< 1 USamuyeli 18 >
1 Kwasekusithi eseqedile ukukhuluma loSawuli, umphefumulo kaJonathani wabotshelwa emphefumulweni kaDavida; uJonathani wasemthanda njengomphefumulo wakhe.
2 USawuli wasemthatha ngalolosuku, kaze amvumela ukubuyela endlini kayise.
3 UJonathani loDavida basebesenza isivumelwano ngoba wamthanda njengomphefumulo wakhe.
4 UJonathani wasezikhulula ibhatshi ayeligqokile, walinika uDavida, lezembatho zakhe, kuze kube senkembeni yakhe, kuze kube sedandilini lakhe, njalo kuze kube sebhantini lakhe.
5 UDavida wasephuma waya loba ngaphi lapho uSawuli amthuma khona, waziphatha ngenhlakanipho, uSawuli waze wambeka phezu kwamadoda empi. Njalo wayelungile emehlweni abantu bonke njalo lemehlweni ezinceku zikaSawuli.
6 Kwasekusithi ekufikeni kwabo, uDavida esebuye ekubulaleni umFilisti, abesifazana baphuma emizini yonke yakoIsrayeli, behlabela, begida, ukuhlangabeza uSawuli inkosi ngezigubhu, ngentokozo, langamachacho.
7 Abesifazana basebevumelana bedlala bathi: USawuli utshayile izinkulungwane zakhe, kodwa uDavida izinkulungwane zakhe ezingamatshumi.
8 USawuli wasethukuthela kakhulu, lalelolizwi lalilibi emehlweni akhe, wathi: Banike uDavida izinkulungwane ezingamatshumi, kodwa mina banginika izinkulungwane; usesalelwe ngumbuso kuphela.
9 USawuli wasemqaphela uDavida kusukela kulolosuku kusiya phambili.
10 Kwasekusithi kusisa umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu wafika ngamandla phezu kukaSawuli, waprofetha phakathi kwendlu; uDavida wasetshaya ichacho ngesandla sakhe njengensuku ngensuku; njalo kwakulomkhonto esandleni sikaSawuli.
11 USawuli wasewuphosa umkhonto wathi: Ngizammbandakanya uDavida ngitsho emdulini. Kodwa uDavida wavika kabili esuka phambi kwakhe.
12 USawuli wayemesaba-ke uDavida ngoba iNkosi yayilaye, kodwa yayisisukile kuSawuli.
13 Ngakho uSawuli wasemsusa kuye, wambeka waba yinduna yakhe yabayizinkulungwane; njalo wayephuma engena phambi kwabantu.
14 UDavida waseziphatha ngenhlakanipho endleleni zakhe zonke, leNkosi yayilaye.
15 Lapho uSawuli ebona ukuthi waziphatha ngenhlakanipho enkulu, wamesaba.
16 Kodwa uIsrayeli wonke loJuda bamthanda uDavida, ngoba wayephuma engena phambi kwabo.
17 USawuli wasesithi kuDavida: Khangela, indodakazi yami endala uMerabi, ngizakunika yona ibe ngumkakho; kuphela bana liqhawe kimi, ulwe izimpi zeNkosi. Ngoba uSawuli wathi: Isandla sami kasingabi phezu kwakhe, kodwa isandla samaFilisti kasibe phezu kwakhe.
18 Kodwa uDavida wathi kuSawuli: Ngingubani mina? Lempilo yami iyini, losendo lukababa koIsrayeli, ukuthi ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi?
19 Kodwa kwathi ngesikhathi uMerabi indodakazi kaSawuli ayezanikwa ngaso uDavida, wayesenikwe uAdriyeli umMehola ukuba ngumkakhe.
20 UMikhali indodakazi kaSawuli wamthanda-ke uDavida; basebemtshela uSawuli, lalolodaba lwaluqondile emehlweni akhe.
21 USawuli wasesithi: Ngizamnika yena ukuze abe ngumjibila kuye, lokuze isandla samaFilisti simelane laye. Ngakho uSawuli wathi kuDavida: Ngokwesibili uzakuba ngumkhwenyana wami lamuhla.
22 USawuli waselaya inceku zakhe wathi: Khulumani loDavida ngensitha lithi: Khangela, inkosi iyathokoza ngawe, lazo zonke inceku zayo ziyakuthanda; ngakho-ke woba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi.
23 Izinceku zikaSawuli zasezikhuluma lawomazwi endlebeni zikaDavida. UDavida wasesithi: Kuyinto elula yini emehlweni enu ukuba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, lokhu mina ngingumuntu ongumyanga lodelelekayo?
24 Lenceku zikaSawuli zamtshela zisithi: UDavida wakhuluma ngalindlela.
25 USawuli wasesithi: Lizakutsho njalo kuDavida lithi: Inkosi kayiloyisi lobolo, kodwa amajwabu aphambili alikhulu amaFilisti, ukuze kuphindiselwe ezitheni zenkosi. Kodwa uSawuli wacabanga ukwenza uDavida awe ngesandla samaFilisti.
26 Lapho inceku zakhe zimtshela uDavida lawomazwi, udaba lwalulungile emehlweni kaDavida ukuthi abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. Kodwa insuku zazingakagcwaliseki.
27 Ngakho uDavida wasukuma wahamba, yena labantu bakhe, basebetshaya phakathi kwamaFilisti amadoda angamakhulu amabili; uDavida waseletha amajwabu awo aphambili, wawasa enkosini ephelele ukuze abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. USawuli wasemnika uMikhali indodakazi yakhe ukuthi abe ngumkakhe.
28 USawuli wasebona wazi ukuthi iNkosi iloDavida, loMikhali indodakazi yakhe yamthanda.
29 Njalo uSawuli waya lokhu emesaba kakhulu uDavida; njalo uSawuli waba yisitha sikaDavida zonke izinsuku.
30 Iziphathamandla zamaFilisti zaseziphuma; kwasekusithi seziphumile uDavida waziphatha ngenhlakanipho okwedlula zonke izinceku zikaSawuli, laze laduma kakhulu ibizo lakhe.
