Ukukhululwa kweKeyila
1Kwabikwa kuDavide ukuthi: “Bheka, amaFilisti ayalwa neKeyila, aphanga izibuya.” 2Ngalokho uDavide wabuza kuJehova, wathi: “Ngiye ngibulale lawo maFilisti na?”
UJehova wathi kuDavide: “Hamba uwabulale amaFilisti, usindise iKeyila.”
3Abantu bakaDavide bathi kuye: “Bheka, siyesaba lapha kwaJuda; kakhulu kangakanani, uma siya eKeyila, silwe nezimpi zamaFilisti na?”
4UDavide waphinda wabuza kuJehova. UJehova wamphendula wathi: “Suka wehlele eKeyila, ngokuba ngiyakunikela amaFilisti esandleni sakho.” 5UDavide nabantu bakhe baya eKeyila, balwa namaFilisti, bathumba izinkomo zawo, bawaceka ngokuceka okukhulu. Wayesebasindisa uDavide abaseKeyila.
6Kwathi lapho u-Abiyathara indodana ka-Ahimeleki ebaleka eya kuDavide eKeyila, wehla, ingubo yamahlombe isesandleni sakhe.
7Kwabikwa kuSawule ukuthi uDavide ufikile eKeyila. Wayesethi uSawule: “UNkulunkulu umkhaphele esandleni sami, ngokuba uzivalele ngokungena emzini onamasango nemigoqo.” 8USawule wabiza abantu bonke, baye empini, behlele eKeyila, bavimbezele uDavide nabantu bakhe.
9UDavide wazi ukuthi uSawule uceba okubi ngaye; wathi ku-Abiyathara umpristi: “Letha ingubo yamahlombe.” 10Wayesethi uDavide: “Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, inceku yakho izwile nokuzwa ukuthi uSawule ufuna ukuza eKeyila ukuba achithe umuzi ngenxa yami. 11Abantu baseKeyila bayakungikhaphela yini esandleni sakhe na? USawule uyakwehla njengalokho inceku yakho izwile na? Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ake uyitshele inceku yakho.”
Wathi uJehova: “Uyakwehla.”
12Wayesethi uDavide: “Abantu baseKeyila bayakungikhaphela mina nabantu bami esandleni sikaSawule na?”
Wathi uJehova: “Bayakukukhaphela.”
13Wayesesuka uDavide nabantu bakhe kungathi abangamakhulu ayisithupha, baphuma eKeyila, bahamba lapho bebenokuhamba khona. Kwabikwa kuSawule ukuthi uDavide ubalekile eKeyila; wayeseyeka ukuphuma.
UJonathani ukuDavide eZifi
14UDavide wahlala ehlane ezinqabeni, wahlala ezintabeni ezisehlane laseZifi. USawule wamfuna zonke izinsuku, kepha uNkulunkulu akamnikelanga esandleni sakhe.
15UDavide wabona ukuthi uSawule uphumele ukufuna ukuphila kwakhe; uDavide wayesehlane laseZifi eHoreshi. 16Kwasuka uJonathani indodana kaSawule, waya kuDavide eHoreshi, waqinisa isandla sakhe kuNkulunkulu. 17Wathi kuye: “Ungesabi, ngokuba isandla sikaSawule ubaba asiyikukufumana; wena uyakuba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli, mina ngikwelame; noSawule ubaba uyakwazi lokho.” 18Benza isivumelwano bobabili phambi kukaJehova; uDavide wahlala eHoreshi, uJonathani waya endlini yakhe.
Inkohliso yabaseZifi
19Kwase kwenyuka abaseZifi, baya kuSawule eGibeya, bathi: “UDavide akacashi yini kithi ezinqabeni zaseHoreshi entabeni yaseHakhila elingaseningizimu kwasehlane na? 20Ngalokho yehla, nkosi, uma kuyisifiso senhliziyo yakho ukwehla, thina simkhaphele esandleni senkosi.”
21USawule wathi: “Manibusiswe, ngokuba ningihawukele. 22Manihambe, niqinise, nazi, nibone indawo yakhe lapho kukhona unyawo lwakhe nokuthi ubonwe ngubani khona, ngokuba ngitsheliwe ukuthi unobuqili impela. 23Bhekani, nizazi zonke izindawo zokucasha, lapho ecasha khona, nibuyele kimi nineqiniso; ngiyakuhamba nani; kuyakuthi uma ekhona ezweni, ngimfice phakathi kwayo yonke imindeni yakwaJuda.”
24Base besuka, baya eZifi phambi kukaSawule; kepha uDavide nabantu bakhe babesehlane laseMahoni e-Araba ngaseningizimu kwasehlane.
UDavide useMahoni
25USawule nabantu bakhe baya ukumfuna. UDavide watshelwa; wehlela-ke eweni, wahlala ehlane laseMahoni. USawule ekuzwa, wamxosha uDavide ehlane laseMahoni.
26USawule wahamba ngalapha kwentaba, uDavide nabantu bakhe bahamba ngale kwentaba; uDavide washesha wahamba ngokumesaba uSawule, ngokuba uSawule nabantu bakhe bahaqa uDavide nabantu bakhe ukuba bababambe. 27Kepha kwafika isithunywa kuSawule, sithi: “Shesha ufike, ngokuba amaFilisti angenele izwe.” 28Wayesebuya uSawule ekumxosheni uDavide, wahamba ukuhlangabezana namaFilisti; ngalokho babiza leyo ndawo ngokuthi iSela Hamalekoti.* 29UDavide wakhuphuka lapho, wahlala ezinqabeni zase-Eni Gedi.
