< 1 USamuyeli 17 >
1 AmaFilisti asebuthela amabutho awo impi; abuthana eSoko engeyakoJuda, amisa inkamba phakathi kweSoko leAzeka, eEfesi-Damimi.
2 USawuli lamadoda akoIsrayeli babuthana, bamisa inkamba esigodini seEla, bahlela impi ukumelana lamaFilisti.
3 AmaFilisti asesima entabeni ngapha, loIsrayeli wema entabeni ngale, lesigodi sasiphakathi kwabo.
4 Kwasekuphuma enkambeni yamaFilisti iqhawe; ibizo lalo lalinguGoliyathi weGathi; ubude balo babuyizingalo eziyisithupha lokwelulwa kweminwe.
5 Kwakulekhowa lethusi ekhanda lalo; laligqoke ibhatshi lensimbi elilamaxolo; njalo isisindo sebhatshi lensimbi sasingamashekeli ethusi ayizinkulungwane ezinhlanu.
6 Njalo kwakulemigwamazi yethusi emibaleni yalo, lomkhonto wethusi phakathi laphakathi kwamahlombe alo.
7 Loluthi lomkhonto walo lwalunjengogodo lomaluki, lengqamu yomkhonto walo yayingamashekeli ensimbi angamakhulu ayisithupha; lophatha isihlangu esikhulu wayehamba phambi kwalo.
8 Lema, lamemeza emaviyweni akoIsrayeli lathi kuwo: Liphumelani ukuzahlela impi? Kangisuye umFilisti yini, lani izinceku zikaSawuli? Zikhetheleni umuntu ehlele kimi.
9 Uba elakho ukulwa lami angibulale, sizakuba yizigqili zenu; kodwa uba mina ngimehlula ngimbulale, lizakuba yizigqili zethu, lisisebenzele.
10 UmFilisti wasesithi: Mina ngiyaweyisa amaviyo akoIsrayeli lamuhla; nginikani indoda ukuze silwisane.
11 Lapho uSawuli loIsrayeli wonke besizwa lamazwi omFilisti, batshaywa luvalo, besaba kakhulu.
12 UDavida wayeyindodana yalowomEfrathi weBhethelehema-Juda, obizo lakhe lalinguJese; wayelamadodana ayisificaminwembili. Njalo lowomuntu wahamba njengomuntu omdala phakathi kwamadoda ensukwini zikaSawuli.
13 Asehamba amadodana amathathu kaJese amadala, amlandela uSawuli empini. Lamabizo amadodana akhe amathathu ayeyile empini ayenguEliyabi izibulo, lowesibili wakhe uAbinadaba, lowesithathu uShama.
14 Njalo uDavida nguye owayelicinathunjana; lamathathu amadala alandela uSawuli.
15 Kodwa uDavida wahamba wabuyela esuka kuSawuli ukuyakwelusa izimvu zikayise eBhethelehema.
16 UmFilisti wayesondela-ke ekuseni kakhulu lantambama ezimisa okwensuku ezingamatshumi amane.
17 UJese wasesithi kuDavida indodana yakhe: Ake uthathele abafowenu i-efa lamabele akhanzingiweyo, lalezizinkwa ezilitshumi, ugijimele enkambeni kubafowenu.
18 Laleziziqa zetshizi ezilitshumi uziphathele induna yenkulungwane; ubone impilakahle yabafowenu, uthathe isibambiso kibo.
19 Njalo uSawuli, labo, lawo wonke amadoda akoIsrayeli babesesigodini seEla besilwa lamaFilisti.
20 UDavida wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu, watshiya izimvu kumlindi, wakuthatha wahamba njengokulaywa kwakhe nguJese. Wafika enqabeni yezinqola lapho ibutho liphuma ngamaviyo, bememezela impi.
21 Njalo uIsrayeli lamaFilisti bahlela iviyo laqondana leviyo.
22 UDavida wasetshiya impahla ezisuka kuye ngaphansi kwesandla somlindi wempahla, wagijimela eviyweni wafika wabuza abafowabo impilakahle.
23 Esakhuluma labo, khangela, iqhawe lenyuka, ibizo lalo lalinguGoliyathi, umFilisti weGathi, laphuma emaviyweni amaFilisti, lakhuluma njengokwalawomazwi; loDavida wawezwa.
24 Njalo wonke amadoda akoIsrayeli athi embona lowomuntu ambalekela, esaba kakhulu.
25 Amadoda akoIsrayeli athi-ke: Limbonile lowana umuntu owenyukileyo yini? Ngoba wenyukele ukweyisa uIsrayeli. Kuzakuthi-ke indoda ezambulala, inkosi izayinothisa ngenotho enkulu, iyinike lendodakazi yayo, lendlu kayise izayenza ikhululeke koIsrayeli.
26 UDavida wasekhuluma emadodeni ayemi laye esithi: Kuzakwenziwani endodeni ebulala lumFilisti, isuse ihlazo koIsrayeli? Ngoba ungubani lumFilisti ongasokanga ukuthi aweyise amaviyo kaNkulunkulu ophilayo?
27 Abantu basebemphendula njengalelolizwi besithi: Kuzakwenziwa njalo endodeni embulalayo.
28 UEliyabi umnewabo omdala wezwa-ke lapho ekhuluma lamadoda; lentukuthelo kaEliyabi yavuthela uDavida, wathi: Wehleleleni lapha? Izimvu leziyana ezinlutshwana uzitshiye lobani egangeni? Mina ngiyakwazi ukuziqhenya kwakho lobubi benhliziyo yakho; ngoba wehlele ukubona impi.
29 Kodwa uDavida wathi: Sengenzeni? Bekungasilizwi nje yini?
30 Wasemfulathela, waya komunye, wakhuluma laye njengokwalelolizwi; abantu basebebuyisela impendulo kuye njengelizwi lakuqala.
31 Lapho sebewezwile amazwi uDavida awakhulumayo, bawakhuluma phambi kukaSawuli; wasememukela.
32 UDavida wasesithi kuSawuli: Kakungehluleki inhliziyo yomuntu ngenxa yakhe; inceku yakho izahamba iyekulwa lalowomFilisti.
33 Kodwa uSawuli wathi kuDavida: Ungeke waya kulumFilisti ukulwa laye; ngoba wena ungumfana, yena-ke uyindoda yempi kusukela ebutsheni bakhe.
34 Kodwa uDavida wathi kuSawuli: Inceku yakho yayiselusa izimvu zikayise; lapho kwafika isilwane lebhere, kwathatha imvu emhlanjini,
35 ngaphuma ngakulandela, ngakutshaya, ngayikhulula emlonyeni wakho; lapho kungivukela, ngakubamba ngendevu, ngakutshaya, ngakubulala.
36 Inceku yakho yabulala kokubili isilwane lebhere; lalo umFilisti ongasokanga uzakuba njengokunye kwakho, lokhu eyise amaviyo kaNkulunkulu ophilayo.
37 UDavida wathi futhi: INkosi eyangophula kuzipho lwesilwane lakuzipho lwebhere, yona izangophula esandleni salo umFilisti. USawuli wasesithi kuDavida: Hamba, leNkosi kayibe lawe.
38 USawuli wasegqokisa uDavida izigqoko zakhe, wafaka ikhowa lethusi ekhanda lakhe, wamgqokisa ibhatshi lensimbi.
39 UDavida wasebhinca inkemba yakhe phezu kwezigqoko zakhe, walinga ukuhamba, ngoba wayengakuzamanga. UDavida wasesithi kuSawuli: Kangilakho ukuhamba ngilalezizinto ngoba kangizizamanga. UDavida wasezikhumula kuye.
40 Wasethatha umqwayi wakhe esandleni sakhe, wazikhethela amatshe amahlanu abutshelezi esifuleni, wawafaka esikhwameni sikamelusi ayelaso, ngitsho emxhakeni, lesavutha sakhe sasisesandleni sakhe, wasesondela kumFilisti.
41 UmFilisti wasehamba waya wasondela kuDavida; lomuntu ophethe isihlangu esikhulu wayephambi kwakhe.
42 Kwathi umFilisti ekhangela ebona uDavida, wameyisa; ngoba wayengumfana njalo ebomvana elobuso obubukekayo.
43 UmFilisti wasesithi kuDavida: Ngiyinja yini ukuthi wena uze kimi ulezinduku? UmFilisti wasemqalekisa uDavida ngabonkulunkulu bakhe.
44 UmFilisti wasesithi kuDavida: Woza kimi, ngizanika inyoni zamazulu lenyamazana zeganga inyama yakho.
45 UDavida wasesithi kumFilisti: Wena uza kimi ulenkemba, lomkhonto, lomdikadika; kodwa mina ngiza kuwe ngebizo leNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu wamaviyo akoIsrayeli omeyisileyo.
46 Lamuhla iNkosi izakuvalela esandleni sami, ngizakutshaya, ngisuse ikhanda lakho kuwe; nginike lamuhla inyoni zamazulu lenyamazana zomhlaba izidumbu zebutho lamaFilisti, ukuze umhlaba wonke wazi ukuthi kukhona uNkulunkulu koIsrayeli.
47 Lalelibandla lonke lizakwazi ukuthi iNkosi kayisindisi ngenkemba langomkhonto; ngoba impi ngeyeNkosi, njalo izalinikela esandleni sethu.
48 Kwasekusithi lapho umFilisti esukuma ehamba esondela ukuhlangabeza uDavida, uDavida wasephangisa wagijimela ngaseviyweni ukuhlangana lomFilisti.
49 UDavida wasefaka isandla sakhe esikhwameni, wakhupha khona ilitshe, walijikijela, wamtshaya umFilisti ebunzini lakhe ilitshe laze latshona ebunzini lakhe, wawela emhlabathini ngobuso bakhe.
50 Ngalokho uDavida wamehlula umFilisti ngesavutha langelitshe, wamtshaya umFilisti, wambulala; kodwa kwakungelankemba esandleni sikaDavida.
51 Ngakho uDavida wagijima wema phezu komFilisti, wathatha inkemba yakhe, wayihwatsha esikhwameni sayo, wambulala, waquma ikhanda lakhe ngayo. Lapho amaFilisti ebona ukuthi iqhawe lawo selifile, abaleka.
52 Lamadoda akoIsrayeli lawakoJuda asukuma amemeza, axotshana lamaFilisti uze uyefika esigodini lemasangweni eEkhironi. Labalimeleyo bamaFilisti bawela endleleni yeShaharayimi kuze kube seGathi njalo kuze kube seEkhironi.
53 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebephenduka ekuxotshaneni ngamandla lamaFilisti, baphanga inkamba zawo.
54 UDavida wasethatha ikhanda lomFilisti, waliletha eJerusalema; kodwa wabeka izikhali zakhe ethenteni lakhe.
55 Lapho uSawuli ebona uDavida ephuma ukuyahlangabeza umFilisti, wathi kuAbhineri induna yebutho: Uyindodana kabani lumfana Abhineri? UAbhineri wasesithi: Kuphila komphefumulo wakho, nkosi, kangazi.
56 Inkosi yasisithi: Buza wena ukuthi liyindodana kabani lelijaha.
57 Lapho uDavida esephendukile ekubulaleni umFilisti, uAbhineri wamthatha, wamusa phambi kukaSawuli elekhanda lomFilisti esandleni sakhe.
58 USawuli wasesithi kuye: Uyindodana kabani, jaha? UDavida wasesithi: Ngiyindodana yenceku yakho uJese umBhethelehema.
