1 USamuyeli 13
1 USawuli waba yinkosi eleminyaka engamatshumi amathathu ubudala bakhe, njalo wabusa u-Israyeli iminyaka engamatshumi amane lambili.
USawuli wayelomnyaka embusweni wakhe. Esebuse uIsrayeli okweminyaka emibili,
2 USawuli wakhetha abantu abazinkulungwane ezintathu ko-Israyeli; abazinkulungwane ezimbili babelaye eMikhimashi laselizweni lezintaba eleBhetheli, njalo abayinkulungwane babeloJonathani eGibhiya koBhenjamini. Bonke abasalayo wababuyisela emakhaya abo.
uSawuli wasezikhethela abayizinkulungwane ezintathu kwamaIsrayeli; njalo abayizinkulungwane ezimbili babeloSawuli eMikimashi lentabeni yeBhetheli, lenkulungwane yaba loJonathani eGibeya yakoBhenjamini; labaseleyo babantu wabayekela bahamba, ngulowo lalowo ethenteni lakhe.
3 UJonathani wahlasela inkamba yamabutho amaFilistiya eGebha, njalo amaFilistiya akuzwa lokho. Lapho-ke uSawuli wathi kakukhaliswe icilongo kulolonke ilizwe wathi, “AmaHebheru kawezwe!”
UJonathani wasetshaya ibutho lenqaba yamaFilisti eyayiseGeba, lamaFilisti akuzwa. USawuli wasevuthela uphondo elizweni lonke esithi: AmaHebheru kawezwe.
4 Ngakho u-Israyeli wonke wayizwa indaba yokuthi: “USawuli usehlasele inkamba yamabutho amaFilistiya, njalo u-Israyeli khathesi useyisinengiso kumaFilistiya.” Njalo abantu babizwa ukuba bayehlanganyela loSawuli eGiligali.
UIsrayeli wonke wezwa kuthiwa uSawuli utshayile ibutho lenqaba yamaFilisti lokuthi uIsrayeli laye waba levumba kumaFilisti. Abantu basebebizelwa ndawonye ukulandela uSawuli baye eGiligali.
5 AmaFilistiya abuthana ukuthi alwe lo-Israyeli ngezinqola zempi eziyizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu, labatshayeli bazo abazinkulungwane eziyisithupha kanye lamabutho ayemanengi njengetshebetshebe ekhunjini lolwandle. Ahamba ayamisa eMikhimashi, empumalanga kweBhethi-Aveni.
AmaFilisti asebuthana ukuthi alwe loIsrayeli, inqola eziyizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu, labagadi bamabhiza abayizinkulungwane eziyisithupha, labantu abalingana letshebetshebe elisekhunjini lolwandle ngobunengi; enyuka amisa inkamba eMikimashi, empumalanga kweBeti-Aveni.
6 Kwathi abantu bako-Israyeli bebona ukuthi umumo wabo wawusumubi lokuthi ibutho labo lalincindezelwe kanzima, bacatsha ezimbalwini lasemajukujukwini, laphakathi kwamadwala, emilindini lasemigodini.
Kwathi amadoda akoIsrayeli ebona ukuthi asekuminyezelweni, ngoba abantu bacindezelwa, abantu bacatsha embalwini lezixukwini zameva, lemadwaleni, lezinqabeni, lemigodini.
7 Amanye amaHebheru aze achaphela elizweni lakoGadi kanye leGiliyadi. USawuli wasala eGiligali, njalo wonke amabutho ayelaye ayeqhuqha ngenxa yokwesaba.
LamaHebheru achapha iJordani, aya elizweni leGadi leGileyadi. Kodwa uSawuli wayelokhu eseGiligali, labantu bonke bathuthumela bemlandela.
8 Walinda insuku eziyisikhombisa, isikhathi esasimiswe nguSamuyeli; kodwa uSamuyeli kezanga eGiligali; yikho abantu bakaSawuli baqalisa ukuchitheka.
Waselinda insuku eziyisikhombisa, njengesikhathi esamiswa nguSamuweli; kodwa uSamuweli kafikanga eGiligali, labantu bahlakazeka besuka kuye.
9 Ngakho wathi, “Ngilethelani umnikelo wokutshiswa leminikelo yobuzalwane.” USawuli wanikela umnikelo wokutshiswa.
USawuli wasesithi: Sondezani kimi umnikelo wokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula. Wasenikela umnikelo wokutshiswa.
10 Kwathi khonokho nje eqeda ukunikela umnikelo wokutshiswa, uSamuyeli wafika, uSawuli waphuma wayambingelela.
Kwasekusithi eseqede ukunikela umnikelo wokutshiswa, khangela, uSamuweli wafika; uSawuli wasephuma ukumhlangabeza ukuze ambingelele.
11 USamuyeli wabuza wathi, “Kuyini osukwenzile na?” USawuli waphendula wathi, “Kuthe ngibona abantu sebechitheka, lokuthi kawufikanga ngesikhathi esimisiweyo, kanye lokuthi amaFilistiya abebuthana eMikhimashi,
USamuweli wasesithi: Wenzeni? USawuli wasesithi: Ngoba ngibone ukuthi abantu babehlakazeka besuka kimi, lawe ungafikanga ngesikhathi esimisiweyo sezinsuku, lokuthi amaFilisti asebuthene eMikimashi.
12 ngacabanga ngathi, ‘Khathesi amaFilistiya azakuzangihlasela eGiligali, njalo kangicelanga umusa kuThixo.’ Ngakho ngizwe ngincindezeleka ukuba nginikele umnikelo wokutshiswa.”
Ngakho ngathi: Khathesi amaFilisti azangehlela eGiligali, ngingancenganga ubuso beNkosi. Ngasengizibamba ngamandla, nganikela umnikelo wokutshiswa.
13 USamuyeli wathi, “Wenze ubuthutha. Kawuwugcinanga umlayo uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho akupha wona; aluba ubukwenzile lokho, ubezamisa umbuso wakho phezu kuka-Israyeli kokuphela.
USamuweli wasesithi kuSawuli: Wenze ngobuwula; kawuwugcinanga umlayo weNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eyakulaya wona; ngoba khathesi iNkosi ibizawumisa umbuso wakho koIsrayeli kuze kube nininini.
14 Kodwa umbuso wakho kawuyikuqhubeka; uThixo usedinge indoda emthandayo ngenhliziyo yakhe wambeka ukuba ngumbusi wabantu bakhe, ngoba wena kawuwugcinanga umlayo kaThixo.”
Kodwa khathesi umbuso wakho kawuyikuma. INkosi isizidingele umuntu ngokwenhliziyo yayo, njalo iNkosi isimlayile ukuthi abe ngumbusi phezu kwabantu bayo, ngoba kawugcinanga lokho iNkosi ekulaye khona.
15 Emva kwalokho uSamuyeli wasuka eGiligali waya eGibhiya koBhenjamini, uSawuli wasebala abantu ababelaye. Babengaba ngamakhulu ayisithupha.
USamuweli wasesukuma wenyuka esuka eGiligali waya eGibeya yakoBhenjamini. USawuli wasebala abantu abaficwa belaye, phose abangamakhulu ayisithupha.
16 USawuli lendodana yakhe uJonathani kanye labantu ayelabo babehlala eGibhiya koBhenjamini, amaFilistiya emise izihonqo eMikhimashi.
Njalo uSawuli loJonathani indodana yakhe labantu abaficwa belabo bahlala eGibeya yakoBhenjamini, kodwa amaFilisti amisa inkamba eMikimashi.
17 Amaqembu abahlaseli aphuma ezihonqweni zamaFilistiya ngezigaba ezintathu. Elinye laqonda e-Ofira eduze leShuwali,
Abachithi basebephuma enkambeni yamaFilisti ngezigaba ezintathu; esinye isigaba saphendukela endleleni yeOfira, saya elizweni leShuwali;
18 elinye laqonda eBhethi-Horoni, kwathi elesithathu laqonda endaweni esemngceleni ngaphezu kweSigodi saseZebhoyimi malungana lenkangala.
lesinye isigaba saphendukela endleleni yeBhethi-Horoni; lesinye isigaba saphendukela endleleni yomngcele okhangele esihotsheni seZeboyimi ngasenkangala.
19 Akulamkhandi wensimbi owayengatholakala kulolonke elako-Israyeli, ngoba amaFilistiya ayethe, “Mhlawumbe amaHebheru azakwenza izinkemba kumbe imikhonto.”
Njalo kwakungatholakali mkhandi elizweni lonke lakoIsrayeli, ngoba amaFilisti athi: Hlezi amaHebheru enze izinkemba loba imikhonto.
20 Ngakho u-Israyeli wonke waya kumaFilistiya ukuyalola amakhuba akhe, lamamatoki, lamahloka kanye amasikela.
UIsrayeli wonke-ke wehlela kumaFilisti ukulola, ngulowo lalowo isikali sakhe sekhuba, lemataka yakhe, lehloka lakhe, lesikela yakhe.
21 Imbadalo yokulolisa amakhuba lamamatoki yayingokubili kokuthathu kweshekeli, njalo ingokukodwa kokuthathu kweshekeli ukulola amafologwe lamahloka kanye lokucijisa izijujo.
Imbadalo yezikali zekhuba lamamataka lamafologwe alencijo ezintathu lamahloka lokulungisa izincijo yayiyipimi.
22 Ngakho ngosuku lwempi akulabutho elaliloSawuli loJonathani elalilenkemba kumbe umkhonto esandleni salo; uSawuli loJonathani kuphela yibo ababelakho.
Ngakho kwathi ngosuku lwempi kakutholakalanga inkemba loba umkhonto esandleni saloba ngubani wabantu ababeloSawuli lababeloJonathani; kodwa kwatholakala kuSawuli loJonathani indodana yakhe.
23 Ngalesisikhathi amaFilistiya ayesephume aya emkhandlwini waseMikhimashi.
Lebutho lenqaba yamaFilisti laphuma laya emkhandlweni weMikimashi.
