala ehlane ezinqabeni, wahlala ezintabeni ezisehlane laseZifi. USawule wamfuna zonke izinsuku, kepha uNkulunkulu akamnikelanga esandleni sakhe.

₁₅UDavide wabona ukuthi uSawule uphumele ukufuna ukuphila kwakhe; uDavide wayesehlane laseZifi eHoreshi.

₁₆Kwasuka uJonathani indodana kaSawule, waya kuDavide eHoreshi, waqinisa isandla sakhe kuNkulunkulu.

₁₇Wathi kuye: Ungesabi, ngokuba isandla sikaSawule ubaba asiyikukufumana; wena uyakuba-yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli, mina ngikwelame; noSawule ubaba uyakwazi lokho.

₁₈Benza isivumelwano bobabili phambi kukaJehova; uDavide wahlala eHoreshi, uJonathani waya endlini yakhe.

₁₉Kwase kwenyuka abaseZifi, baya kuSawule eGibeya, bathi: UDavide akacashi yini kithi ezinqabeni zaseHoreshi entabeni yaseHakhila elingaseningizimu kwasehlane na?

₂₀Ngalokho yehla, nkosi, uma kuyisifiso senhliziyo yakho ukwehla, thina simkhaphele esandleni senkosi.

₂₁USawule wathi: Manibusiswe, ngokuba ningihawukele.

₂₂Manihambe, niqinise, nazi, nibone indawo yakhe lapho kukhona unyawo lwakhe nokuthi ubonwé ngubani khona, ngokuba ngitsheliwe ukuthi unobuqili impela.

₂₃Bhekani, nizazi zonke izindawo zokucasha, lapho ecasha khona, nibuyele kimi nineqiniso; ngiyakuhamba nani; kuyakuthi uma ekhona ezweni, ngimfice phakathi kwayo yonke imindeni yakwaJuda.

₂₄Base besuka, baya eZifi phambi kukaSawule; kepha uDavide nabantu bakhe babesehlane laseMahoni eAraba ngaseningizimu kwasehlane.

₂₅USawule nabantu bakhe baya ukumfuna; uDavide watshelwa; wehlela-ke eweni, wahlala ehlane laseMahoni. USawule ekuzwa, wamxosha uDavide ehlane laseMahoni.

₂₆USawule wahamba ngalapha kwentaba, uDavide nabantu bakhe bahamba ngalé kwentaba; uDavide washesha wahamba ngokumesaba uSawule, ngokuba uSawule nabantu bakhe bahaqa uDavide nabantu bakhe ukuba bababambe.

₂₇Kepha kwafika isithunywa kuSawule, sithi: Shesha ufike, ngokuba amaFilisti angenele izwe.

₂₈Wayesebuya uSawule ekumxosheni uDavide, wahamba ukuhlangabezana namaFilisti; ngalokho babiza leyondawo ngokuthi iSela-Hamalekoti*.

₂₉UDavide wakhuphuka lapho, wahlala ezinqabeni zase-Eni-Gedi.