1 uSamuweli 31

₁AmaFilisti alwa no-Israyeli; abantu bakwa-Israyeli babaleka phambi kwamaFilisti, bawa begwaziwe entabeni yaseGilibowa. ₂AmaFilisti axosha uSawule namadodana akhe; amaFilisti abulala oJonathani, no-Abinadaba, noMaliki Shuwa, amadodana kaSawule. ₃Impi yaba nzima kuSawule; abacibishelayo bamfica, wakhathazeka kakhulu ngenxa yabacibishelayo.

₄USawule wayesethi odibini lwezikhali zakhe: “Hosha inkemba yakho, ungigwaze ngayo, funa labo abangasokile bafike, bangigwaze, bangone.” Kepha aluvumanga udibi lwezikhali zakhe, ngokuba lwesaba kakhulu. Ngalokho uSawule wayithatha inkemba, wawela phezu kwayo. ₅Udibi lwezikhali zakhe selubonile ukuthi uSawule ufile, lwawela nalo phezu kwenkemba yalo, lwafa kanye naye. ₆Wafa-ke uSawule namadodana akhe omathathu, nodibi lwakhe, nabo bonke abantu bakhe ngalolo suku kanyekanye.

₇Lapho abantu bakwa-Israyeli ababe ngaphesheya kwesigodi nalabo ababe ngaphesheya kweJordani bebona ukuthi abantu bakwa-Israyeli babaleka nokuthi uSawule namadodana akhe bafile, bashiya imizi, babaleka; amaFilisti afika, ahlala kuyo.

₈Kwathi ngangomuso, lapho amaFilisti efika ukuphanga ababuleweyo, afumana uSawule namadodana akhe omathathu bewile entabeni yaseGilibowa. ₉Amnquma ikhanda, athatha izikhali zakhe, azithuma ezweni lamaFilisti nxazonke ukukumemezela endlini yezithombe zawo nakubantu. ₁₀Azibeka izikhali zakhe endlini ka-Ashitaroti, abethela isidumbu sakhe ogangeni lwaseBeti Shani.

₁₁Sebezwile abakhe eJabeshi Gileyadi lokho amaFilisti ayekwenzile kuSawule, ₁₂kwasuka onke amadoda anamandla, ahamba ubusuku bonke, asithatha isidumbu sikaSawule, nezidumbu zamadodana akhe ogangeni lwaseBeti Shani, afika eJabeshi, azishisa khona. ₁₃Athatha amathambo abo, awembela phansi komtamariske* eJabeshi, azila ukudla izinsuku eziyisikhombisa.