1 uSamuweli 17

₁AmaFilisti abutha izimpi zawo ukuba alwe; abuthana eSoko lakwaJuda, amisa phakathi kweSoko ne-Azeka e-Efesi Damimi. ₂USawule nabantu bakwa-Israyeli babuthana, bamisa esigodini sase-Ela, bahlela impi ukuhlangabezana namaFilisti. ₃AmaFilisti ayemi entabeni ngalapha, u-Israyeli wayemi entabeni ngalapha; kwakukhona isigodi phakathi kwabo.

₄Kwaphuma iqhawe elikhulu ekamu* lamaFilisti, igama lalo linguGoliyati waseGati, obude bakhe buyizingalo eziyisithupha nesandla. ₅Wayenesigqoko sethusi ekhanda, egqoke ibhantshi lensimbi; isisindo sebhantshi sasingamashekeli* ayizinkulungwane eziyisihlanu ethusi. ₆Wayenezivikelo zethusi emilenzeni, nengcula yethusi phakathi kwamahlombe. ₇Uthi lomkhonto wakhe lwalunjengogongolo lomaluki; isihloko somkhonto sasingamashekeli* angamakhulu ayisithupha ensimbi; ophethe isihlangu wahamba phambi kwakhe.

₈Wema, wamemeza ezinhleni zakwa-Israyeli, wathi kuzo: “Niphumelani ukuhlela impi na? Angisiye umFilisti, nina niyizinceku zikaSawule, na? Zikhetheleni umuntu, ehle eze kimi. ₉Uma enamandla okulwa nami, angibulale, siyakuba yizigqila zenu; kepha uma ngimahlula, ngimbulale, niyakuba yizigqila zethu, nisikhonze.” ₁₀UmFilisti wathi: “Ngiyazeyisa namuhla izinhla zakwa-Israyeli; nginikeni umuntu, silwe naye.” ₁₁Lapho uSawule naye wonke u-Israyeli bezwa lawo mazwi omFilisti, bashaywa luvalo, besaba kakhulu.

₁₂UDavide wayeyindodana yalowo mEfrati waseBetlehema Juda ogama lakhe lalinguJese; wayenamadodana ayisishiyagalombili; lowo muntu wayemdala ezinsukwini zikaSawule phakathi kwabantu. ₁₃Amadodana amathathu amakhulu kaJese ayemlandele uSawule ukuya empini; amagama amadodana akhe amathathu ayeyile empini ayengu-Eliyabe izibulo, emelamayo ngu-Abinadaba, neyesithathu nguShama. ₁₄UDavide nguye owayengomncinyane; amathathu amakhulu amlandela uSawule. ₁₅UDavide wahamba wabuya ukuyakwalusa izimvu zikayise eBetlehema.

₁₆UmFilisti wasondela ekuseni nakusihlwa, wema khona izinsuku ezingamashumi amane.

₁₇UJese wathi kuDavide indodana yakhe: “Ake uthathele abafowenu i-efa* lalolu tshwele nalezi zinkwa eziyishumi, usheshe uye ekamu* labafowenu, ₁₈uphathele induna yenkulungwane lawa makhekheba kashizi,* ubheke impilo yabafowenu, uthathe isibambiso kubo.” ₁₉USawule nabo bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli base besesigodini sase-Ela, belwa namaFilisti.

₂₀UDavide wavuka ekuseni kakhulu, washiya izimvu kumlindi, wathatha, wahamba, njengalokho uJese amyale ngakho; wafika enqabeni yezinqola, impi isaphuma ukuyakuhlelwa, yahlaba umkhosi. ₂₁U-Israyeli namaFilisti bahlela impi, babhekana. ₂₂UDavide washiya impahla yakhe esandleni somlindi wempahla, wagijimela empini, wabingelela abafowabo. ₂₃Kepha esakhuluma nabo, bheka, kwenyuka iqhawe elikhulu, umFilisti waseGati, nguGoliyati igama lalo, ephuma ezinhleni zamaFilisti, wakhuluma wona lawo mazwi; uDavide wawezwa. ₂₄Bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli sebebonile lo muntu bambalekela, besaba kakhulu.

₂₅Abantu bakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Nimbonile lowo muntu owenyukile na? Ngokuba wenyukile ukuyakweyisa u-Israyeli; kuyakuthi umuntu ombulalayo, inkosi imcebise ngengcebo enkulu, imnike indodakazi yayo, iyenze indlu kayise ibe ngekhululekile kwa-Israyeli.”

₂₆UDavide wakhuluma kubantu ababemi naye, wathi: “Kuyakwenziwa ntoni kumuntu obulala lowo mFilisti, asuse ihlazo kwa-Israyeli, na? Ngokuba ngubani lowo mFilisti ongasokile ukuba ayeyise impi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo na?”

₂₇Abantu bamphendula ngalona lelo zwi; bathi-ke: “Kuyakwenziwa kanjalo kumuntu ombulalayo.”

₂₈U-Eliyabe umfowabo omkhulu wezwa lapho ekhuluma kubantu; intukuthelo ka-Eliyabe yamvuthela uDavide, wathi: “Wehleleni na? Uzishiye kubani leziya zimvu ezingengakanani ehlane na? Mina ngiyakwazi ukuziphakamisa kwakho nobubi benhliziyo yakho, ngokuba wehlile ukuba ubuke impi.”

₂₉Kepha uDavide wathi: “Ngenzeni na? Bekungumbuzo nje.” ₃₀Wamfulathela, wabheka komunye, wakhuluma lona lelo zwi; abantu bamphendula njengakuqala. ₃₁Esezwakele amazwi abewakhulumile uDavide alandwa phambi kukaSawule; wambiza.

₃₂UDavide wayesethi kuSawule: “Makungaqedwa nhliziyo yamuntu ngalowo; inceku yakho iyakuhamba ilwe nalowo mFilisti.”

₃₃USawule wathi kuDavide: “Awunamandla okuya kulowo mFilisti, ulwe naye, ngokuba ungumfana nje, yena eyindoda yempi kwasebusheni bakhe.”

₃₄UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Inceku yakho yayizalusa izimvu zikayise; lapho kwafika ingonyama nebhere* kwathatha imvu emhlambini, ₃₅ngaphuma ngakulandela, ngakubulala, ngayophula emlonyeni wakho; lapho kwangivukela, ngakubamba ngesilevu, ngakwahlula, ngakubulala. ₃₆Inceku yakho yahlula ingonyama nebhere,* nalowo mFilisti ongasokile uyakuba njengenye yazo, lokhu eyeyisile impi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo.” ₃₇UDavide wathi: “UJehova owangophula ozisheni lwengonyama nasozisheni lwebhere* uyakungophula nasesandleni salowo mFilisti.”

USawule wathi kuDavide: “Hamba, uJehova uyakuba nawe.”

₃₈USawule wamembathisa ezakhe izingubo, wamfaka isigqoko sethusi ekhanda, wamgqokisa ibhantshi lensimbi. ₃₉UDavide wabhinca inkemba yakhe phezu kwezambatho zakhe, wazama ukuhamba, ngokuba wayengakazilingi. UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Anginakuhamba nalezi, angikazilingi.” UDavide wayesezikhumula. ₄₀Wathatha induku yakhe ngesandla, wazikhethela amatshe ayisihlanu abushelezi emfudlaneni, wawafaka esikhwameni somalusi ayenaso, eyikeni lakhe, indwayimana yakhe isesandleni sakhe; wayesesondela kumFilisti.

₄₁Weza umFilisti, wafika wasondela kuDavide; umuntu ophethe isihlangu wahamba phambi kwakhe. ₄₂UmFilisti esabuka wambona uDavide, wameyisa, ngokuba wayengumfana nje, ebomvana, ebukeka emuhle. ₄₃UmFilisti wathi kuDavide: “Ngiyinja yini ukuba uze kimi unezinduku na?” UmFilisti wamthuka uDavide ngawonkulunkulu bakhe. ₄₄UmFilisti wathi kuDavide: “Woza kimi, nginike izinyoni zezulu nezilwane zasendle inyama yakho.”

₄₅UDavide wayesethi kumFilisti: “Wena uza kimi nenkemba, nomkhonto, nengcula, kepha mina ngiza kuwe ngegama likaJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu wempi ka-Israyeli oyeyisile. ₄₆Namuhla uJehova uyakukunikela esandleni sami; ngiyakukubulala, ngisuse ikhanda lakho kuwe, nginike namuhla izinyoni zezulu nezilwane zomhlaba izidumbu zempi yamaFilisti, ukuze umhlaba wonke wazi ukuthi kukhona uNkulunkulu kwa-Israyeli, ₄₇yazi yonke le nhlangano ukuthi uJehova akasindisi ngenkemba nangomkhonto; ngokuba ukulwa kungokukaJehova; uyakuninikela esandleni sethu.”

₄₈Kwathi lapho esuka umFilisti weza wasondela ukuhlangabezana noDavide, uDavide washesha wagijimela ngasempini ukuhlangana nomFilisti. ₄₉UDavide wafaka isandla sakhe esikhwameni sakhe, wakhipha khona itshe, waliphonsa, wamshaya umFilisti ebunzini, itshe lashona ebunzini, wawela phansi ngobuso.

₅₀UDavide wamahlula umFilisti ngendwayimana nangetshe, wamshaya umFilisti, wambulala; kodwa kwakungekho nkemba esandleni sikaDavide.

₅₁Wayesegijima uDavide, wema phezu komFilisti, wathatha inkemba yakhe, wayihosha emgodleni wayo, wambulala, wamnquma ikhanda ngayo. Lapho amaFilisti ebona ukuthi iqhawe lawo lifile, abaleka. ₅₂Abantu bakwa-Israyeli nabakwaJuda basuka bakhamuluka, bawaxosha amaFilisti kwaze kwaba seGayi nasemasangweni ase-Ekroni. Abalimeleyo bamaFilisti bawa ngasendleleni eya eShaharayimi, kwaze kwaba seGati nase-Ekroni. ₅₃Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babuya ekuxosheni amaFilisti, baphanga ikamu* lawo. ₅₄UDavide wathatha ikhanda lomFilisti, waliyisa eJerusalema; kepha wafaka izikhali zakhe etendeni lakhe.

₅₅Lapho uSawule embona uDavide ephuma ukuhlangabezana nomFilisti, wathi ku-Abineri induna yempi: “Abineri, yindodana kabani lo mfana na?”

U-Abineri wathi: “Kuphila kwakho, nkosi, angazi.”

₅₆Yayisithi inkosi: “Buza wena ukuthi iyindodana kabani le nsizwa.”

₅₇UDavide esabuya ekubulaleni umFilisti, u-Abineri wamthatha wamyisa phambi kukaSawule, ephethe ikhanda lomFilisti esandleni sakhe.

₅₈USawule wathi kuye: “Uyindodana kabani wena mfana na?”

UDavide waphendula wathi: “Ngiyindodana yenceku yakho uJese waseBetlehema.”