Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli
15 USamuyeli wasesithi kuSawuli: “UJehova wangithuma ukuthi ngikugcobe ube yinkosi yabantu bakhe bako-Israyeli.+ Ngakho lalela lokho okutshiwo nguJehova.+ 2 Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova wamabutho: ‘Ngizajezisa ama-Amaleki ngenxa yalokho akwenzayo kwabako-Israyeli. Alwa labo ngesikhathi besendleleni bephuma eGibhithe.+ 3 Yikho hamba uyehlasela ama-Amaleki+ uwatshabalalise+ lakho konke okungokwawo. Uwabulale wonke+ ungatshiyi loyedwa.* Ubulale amadoda labesifazana, abantwana lensane, inkomo lezimvu, amakamela kanye labobabhemi.’”+ 4 USawuli wabiza abantu wasebabala eThelayimi. Kwakulamabutho angu-200 000 lamanye angu-10 000 ayevela koJuda.+
5 USawuli lamabutho akhe bahamba baze bayafika edolobheni lama-Amaleki, bacathama duze lesigodi. 6 USawuli watshela amaKheni+ wathi: “Sukani phakathi kwama-Amaleki ukuze ngingalitshabalalisi kanye lawo,+ ngoba laba lothando oluqotho kubo bonke abantu bako-Israyeli+ ngesikhathi bephuma eGibhithe.” Ngakho amaKheni asuka phakathi kwama-Amaleki. 7 Ngemva kwalokho uSawuli wahlasela ama-Amaleki wawabulala+ kusukela eHavila+ kusiyafika eShuri+ eduze leGibhithe. 8 Wabamba u-Agagi+ inkosi yama-Amaleki ephila, kodwa wabulala bonke abantu ngenkemba.+ 9 USawuli lamabutho akhe abambulalanga* u-Agagi futhi abazitshabalalisanga izifuyo ezinonileyo, izimvu, lenkomo, lenqama kanye lakho konke nje okwakukuhle.+ Babengafuni ukukutshabalalisa, kodwa zonke impahla ezingelancedo lalezo ababengazifuni bazitshabalalisa.
10 UJehova wasekhuluma loSamuyeli wathi: 11 “Ngiyazisola* ngokuthi ngabeka uSawuli waba yinkosi ngoba ungitshiyile wayekela ukungilandela futhi kakwenzanga lokho engimtshele khona.”+ USamuyeli wakhathazeka kakhulu njalo waqhubeka encenga uJehova ubusuku bonke.+ 12 Wathi evuka ekuseni esiyahlangana loSawuli abantu bamtshela bathi: “USawuli uye eKhameli+ futhi ufike wamisa ilitshe lakhe lesikhumbuzo.+ Uthe esuka lapho waya eGiligali.” 13 USamuyeli wathi efika kuSawuli, uSawuli wathi kuye: “Kwangathi uJehova angakubusisa. Sengikwenzile lokho uJehova angitshele khona.” 14 Kodwa uSamuyeli wamphendula wathi: “Manje umsindo wezimvu lowenkomo engiwuzwayo ngowani?”+ 15 USawuli wasesithi: “Yizifuyo ezithunjwe kuma-Amaleki, abantu abazibulalanga izimvu lenkomo ezinonileyo ukuze banikele ngazo kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho. Kodwa okunye konke sikutshabalalisile.” 16 USamuyeli wasesithi kuSawuli: “Mana ngikutshele ukuthi uJehova utheni kimi izolo ebusuku.”+ USawuli wathi: “Khuluma.”
17 USamuyeli waqhubeka wathi: “Kanti ayisuwe yini owawuzibona ungasimuntu walutho+ ngesikhathi ubekwa ukuthi ube ngumkhokheli wabantu bako-Israyeli, lapho uJehova ekugcoba ukuthi ube yinkosi yabantu bako-Israyeli?+ 18 UJehova ukuthume wathi: ‘Hamba uyetshabalalisa izoni ezingama-Amaleki.+ Kumele ulwe lama-Amaleki uze uwaqede du.’+ 19 Pho kungani ungalilalelanga ilizwi likaJehova? Okwenzileyo kuphela yikuhahabela impahla,+ wenza okubi phambi kukaJehova!”
20 Kodwa uSawuli wathi kuSamuyeli: “Ngililalele ilizwi likaJehova! Ngihambile lapho uJehova abengithume khona, ngabuya lo-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki futhi ngatshabalalisa wonke ama-Amaleki.+ 21 Kodwa abantu bathethe izifuyo ezinone kulazo zonke obekumele zitshabalaliswe, izimvu lenkomo, ukuze bazonikela ngazo kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho eGiligali.”+
22 USamuyeli wasesithi kuye: “Kuyini okuthokozisa uJehova? Yiminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo+ yini kumbe yikulalela ilizwi likaJehova? Ukulalela kungcono kulomhlatshelo,+ lokwenza okutsheliweyo kuqakathekile kulamafutha+ ezinqama. 23 Phela ukuhlamuka+ kuyafanana lesono sokuhlahlula,+ lokuba lenkani kufanana lokwenza amasalamusi lokukhonza izithombe.* Ngenxa yokuthi walile ukulalela ilizwi likaJehova,+ laye kasafuni ukuthi uqhubeke uyinkosi.”+
24 USawuli wasesithi kuSamuyeli: “Ngonile ngoba angilalelanga umlayo kaJehova lamazwi akho, ngesabe abantu ngasengilalela abakutshoyo. 25 Ngicela ungithethelele isono sami, ubuyele lami ngiyekhothama phambi kukaJehova.”+ 26 Kodwa uSamuyeli wathi kuSawuli: “Angisoze ngibuyele lawe ngoba walile ukulalela ilizwi likaJehova, futhi uJehova kasafuni ukuthi uqhubeke uyinkosi yabantu bako-Israyeli.”+ 27 USamuyeli wathi esetshibilika esehamba, uSawuli wabamba umphetho wejazi lakhe elingelamikhono laselidabuka. 28 USamuyeli wasesithi kuye: “Lamuhla uJehova usewudabule umbuso wako-Israyeli wawususa kuwe, uzawunika omunye wabantu bakini ongcono kulawe.+ 29 UMhlonitshwa wako-Israyeli+ kaqambi manga+ futhi kasoze atshintshe ingqondo* ngoba yena kasimuntu ukuthi angatshintsha ingqondo.”*+
30 USawuli waphendula wathi: “Ngonile, kodwa ngicela ungiphe isithunzi phambi kwabadala bakithi lasebantwini bako-Israyeli. Buyela lami ngiyekhothama phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho.”+ 31 Ngakho uSamuyeli wabuyela loSawuli ehamba ngemva kwakhe, futhi uSawuli wakhothama phambi kukaJehova. 32 USamuyeli wasesithi: “Lethani u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki.” U-Agagi waya kuye ezihudula.* Phela yena wayesezitshele ukuthi ukufa sekumcezile. 33 Kodwa uSamuyeli wathi: “Njengoba inkemba yakho yatshiya abesifazana bengelabantwana, lonyoko uzasala engelabantwana.” USamuyeli wathi eqeda ukutsho njalo wamhlahlela u-Agagi waba yiziqa phambi kukaJehova eGiligali.+
34 USamuyeli wasesuka waya eRama, uSawuli yena waya emzini wakhe eGibheya. 35 USamuyeli wamlilela uSawuli+ njalo waze wazifela engazange aphinde ambone. UJehova wazisola ngokuthi wayebeke uSawuli ukuthi abe yinkosi yabantu bako-Israyeli.+