USawule uyahlula ama-Amaleki
1USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “UJehova wangithuma ukuba ngikugcobe ube yinkosi phezu kwabantu bakhe u-Israyeli; ngalokho lalela amazwi kaJehova. 2Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi: ‘Ngiyakuhambela umAmaleki ngalokho akwenzayo ku-Israyeli wamelana naye endleleni ekukhuphukeni kwakhe eGibithe. 3Hamba manje, unqobe u-Amaleki, uchithe impela konke anakho, ungamhawukeli, kepha bulala abesilisa, nabesifazane, nezingane, nabancelayo, nezinkabi, nezimvu, namakamela, nezimbongolo.’ ”
4USawule wayesebiza abantu, wababala eThelayimi, izinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amabili zemigundatshani nezinkulungwane eziyishumi zabantu bakwaJuda. 5USawule wafika emzini ka-Amaleki, waqamekela esigodini. 6USawule wathi kumaKheni: “Hambani nimuke, nehle kuwo ama-Amaleki, funa nginichithe kanye nawo, ngokuba nabenzela umusa bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ekukhuphukeni kwabo eGibithe.” Ayesesuka amaKheni phakathi kwama-Amaleki.
7USawule wahlula ama-Amaleki kusukela eHavila kuya ngaseShuri elingaphambi kwaseGibithe. 8Wabamba u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki esaphilile, wachitha impela bonke abantu ngosiko lwenkemba. 9Kepha uSawule nabantu bayeka u-Agagi nezinhle nezikhulupheleyo zezimvu nezezinkabi, namawundlu, nakho konke okuhle; babengavumi ukukuqeda lokho; kodwa zonke izinto ezidelekileyo nezondileyo baziqeda nya.
Ukungalaleli nokulahlwa kukaSawule
10Lase lifika izwi likaJehova kuSamuweli, lithi: 11“Ngiyazisola ukuthi ngibekile uSawule inkosi, ngokuba ubuyile ekungilandeleni, kafezanga amazwi ami.” USamuweli wathukuthela, wakhala kuJehova ubusuku bonke.
12USamuweli wavuka kusasa ukuba amhlangabeze uSawule ekuseni; kwabikwa kuSamuweli ukuthi: “USawule wafika eKarmeli; bheka, wazimisela insika, wasuka, wadlula, wehla waya eGiligali.”
13USamuweli wafika kuSawule; uSawule wathi kuye: “Mawubusiswe nguJehova; sengifezile izwi likaJehova.”
14USamuweli wayesethi: “Kuthini, pho, lokhu kukhala kwezimvu ezindlebeni zami, nokukhala kwezinkabi engikuzwayo, na?”
15USawule wathi: “Babuye nazo kuma-Amaleki, ngokuba abantu bayeka ezinhle zezimvu nezezinkabi ukuba bahlabele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho; ezinye siziqedile nya.”
16USamuweli wayesethi kuSawule: “Kahle, ngikutshele lokho uJehova akukhulumile kimi kulobu busuku.”
Wathi kuye: “Khuluma.”
17Wathi uSamuweli: “Nakuba wawumncane emehlweni akho, awenziwanga yini waba yinhloko yezizwe zakwa-Israyeli na? UJehova wakugcoba, waba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli. 18UJehova wakuthuma indlela, wathi: ‘Hamba uqede nya izoni, ama-Amaleki, ulwe nawo aze aphele.’ 19Awulalelanga ngani izwi likaJehova, kepha watheleka phakathi kwempango, wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, na?”
20USawule wathi kuSamuweli: “Ngililalele izwi likaJehova, ngihambile indlela uJehova owangithuma yona, ngimlethile u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki, ngachitha impela ama-Amaleki. 21Kepha abantu bathatha kuyo impango, izimvu nezinkabi, okuhle kokuqalekisiweyo, ukuba bahlabele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho eGiligali.”
22USamuweli wathi:
“UJehova uyenamela yini
iminikelo yokushiswa nemihlatshelo,
njengalokhu enamele ukulalelwa kwezwi likaJehova, na?
Bheka, ukulalela kuhle kunomhlatshelo,
nokuqaphela kuhle kunamanoni ezinqama.
23Ngokuba ukwambuka kunjengesono sokubhula,
nenkani ifana nokukhonza izithombe namatherafi.*
Ngokuba ulilahlile izwi likaJehova,
naye ukulahlile wena ukuba ungabe usaba yinkosi.”
24USawule wayesethi kuSamuweli: “Ngonile, ngokuba ngeqile isiyalezo sikaJehova namazwi akho, lokhu ngesaba abantu, ngalalela izwi labo. 25Ngalokho ake uthethelele isono sami, ubuye nami ukuba ngikhuleke kuJehova.”
26USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Angiyikubuya nawe, ngokuba ulilahlile izwi likaJehova, naye uJehova ukulahlile wena ukuba ungabe usaba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli.”
27USamuweli esephenduka ukuhamba, wabamba umphetho wengubo yakhe, yaklebhuka. 28USamuweli wathi kuye: “UJehova uklebhulile umbuso ka-Israyeli kuwe namuhla, uwunikile umngane wakho omuhle kunawe. 29IThemba Lika-Israyeli aliyikuqamba amanga, lizisole, ngokuba alisiye umuntu ukuba lizisole.”
30Wayesethi: “Ngonile, kepha ake ungituse manje phambi kwamalunga abantu bami naphambi kuka-Israyeli, ubuye nami ukuba ngikhuleke kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho.” 31USamuweli wabuya, wamlandela uSawule; uSawule wakhuleka kuJehova.
OSamuweli no-Agagi
32USamuweli wayesethi: “Lethani kimi u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki.” U-Agagi wafika kuye esasile.
U-Agagi wathi: “Impela umunyu wokufa udlulile.”
33USamuweli wathi: “Njengalokho inkemba yakho ibaphucile abesifazane abantwana, kanjalo unyoko uyakwaphucwa abantwana kunabanye.” USamuweli wayesehlahlela u-Agagi phambi kukaJehova eGiligali.
34USamuweli waya eRama, kepha uSawule wakhuphukela ekhaya eGibeya likaSawule. 35USamuweli akaphindanga ukumbona uSawule waze wafa, kepha uSamuweli wamkhalela uSawule; uJehova wazisola ukuthi wayembekile uSawule inkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli.
