Ukugcotshwa kukaDavide abe yinkosi
1UJehova wathi kuSamuweli: “Uyakumkhalela kuze kube nini na? Ngokuba ngimlahlile ukuba angabe esaba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli. Gcwalisa uphondo lwakho ngamafutha, uhambe; ngiyakukuthuma kuJese waseBetlehema, ngokuba ngizibonele inkosi phakathi kwamadodana akhe.”
2Wathi uSamuweli: “Ngingahamba kanjani? Uma uSawule ekuzwa, uyakungibulala.”
UJehova wathi: “Hamba nesithokazi, uthi: ‘Ngize ukuhlabela uJehova.’ 3Mbize uJese ekuhlabeni; ngiyakukwazisa ukuthi uyakwenzani: uyakungigcobela lowo engiyakumusho kuwe.”
4USamuweli wenza lokho akushoyo uJehova, waya eBetlehema. Amalunga omuzi amhlangabeza ethuthumela, athi: “Ukufika kwakho kunokuthula na?”
5Wathi: “Yebo, kunokuthula; ngize ukuhlabela uJehova; zingcweliseni, nize nami ekuhlabeni.” Wabangcwelisa uJese namadodana akhe, wababiza ukuba beze ekuhlabeni.
6Kwathi sebefikile, wabheka u-Eliyabe, wathi: “Impela ogcotshiweyo kaJehova uphambi kwakhe.”
7Kepha uJehova wathi kuSamuweli: “Ungabheki isimo sakhe nobude bomzimba wakhe, ngokuba ngimalile, lokhu uJehova engabukisi okomuntu; umuntu ubheka okusemehlweni, kepha uJehova ubheka okusenhliziyweni.”
8UJese wayesebiza u-Abinadaba, wamdlulisa phambi kukaSamuweli. Wathi: “Nalona uJehova akamkhethanga.” 9UJese wayesedlulisa uShama. Wathi: “Nalona uJehova akamkhethanga.” 10UJese wadlulisa ayisikhombisa kumadodana akhe phambi kukaSamuweli. USamuweli wathi kuJese: “UJehova akawakhethanga nalawa.” 11USamuweli wathi kuJese: “Sebephelile abafana na?”
Wathi: “Kusasele omncane; bheka, uyalusa izimvu.”
USamuweli wathi kuJese: “Thumela umlande, ngokuba asiyikubuya, engakafiki lapha.”
12Wathumela, wamngenisa. Wayebomvana enamehlo amahle, emuhle ngokubukwa. UJehova wathi: “Suka umgcobe, ngokuba lona nguye.”
13USamuweli wayesethatha uphondo lwamafutha, wamgcoba phakathi kwabafowabo; uMoya kaJehova wehlela phezu kukaDavide ngamandla, kusukela kulolo suku kuya phambili. Wayesesuka uSamuweli, waya eRama.
UDavide uya endlunkulu
14UMoya kaJehova wamuka kuSawule, nomoya omubi owavela kuJehova wamzuma.
15Izinceku zikaSawule zathi kuye: “Bheka-ke, umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu ukuzumile. 16Mayisho inkosi yethu ukuba izinceku eziphambi kwakho zifune umuntu owazi ukubetha ihabhu;* kuyakuthi lapho ufikelwa ngumoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu, abethe ngesandla sakhe, kube kuhle kuwe.”
17USawule wayesethi kuzo izinceku zakhe: “Ngiboneleni umuntu owazi ukubetha kahle, nimlethe kimi.”
18Kwaphendula enye insizwa, yathi: “Bheka, ngibonile indodana kaJese waseBetlehema eyazi ukubetha, eyiqhawe elinamandla, eyindoda yempi nehlakaniphile ekukhulumeni, ebukeka, emuhle futhi; uJehova unayo.”
19Ngalokho uSawule wathuma izithunywa kuJese, wathi: “Thuma kimi uDavide indodana yakho osezimvini.” 20UJese wathatha imbongolo ithwele isinkwa, nemvaba yewayini, nezinyane lembuzi, wakuthuma kuSawule ngesandla sikaDavide indodana yakhe.
21UDavide wafika kuSawule, wema phambi kwakhe; wamthanda kakhulu, waba ludibi lwezikhali zakhe. 22USawule wathumela kuJese, wathi: “Akeme phambi kwami uDavide, ngokuba ufumene umusa emehlweni ami.”
23Kwathi nxa umoya owavela kuNkulunkulu emehlela uSawule, uDavide wathatha ihabhu,* walibetha ngesandla sakhe; wayesekhululeka uSawule, waba ngcono, umoya omubi wamuka kuye.
