Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli
29 AmaFilisti+ abuthanisa wonke amabutho awo e-Afekhi, ama-Israyeli wona amisa inkamba yawo eduze lomthombo waseJeziriyeli.+ 2 Amakhosi amaFilisti ayehamba lezinkulungwane zawo lamakhulu awo, uDavida lamadoda ayelawo bona behambela emuva lo-Akhishi.+ 3 Kodwa abakhokheli bamaFilisti bathi: “Kanti amaHebheru la adingani lapha?” U-Akhishi wawaphendula wathi: “Lo nguDavida inceku kaSawuli inkosi yako-Israyeli. Usehlale lami okwesikhathi esedlula umnyaka+ futhi angikatholi lutho olubi kuye kusukela ngelanga abalekela ngalo kimi kuze kube lamuhla.” 4 Kodwa abakhokheli bamaFilisti bamthukuthelela bathi kuye: “Mtshele abuyele emuva,+ kabuyele endaweni owamnika yona. Ungamvumeli ukuthi ahambe lathi empini ngoba angacina esihlamukela nxa sekuliwa.+ Kambe kuyini okunye angathabisa ngakho inkosi yakhe okungedlula ukuyinika amakhanda amabutho ethu? 5 Kanti lo ayisuye yini uDavida ababehlabela ngaye begida besithi:
‘USawuli ubulele izinkulungwane,
UDavida wabulala amatshumi ezinkulungwane’?”+
6 Ngakho u-Akhishi+ wabiza uDavida wathi kuye: “Ngifunga ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ophilayo, wena ulungile futhi kuyangithokozisa ukuthi uhambe lebutho lami empini+ ngoba angitholanga lutho olubi kuwe kusukela ngelanga owafika ngalo kimi kuze kube lamuhla.+ Kodwa amakhosi amaFilisti awakuthembi.+ 7 Yikho buyela ngokuthula njalo ungenzi lutho olungathukuthelisa amakhosi amaFilisti.” 8 Kodwa uDavida wathi ku-Akhishi: “Kuyini engikwenzileyo nkosi yami? Yikuphi okubi owakuthola encekwini yakho kusukela ngelanga eyafika ngalo kuwe kuze kube lamuhla? Kungani kungamelanga ngihambe lawe ngiyekulwa lezitha zenkosi yami?” 9 U-Akhishi waphendula wathi: “Kimi ulunge njengengilosi kaNkulunkulu.+ Kodwa abakhokheli bamaFilisti bathe, ‘Ungamvumeli ahambe lathi empini.’ 10 Yikho wena lezinceku zenkosi yakho ezibuye lawe kumele livuke kusesele, besekusithi nxa sekuqalisa nje ukukhanya lisuke lizihambele.”
11 Ngakho uDavida lamadoda ayelawo bavuka ekuseni kakhulu babuyela elizweni lamaFilisti, amaFilisti wona aya eJeziriyeli.+