< 1 USamuyeli 9 >
1 Kwakukhona-ke indoda yakoBhenjamini obizo layo linguKishi, indodana kaAbiyeli, indodana kaZerori, indodana kaBekorathi, indodana kaAfiya, umBhenjamini, iqhawe elilamandla.
2 Njalo yayilendodana, obizo layo lalinguSawuli, ijaha elihle; kwakungelamuntu omuhle kulalo phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli; kusukela emahlombe alo kusiya phezulu lalilide kulabo bonke abantu.
3 Obabhemikazi bakaKishi, uyise kaSawuli, balahleka-ke. Ngakho uKishi wathi kuSawuli indodana yakhe: Ake uthathe enye yezinceku lawe, usukume uhambe uyedinga obabhemikazi.
4 Wasedabula intaba zakoEfrayimi, wadabula ilizwe leShalisha, kodwa kababatholanga. Basebedabula ilizwe leShalima, kodwa babengekho. Basebedabula ilizwe lakoBhenjamini, kodwa kababatholanga.
5 Bona sebefikile elizweni leZufi, uSawuli wathi encekwini yakhe eyayilaye: Woza sibuyele, hlezi ubaba ayekele obabhemikazi abesenqinekela thina.
6 Yasisithi kuye: Khangela-ke, kulomuntu kaNkulunkulu kulumuzi, ungumuntu ohloniphekayo; konke akutshoyo kuyenzeka sibili. Khathesi asiye khona; mhlawumbe angasitshela indlela esizahamba ngayo.
7 USawuli wasesithi encekwini yakhe: Kodwa khangela, uba sisiya, sizamphathelani lowomuntu? Ngoba isinkwa kasisekho ezitsheni zethu; futhi kakulasipho sokusa emuntwini kaNkulunkulu. Silani?
8 Inceku yasibuya yamphendula uSawuli yathi: Khangela, kutholakala esandleni sami ingxenye yesine yeshekeli lesiliva; ngizamnika yona lowomuntu kaNkulunkulu ukuze asitshele indlela yethu.
9 (Endulo koIsrayeli lapho umuntu esiyabuza kuNkulunkulu, wayesitsho kanje: Woza siye kumboni; ngoba lo ongumprofethi lamuhla kuqala wayebizwa ngokuthi ngumboni.)
10 USawuli wasesithi encekwini yakhe: Lihle ilizwi lakho; woza sihambe. Basebesiya emzini lapho okwakukhona lowomuntu kaNkulunkulu.
11 Besenyuka ngomqanso womuzi, bona bafica amantombazana ephuma ukuyakukha amanzi, bathi kuwo: Umboni ulapha yini?
12 Asebaphendula athi: Ukhona; khangelani, uphambi kwenu. Phangisani khathesi; ngoba ufike lamuhla emzini, ngoba abantu balomhlatshelo lamuhla endaweni ephakemeyo.
13 Ekungeneni kwenu emzini, lizahle limthole engakenyukeli endaweni ephakemeyo ukuyakudla; ngoba abantu kabayikudla aze afike, ngoba nguye obusisa umhlatshelo, emva kwalokho abanxusiweyo badle. Ngakho-ke yenyukani, ngoba yena, phose ngalesisikhathi, lizamthola.
14 Basebesenyukela emzini; besangena phakathi komuzi, khangela, uSamuweli waphuma ukubahlangabeza ukwenyukela endaweni ephakemeyo.
15 INkosi yasibonakalisa endlebeni kaSamuweli ngosuku phambi kokufika kukaSawuli, isithi:
16 Kusasa phose ngalesisikhathi ngizathuma kuwe umuntu ovela elizweni lakoBhenjamini; futhi umgcobe abe ngumbusi phezu kwabantu bami uIsrayeli, ukuze asindise abantu bami esandleni samaFilisti, ngoba ngibonile abantu bami, ngoba ukukhala kwabo kufikile kimi.
17 Kwathi uSamuweli ebona uSawuli, iNkosi yamphendula: Khangela, umuntu ebengikhuluma ngaye kuwe. Lo uzabusa phezu kwabantu bami.
18 USawuli wasesondela kuSamuweli phakathi kwesango wathi: Akungitshele, ingaphi lapha indlu yomboni?
19 USamuweli wasemphendula uSawuli wathi: Yimi umboni; yenyuka phambi kwami uye endaweni ephakemeyo, ngoba lamuhla uzakudla lami; lekuseni ngizakuyekela uhambe, ngikutshele konke okusenhliziyweni yakho.
20 Lamayelana labobabhemikazi bakho asebelensuku ezintathu belahlekile, ungafaki inhliziyo yakho kubo, ngoba sebetholiwe. Kodwa zikubani iziloyiso zonke zikaIsrayeli? Kazikho kuwe yini lendlini yonke kayihlo?
21 USawuli wasephendula wathi: Kangisuye umBhenjamini yini, owesincinyane sezizwe zakoIsrayeli, losendo lwethu luncinyane kulazo zonke insendo zesizwe sakoBhenjamini? Pho-ke, ukhulumelani kimi ngalindlela?
22 USamuweli wasethatha uSawuli lenceku yakhe, wabangenisa ekamelweni lokudlela, wabahlalisa endaweni engaphezulu yabanxusiweyo, ababengaphose babe ngamatshumi amathathu.
23 USamuweli wasesithi kumpheki: Letha isabelo engikunike sona, engithe kuwe ngaso: Sibeke ngakuwe.
24 Umpheki wasephakamisa umlenze lokwakuphezu kwawo, wakubeka phambi kukaSawuli. USamuweli wasesithi: Khangela, okuseleyo; kubeke phambi kwakho, dlana; ngoba bekubekelwe wena kuze kufike lesisikhathi esimisiweyo, njengoba ngitshilo: Nginxuse abantu. USawuli wasesidla loSamuweli ngalolosuku.
25 Sebehlile endaweni ephakemeyo baya emzini, wakhuluma loSawuli ephahleni.
26 Basebevuka ngovivi; kwasekusithi phose emadabukakusa, uSamuweli wambiza uSawuli ephahleni esithi: Sukuma ukuze ngikuyekele uhambe. Wasesukuma uSawuli, baphuma bobabili, yena loSamuweli, baya phandle.
27 Sebesehlela ekucineni komuzi, uSamuweli wathi kuSawuli: Tshela inceku ukuthi yedlule phambi kwethu (yasisedlula), kodwa wena mana okwakhathesi, ukuthi ngikuzwise ilizwi likaNkulunkulu.
