ODavide noSawule basemhumeni wase-Eni Gedi
1Kwathi uSawule esebuyile ekuxosheni amaFilisti, kwabikwa kuye ukuthi: “Bheka, uDavide usehlane lase-Eni Gedi.” 2USawule wayesethatha abantu abayizinkulungwane ezintathu abakhethiweyo kuye wonke u-Israyeli, wahamba ukumfuna uDavide nabantu bakhe emaDwaleni amaGogo.
3Wafika ezibayeni zezimvu ngasendleleni, lapho kukhona umhume; uSawule wangena khona ukuba embese izinyawo zakhe. UDavide nabantu bakhe babehlezi emuva emhumeni. 4Abantu bakaDavide bathi kuye: “Bheka, nantu usuku uJehova asho ngalo kuwe ukuthi: ‘Bheka, ngiyakunikela isitha sakho esandleni sakho, wenze kuso okuhle emehlweni akho.’ ” Wayesesuka uDavide, wasika ngasese umphetho wengubo kaSawule.
5Kwathi ngasemuva uDavide wahlabeka enhliziyweni, ngokuba wayesikile umphetho wengubo kaSawule. 6Wathi kubantu bakhe: “Makube kude nami, Jehova, ukuba ngenze okunjalo kuyo inkosi yami, ogcotshiweyo kaJehova, ngelulele isandla sami kuye, lokhu engogcotshiweyo kaJehova.” 7UDavide wabathiya ngalawo mazwi, akabavumelanga ukuba bamvukele uSawule. USawule wasuka emhumeni, wahamba.
8Naye uDavide wasuka ngasemuva, waphuma emhumeni, wamemeza emva kukaSawule, ethi: “Nkosi yami, nkosi!” USawule wabheka emuva, uDavide wakhothamela phansi ngobuso, wakhuleka. 9UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Ulalelelani amazwi abantu abathi: ‘Bheka, uDavide ufuna ukukulimaza’? 10Bheka, namuhla amehlo akho abonile ukuthi uJehova wayekunikele esandleni sami emhumeni; abanye bathi mangikubulale, kepha ngakuhawukela, ngathi: ‘Angiyikwelulela isandla sami kuyo inkosi yami, ngokuba ingogcotshiweyo kaJehova.’ 11Futhi, baba, bheka, yebo, bheka, umphetho wengubo yakho usesandleni sami, ngokuba lokhu ngasika umphetho wengubo yakho ngingakubulalanga, yazi, ubone ukuthi akukho bubi nasiphambeko esandleni sami, angonanga kuwe, noma uqamekela ukuphila kwami ukuba ukuthathe. 12UJehova makahlulele phakathi kwami nawe, uJehova angiphindisele kuwe, kepha isandla sami asiyikuba phezu kwakho. 13Kunjengesaga sasendulo esithi: ‘Kwababi kuvela okubi;’ ngalokho isandla sami asiyikuba phezu kwakho.
14“Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli iphumele ukulandela bani na? Uxosha bani na? Uxosha inja efileyo, intwakumba eyodwa nje. 15UJehova makabe ngumahluleli, ahlulele phakathi kwami nawe, abheke, angimele, angikhulule esandleni sakho.”
16Kwathi uDavide eseqedile ukukhuluma lawo mazwi kuSawule, uSawule wathi: “Yizwi lakho leli, ndodana yami Davide, na?” USawule wadazuluka, wakhala. 17Wayesethi kuDavide: “Ulungile kunami, ngokuba wena ungiphindisele ngokuhle, kepha mina ngikuphindisele ngokubi. 18Ulandile namuhla ukuthi ungenzele okuhle, njengokuba, lapho uJehova ebenginikele esandleni sakho, awungibulalanga. 19Ngokuba uma umuntu efica isitha sakhe, uyasivumela ukuba sihambe ngendlela enhle na? UJehova makakuphindisele ngokuhle ngokwenzileyo kimi namuhla. 20Manje bheka, ngiyazi ukuthi uyakuba yinkosi impela, nombuso wakwa-Israyeli uyakuqiniswa esandleni sakho. 21Ngalokho ngifungele uJehova ukuthi awuyikunquma inzalo yami emva kwami nokuthi awuyikwesula igama lami endlini kababa.”
22UDavide wafunga kuSawule; uSawule wagoduka, kepha uDavide nabantu bakhe bakhuphukela enqabeni.
