1 uSamuweli 14

₁Kwathi ngosuku oluthile uJonathani indodana kaSawule wathi odibini oluphethe izikhali zakhe: “Woza siwele, siye ekhandeni lamaFilisti elingaphesheya.” Kepha akamtshelanga uyise.

₂USawule wahlala emaphethelweni aseGibeya phansi kompomegranati* oseMigroni; abantu ababe naye babe ngamakhulu ayisithupha; ₃u-Ahiya indodana ka-Ahithubi, umfowabo ka-Ikabodi indodana kaFinehasi ka-Eli, umpristi kaJehova eShilo, wayembethe ingubo yamahlombe. Abantu babengazi ukuthi uJonathani uhambile.

₄Phakathi kwezintuba uJonathani afuna ukuwela ngazo ukuya ekhandeni lamaFilisti kwakukhona ugedla lwesiwa ngalapha nogedla lwesiwa ngalapha; igama lolunye laliyiBosesi, negama lolunye laliyiSene. ₅Olunye ugedla lwaluphakeme ngasenyakatho phambi kweMikimashi, nolunye ngaseningizimu phambi kweGeba.

₆UJonathani wathi odibini lwakhe oluphethe izikhali zakhe: “Woza siwele, siye ekhandeni lalabo abangasokile; ingabe uJehova uyakusisebenzela, ngokuba akukho okumthiyayo uJehova ukuba asindise ngabaningi noma ngabayingcosana.”

₇Ophethe izikhali zakhe wathi kuye: “Yenza konke okusenhliziyweni yakho: hamba, bheka, nginawe njengenhliziyo yakho.”

₈Wayesethi uJonathani kuye: “Bheka, siyakuwela, siye kulabo bantu, sizibonakalise kubo. ₉Uma bethi kithi: ‘Hlalani size sifike kini,’ khona siyakuma endaweni yethu, singenyukeli kubo. ₁₀Kepha uma bethi: ‘Yenyukelani kithi,’ siyakwenyuka, ngokuba uJehova ubanikele esandleni sethu; lokhu kuyakuba yisibonakaliso kithi.”

₁₁Bobabili bazibonakalisa kulo ikhanda lamaFilisti; amaFilisti ayesethi: “Bhekani, amaHeberu aphuma emigodini acashe kuyo.” ₁₂Abantu basekhandeni bamphendula uJonathani nodibi lwakhe, bathi: “Khuphukelani kithi, siyakunifundisa indaba.”

UJonathani wayesethi odibini oluphethe izikhali zakhe: “Khuphuka emva kwami, ngokuba uJehova ubanikele esandleni sakwa-Israyeli.”

₁₃UJonathani wakhuphuka ngezandla zakhe nangezinyawo zakhe, nodibi lwakhe emva kwakhe; bawa phambi kukaJonathani, nodibi lwezikhali zakhe lwababulala emva kwakhe. ₁₄Lokho kuceka kokuqala abakwenzayo uJonathani nodibi lwezikhali zakhe kwakungabantu kungathi amashumi amabili ebangeni elingathi inxenye ye-eka* lensimu.

₁₅Kwaba khona ukuthuthumela ekamu,* nasendle, naphakathi kwabantu bonke; ikhanda nabaphangi bathuthumela nabo, nomhlaba wazamazama, kwaze kwaba ngukuthuthumela okukhulu.

₁₆Abalindi bakaSawule eGibeya lakwaBenjamini babona, bheka, isixuku sahlakazeka, saya ngalapha nangalapha. ₁₇USawule wayesethi kubantu ababe naye: “Balani manje, nibone ukuthi ngubani omukile kithi.” Babala, bheka, uJonathani nodibi lwezikhali zakhe babengekho.

₁₈USawule wathi ku-Ahiya: “Letha umphongolo kaNkulunkulu.” Ngokuba umphongolo kaNkulunkulu wawukhona ngaleso sikhathi kwabakwa-Israyeli. ₁₉Kwathi uSawule esakhuluma kumpristi, umsindo owawusekamu* lamaFilisti waqhubeka, wanda; uSawule wathi kumpristi: “Susa isandla sakho.”

₂₀USawule nabo bonke abantu ababe naye babuthana, baya ekulweni; bheka, yilowo nalowo washaya omunye ngenkemba, kwaba khona ukungquzuka okukhulu kakhulu. ₂₁AmaHeberu ayenamaFilisti kuqala nawo akhuphukela ekamu* nxazonke, aphendukela kwabakwa-Israyeli ababe noSawule noJonathani. ₂₂Abantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli ababecashile ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi sebezwile ukuthi amaFilisti abaleka, nabo bawaxosha ekulweni. ₂₃UJehova wasindisa u-Israyeli ngalolo suku; ukulwa kwadlulela eBeti Aveni.

₂₄Abantu bakwa-Israyeli babecindezelwa ngalolo suku, kepha uSawule wafungisa abantu, wathi: “Makaqalekiswe umuntu odla ukudla kungakahlwi, ngingakaziphindiseli ezitheni zami.” Akwabakho muntu owezwa ukudla.

₂₅Abantu bonke beza ehlathini; kwakukhona izinyosi phansi. ₂₆Abantu sebengenile ehlathini, bheka, izinyosi zaconsa, kepha akwabakho muntu obeka isandla emlonyeni, ngokuba abantu besaba isifungo. ₂₇Kepha uJonathani akezwanga lapho uyise efungisa abantu; ngalokho welula isihloko senduku esesandleni sakhe, wasicwilisa ezinyosini, wabeka isandla emlonyeni; ayeseqabuka amehlo akhe. ₂₈Kwase kuthatha omunye wabantu, wathi: “Uyihlo wabafungisa nokubafungisa abantu, ethi: ‘Makaqalekiswe umuntu odla ukudla namuhla.’ Abantu babephelile amandla.”

₂₉Wayesethi uJonathani: “Ubaba uhluphile izwe; ake nibone ukuthi amehlo ami aseqabukile, ngokuba ngizwe ingcosana yalezi zinyosi. ₃₀Kakhulu kangakanani, uma abantu bebedlile impela impango yezitha zabo abayifumanayo, ngokuba nga engabulawanga kakhulu amaFilisti na?”

₃₁Babulala amaFilisti ngalolo suku kusukela eMikimashi kuze kube se-Ajaloni; abantu baphela amandla kakhulu. ₃₂Abantu batheleka empangweni, bathatha izimvu, nezinkabi, namankonyane, bakubulalela phansi; abantu bakudla kanye negazi. ₃₃Base bemtshela uSawule, bethi: “Bheka, abantu bayona kuJehova ngokudla okunegazi.”

Wathi: “Nenze kabi; gingqelani kimi itshe elikhulu namuhla.” ₃₄Wathi uSawule: “Hlakazekelani phakathi kwabantu, nithi kubo: ‘Lethani kimi, kube yilowo nalowo inkabi yakhe, nalowo imvu yakhe, nizihlabe lapha, nidle, ningoni kuJehova ngokudla okunegazi.’ ” Bonke abantu baletha, kwaba yilowo nalowo inkabi yakhe ngalobo busuku ngesandla sakhe, bazihlaba khona. ₃₅USawule wamakhela uJehova i-altare; kwakuyi-altare lokuqala amakhela lona uJehova.

₃₆USawule wathi: “Masehle, silandele amaFilisti ebusuku, siwaphange kuze kuse, singashiyi noyedwa kuwo.”

Bathi: “Yenza konke okuhle emehlweni akho.”

Umpristi wayesethi: “Masisondele lapha kuNkulunkulu.”

₃₇USawule wabuza kuNkulunkulu wathi: “Ngehle ngilandele amaFilisti na? Uyakuwanikela esandleni sakwa-Israyeli na?” Kepha akamphendulanga ngalolo suku.

₃₈USawule wathi: “Sondelani lapha nina nonke zinhloko zabantu, nazi, nibone ukuthi bekuyisiphi lesi sono sanamuhla. ₃₉Ngokuba, kuphila kukaJehova osindisa u-Israyeli, nokuba sikuJonathani indodana yami, uyakufa nokufa.” Kepha akwabakho noyedwa owamphendulayo.

₄₀Wayesethi ku-Israyeli wonke: “Buyelani nganhlanye nina, mina noJonathani indodana yami siyakubuyela nganhlanye.”

Abantu bathi kuSawule: “Yenza okuhle emehlweni akho.”

₄₁Ngalokho uSawule wathi kuJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: “Malivele iqiniso.” OJonathani noSawule badliwa yinkatho, kepha abantu baphunyuka. ₄₂USawule wathi: “Yenzani inkatho phakathi kwami noJonathani indodana yami.” Wadliwa uJonathani.

₄₃USawule wayesethi kuJonathani: “Ngitshele okwenzileyo.”

UJonathani wamtshela wathi: “Impela ngezwa ingcosana yezinyosi ngesihloko senduku eyayisesandleni sami; bheka, sengizakufa.”

₄₄USawule wathi: “Makenze njalo uNkulunkulu, enezele futhi, ngokuba uyakufa nokufa, Jonathani!”

₄₅Abantu bathi kuSawule: “Uyakufa yini uJonathani okwenzile lokho kusindisa okukhulu kwa-Israyeli na? Makube kude; kuphila kukaJehova, akuyikuwela phansi nolulodwa unwele lwekhanda lakhe, ngokuba usebenzile noNkulunkulu namuhla.” Abantu bamhlenga ukuba angafi.

₄₆USawule wayesenyuka ebuya ekulandeleni amaFilisti; aya endaweni yawo.

₄₇USawule esethathile umbuso wakwa-Israyeli walwa nazo zonke izitha zakhe nxazonke, noMowabi, nabantwana bakwa-Amoni, no-Edomi, namakhosi aseSoba, namaFilisti; nomaphi lapho ebheka khona, wayehlula. ₄₈Wenza okobuqhawe, wanqoba ama-Amaleki, wamophula u-Israyeli esandleni sabaphangi.

₄₉Amadodana kaSawule ayengoJonathani, no-Ishivi, noMaliki Shuwa; amagama amadodakazi akhe amabili yilawa: igama lenkulu lalinguMerabi, igama lencane lalinguMikhali. ₅₀Igama lomkaSawule lalingu-Ahinohama indodakazi ka-Ahimahazi; igama lenduna yempi yakhe lalingu-Abineri indodana kaNeri uyisekazi kaSawule. ₅₁UKishi uyise kaSawule noNeri uyise ka-Abineri babe ngamadodana ka-Abiyeli.

₅₂Kwakukhona ukulwa okunzima namaFilisti zonke izinsuku zikaSawule; lapho uSawule ebona iqhawe nendoda enamandla wazithathela bona.