Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli
18 UDavida wathi eqeda ukukhuluma loSawuli, yena loJonathani+ baba ngabangane abakhulu, futhi uJonathani wamthanda ngendlela ayezithanda ngayo.+ 2 Kusukela ngalelolanga uSawuli wathi uDavida ahlale emzini wakhe futhi kazange amvumele ukuthi abuyele emzini kayise.+ 3 UJonathani wenza isivumelwano loDavida+ ngenxa yokuthi wayemthanda ngendlela ayezithanda ngayo.+ 4 Wakhipha ijazi elingelamikhono ayeligqokile walinika uDavida. Wamnika lesembatho sakhe sempi, lenkemba, ledandili* kanye lebhanti lakhe. 5 UDavida waqalisa ukuphuma lamabutho esiya empini futhi wayephumelela+ loba ngaphi uSawuli ayemthuma khona. Ngakho uSawuli wamenza umkhokheli wamabutho+ njalo lokhu kwathokozisa abantu bonke lezinceku zikaSawuli.
6 Kwakusithi nxa uDavida lamanye amabutho bevela nqoba amaFilisti, abesifazana baphume kuwo wonke amadolobho ako-Israyeli bethokoza, behlabela+ njalo begida, betshaya amathamborini+ lamaluthi* besiyahlangabeza iNkosi uSawuli. 7 Abesifazana ababethokoza babehlabela besithi:
“USawuli ubulele izinkulungwane,
UDavida wabulala amatshumi ezinkulungwane.”+
8 Ingoma le ayimphathanga kuhle uSawuli, yikho wazonda wabila+ wathi: “Bathi uDavida ubulele amatshumi ezinkulungwane kodwa mina ngibulele izinkulungwane kuphela. Osekusele yikuthi bamnike ubukhosi!”+ 9 Kusukela ngalelolanga uSawuli wayesehlala ekhangele uDavida ngelihlo elilensolo.
10 Ngelanga elilandelayo uNkulunkulu wavumela ukuthi uSawuli ahlutshwe yimicabango yakhe.+ Waqalisa ukwenza angathi uphambene* esendlini yakhe ngesikhathi uDavida etshaya ihabhu*+ njengensukwini. USawuli wayephethe umkhonto esandleni sakhe,+ 11 wawuphosa+ esithi enhliziyweni yakhe: ‘Ngizamgwaza uDavida ngimhlanganise lomduli!’ Kodwa uDavida wavika kwaze kwaba kabili. 12 USawuli waqalisa ukumesaba uDavida ngoba uJehova wayelaye,+ kodwa esemtshiyile uSawuli.+ 13 Ngakho uSawuli wamsusa uDavida emsebenzini ayewenza, wambeka waba yinduna yenkulungwane. UDavida wayekhokhela ibutho nxa lisiya empini.+ 14 Waqhubeka ephumelela+ kukho konke ayekwenza futhi uJehova wayelaye.+ 15 USawuli wamesaba uDavida ngoba wayebona ukuthi uyaphumelela kakhulu. 16 Kodwa bonke abantu bako-Israyeli labakoJuda babemthanda uDavida ngoba nguye owayebakhokhela ezimpini.
17 USawuli wathi kuDavida: “Nansi indodakazi yami endala uMerabi.+ Ngizakunika yona ibe ngumkakho,+ kodwa wena kumele uqhubeke ungisebenzela ulesibindi njalo ulwe izimpi zikaJehova.”+ USawuli wayesithi enhliziyweni yakhe: ‘Kasoze abulawe yimi uzabulawa ngamaFilisti.’+ 18 UDavida waphendula wathi: “Kanti mina ngingubani futhi labemuli kababa bayini ko-Israyeli ukuthi sengingaze ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi?”+ 19 Kwathi kufika isikhathi sokuthi uMerabi indodakazi kaSawuli aphiwe uDavida, uSawuli wayesemendisele ku-Adriyeli+ waseMehola.
20 Indodakazi kaSawuli uMikhali+ yayimthanda kakhulu uDavida futhi uSawuli wabikelwa ngalokhu, wathokoza. 21 Wathi: “UDavida ngizamnika indodakazi yami ibe ngumjibila kuye ukuze amaFilisti ambulale.”+ USawuli wakhuluma loDavida okwesibili wathi: “Kusukela lamuhla uzakuba ngumkhwenyana wami.” 22 Waphinda watshela izinceku zakhe wathi: “Khulumani loDavida ensitha lithi, ‘Inkosi iyathokoza ngawe futhi zonke izinceku zayo ziyakuthanda. Ngakho wena vuma ukuba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi.’” 23 Izinceku zikaSawuli zathi zimtshela lokho, uDavida waphendula wathi: “Libona angathi yinto elula yini ukuthi ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi mina ngingumyanga futhi ngingasimuntu walutho?”+ 24 Izinceku zikaSawuli zamtshela lokho uDavida ayekutshilo.
25 USawuli wasesithi: “Nanku okumele likutshele uDavida, ‘Inkosi kayifuni lobolo+ kodwa ifuna amajwabu ezitho+ zamaFilisti angu-100 ukuze iphindisele ezitheni zayo.’” Icebo likaSawuli laliyikuthi uDavida abulawe ngamaFilisti. 26 Ngakho izinceku zakhe zamtshela uDavida amazwi la futhi kwamthokozisa ukuthi abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi.+ Kwathi isikhathi ayesibekelwe singakafiki, 27 uDavida wahamba lamadoda ayelaye bayahlasela amaFilisti babulala amadoda angu-200, wasesiyanika inkosi amajwabu ezitho zawo ukuze abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. Ngakho uSawuli wamnika indodakazi yakhe uMikhali yaba ngumkakhe.+ 28 USawuli wananzelela ukuthi uJehova wayeloDavida+ lokuthi indodakazi yakhe uMikhali yayimthanda uDavida.+ 29 Lokhu kwenza wamesaba kakhulu uDavida futhi waba yisitha sakhe okwempilo yakhe yonke.+
30 Abakhokheli bamaFilisti babephuma bayekulwa labako-Israyeli. Ngazo zonke izikhathi uDavida wayephumelela ezimpini lezo ukwedlula zonke izinceku zikaSawuli+ futhi wayesehlonitshwa kakhulu.+