34 – UDavide noSawule

₇Zafika kuSawule iindaba zokuba uDavide waya eKehila. Wavakala esithi: “Unikelwe nguThixo kum uDavide lo. Uzikhonkxile ngokwakhe ngokuya kungena kwidolophu enamasango atshixwayo.” ₈Watsho eqokelela umkhosi wakhe wonke uSawule, ukuba aye kuvingcela uDavide namadoda akhe apho eKehila.

₉Zafika kuDavide iindaba zokuba uSawule uceba ukwenza ububi kuye, waza wathi kuAbhiyatare: “Yiza nesidanga.” ₁₀Ubuze *kuNdikhoyo ke uDavide wenjenje: “Ndikhoyo, Thixo kaSirayeli, ndiva kusithiwa ngenene uSawule uzimisele ukuza kuyihlasela ayitshabalalise iKehila ngenxa yam. ₁₁Ndixelele, mna sicaka sakho, ndiyakubongoza, ngaba angandinikezela kuSawule amadoda amakhulu alapha? Ngaba ngenene uSawule uza kuza njengoko amarhe esitsho?”

UNdikhoyo waphendula wathi: “Uza kuza.”

₁₂“Amadoda amakhulu aseKehila ngaba aza kusinikela kuSawule?” ubuzile uDavide.

“Ewe, aza kuninikela,” kutsho uNdikhoyo.

₁₃Wanduluka kwangoko ke eKehila uDavide kunye namadoda akhe amalunga namakhulu amathandathu, behamba behlala. Akabanga saya eKehila uSawule akuva ukuba uDavide ubalekile wemka apho.

₁₄UDavide waya kuhlala kwiindawo ezinqabileyo entlango nakweleentaba zentlango eyiZifi. Wathi rhoqo uSawule ukufuna uDavide, kodwa *uNdikhoyo akamnikelanga ezandleni zakhe. ₁₅Kwathi uDavide eseHoreshe kuloo ntlango iyiZifi weva ukuba uSawule uphumele ukumbulala. ₁₆Kwafika uJonatan apho, eze kumkhuthaza ngaye uThixo. ₁₇Wathi kuDavide uJonatan: “Musa ukoyika, Davide; ubawo uSawule akasoze abe nako ukusa isandla kuwe. Nguwe oza kuba ngukumkani kwaSirayeli; mna ndiza kuba sisandla sakho. Úyayazi naye loo nto ubawo uSawule.” ₁₈Baphinda banqophisana phambi koNdikhoyo. Emva koko wagoduka uJonatan, uDavide yena wasala apho eHoreshe.

₁₉Kwesuka amaZifi, aya eGibheya, eye kuxelela uSawule esithi: “Nanko uDavide ezímele kwelakowethu kwinduli iHakila eyenye yeendawo ezinqabileyo ezikummandla waseHoreshe ezantsi kweYeshimoni. ₂₀Ke ngoko, mhlekazi, nanini wakuthanda, yiza – siya kumnikela ezandleni zikakumkani.”

₂₁Wathi kuwo uSawule: “Nindincedile; ubenga uNdikhoyo anganithamsanqela ngenxa yokundikhathalela kwenu. ₂₂Godukani ke, niphinde nikhangelise kakuhle apho akhoyo, nimazi naloo mntu umbonileyo. Kuthiwa uDavide ulumkile. ₂₃Ziqapheleni kakuhle iindawo ahlala kuzo, nibuye nindazise ke. Emva koko ke ndiya kuhamba kunye nani. Ukuba uselapho ndiya kumkhangela kulo lonke, ndimfune ndide ndimfumane, nokuba kungade kufuneke ndityhutyha-tyhutyhe onke amawaka akwaJuda.”

₂₄Basuka ke abo bantu, bamandulela uSawule ukuya eZifi. Ngoku uDavide namadoda akhe babekwintili ekwintlango iMawoni, kumazantsi elakwaJuda, ezantsi kweYeshimoni. ₂₅USawule wanduluka ukuya kufuna uDavide. Kodwa yena uDavide wayixelelwa loo nto, wemka waya kuhlala kwingxondorha yenduli eyayikuloo ntlango iMawoni. Uthe akuyiva loo nto uSawule, waya kwintlango iMawoni, esekhondweni likaDavide.

₂₆USawule nomkhosi wakhe noDavide namadoda akhe bohlulwa yiloo nduli, omnye ekwelinye icala, omnye ekwelinye, ooDavide bezama ukubaleka umkhosi kaSawule owawuselubarhangqile ukubabamba. ₂₇Kanye ngelo thuba kwafika isigidimi kuSawule, size nodaba oluthi: “Khawuleza uze, kuba amaFilistiya ayaliphanga ilizwe lakowethu.” ₂₈Wajika kwangoko uSawule, waya kuqubisana namaFilistiya. Loo nduli yathiywa igama elithi yiSela-hamalekoti. ₂₉Wemka apho uDavide, waya ezindaweni ezinqabileyo zase-Engedi, wafika wazímela apho.

₁Ukubuya kwakhe uSawule emfazweni, evela kulwa namaFilistiya, waxelelwa ukuba uDavide wayekwintlango yase-Engedi. ₂USawule wathatha amawaka amathathu amadoda akhethiweyo kwaSirayeli, wangena ekhondweni, esiya kukhangela uDavide ngakwicala langasempumalanga laMaweempunzi. ₃Endleleni apho uSawule wafika kwindawo eneentango zeegusha. Apho bekukho umqolomba, waza uSawule wangena kuwo, efuna ukuya kuzithuma. Yayinguloo mqolomba kanye wayezímele kuwo uDavide namadoda akhe, besengontsini phakathi kanye. ₄Athi amadoda akhe akuyibona loo nto: “Nali ithuba lakho! Akazanga atsho *uNdikhoyo ukuthi wolunikela kuwe utshaba lwakho, wenze nantoni na ofuna ukuyenza ngalo?” Wachwechwa ke uDavide, wafika wasika isondo lesambatho sikaSawule, phofu uSawule engakuqondi okuqhubekayo.

₅Loo nto wayenza kuSawule yamdla kakhulu uDavide. ₆Wathi kumadoda akhe: “Makandithintele uNdikhoyo ekwenzeni into enje kwinkosi yam umthanjiswa kaNdikhoyo, nditsho le yokuba ndise isandla sam kuye, kuba kaloku ungumthanjiswa kaNdikhoyo!” ₇Wawakhalimela ngaloo mazwi uDavide amadoda akhe, wawanqanda ukuze angamhlaseli uSawule.

Wesuka kuloo ndawo uSawule, wangena endleleni. ₈UDavide waphuma emqolombeni, wamlandela ekhwaza esithi: “Wa, mhlekazi, nkosi yam!” Wajika wakhangela ngasemva uSawule. Wawa ngobuso emhlabeni uDavide ekhahlela. ₉Waqhuba wenjenje: “Mhlekazi, kungani na ukuba uhambisane nolwimi oluthi mna ndizungula ukukwenzakalisa? ₁₀Wena akuyiboni into yokuba khona ngoku uNdikhoyo ebekunikele esandleni sam phaya kulaa mqolomba? Bekusithiwa mandikucim' igama, kodwa ndaba nenceba, ndala konke mna ukukubulala, kuba kaloku wena ungukumkani, umthanjiswa kaNdikhoyo. ₁₁Bawo, khangela, nali isondo lesambatho sakho esandleni sam! Ngendikucim' igama, koko ndisuke nje ndasika le ndawo engubeni yakho. Yazi ke ngoku uqonde ukuba mna andikhange ndafuna kukuvukela okanye kukwenzakalisa. Nguwe ozingela mna, ufuna ukundibulala, naxa ndingakwenzanga nto imbi. ₁₂Wanga ke uNdikhoyo angahlula phakathi kwam nawe. Ubenga angandiphindezela ngenxa yobubi ondenzele bona. Mna andingekhe ndikuse sandla. ₁₃Kaloku sitsho njalo isaci samandulo ukuthi: ‘Inkohlakalo iphuma kwabakhohlakeleyo.’ Ke mna andiyi kukusa sandla konke. ₁₄Ngaba úyayiqonda yona le nto ayileqayo ukumkani wamaSirayeli? Yintoni le ayisukelayo? Ngaba usukela inja efileyo okanye intakumba enye? ₁₅Hayi, makahlule uNdikhoyo, kucace ukuba ngubani owonileyo phakathi kwam nawe. Makayigqale imeko yam, andigwebele, ancede andihlangule kuwe!”

₁₆Uthe akupheza ukuthetha uDavide, wavakala uSawule esithi: “Davide, mfo wam, ngaba lilizwi lakho na elo?” Watsho elila. ₁₇Waqhuba wathi kuDavide: “Unyanisile, ndim lo wonileyo, kuba ubusoloko usenza ubuhle kum, kanti mna bendikuphatha kakubi! ₁₈Ukubonakalalisile ukulunga kwakho kum namhlanje, kuba akundibulalanga uNdikhoyo selendinikele esandleni sakho! ₁₉Yakha yabonwa phi into yokuba athi umntu, selelubambile utshaba lwakhe, abuye aluyeke angalwenzakalisi? Ubenga uNdikhoyo angakuthamsanqela ngale nto ilungileyo undenzele yona namhlanje. ₂₀Ngoku ndiyazi ukuba iza kuba nguwe ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, nokuba ulawulo lwakwaSirayeli luya kuzinziswa ezandleni zakho. ₂₁Kodwa ke funga uNdikhoyo ukuba akuyi kuyitshabalalisa inzala yam, ukuze igama lam lingabhangi endlwini kabawo.” ₂₂Wafunga ke uDavide.

Emva koko uSawule wabuyela komkhulu, waza yena uDavide namadoda akhe babuyela endaweni yabo enqatyisiweyo.