UJehova wathi kuSamyela: ‘Khamba uye emzini kaJese. Omunye wamadodanakhe uzokuba yikosi elandelako yakwa-Israyeli.’ Ngalokho uSamyela waya emzini kaJese. Kuthe nakabona izibulo wazitjela wathi: ‘Kufuze kube nguye-ke lo.’ Kodwana uJehova wathi kuSamyela akusuye loyo. UJehova wathi: ‘Ngibona okungaphakathi kwehliziyo yomuntu, ingasi ukuqaleka kwangaphandle kwaphela.’

UJese waletha amanye amadodanakhe asithandathu kuSamyela. Kodwana uSamyela wathi: ‘UJehova akakakhethi namunye kilaba. Wambuza ukuthi unawo na amanye amadodana?’ UJese wathi: ‘Ukhona umaswaphela, umsanyanami, uDavida. Usemmangweni weluse izimvu.’ Kwathi uDavida nangenako, uJehova wathi kuSamyela: ‘Nguye-ke lo!’ USamyela wathela uDavida ngamafutha ehloko, wamzesa bona abe yikosi yakusasa yakwa-Israyeli.

Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, ama-Israyeli bewasepini alwa namaFilista, amaFilista bewanekakaramba ede ewalwelako, ibizo layo kunguGoliyadi. Ilanga nelanga, uGoliyadi bekahlekisa ngama-Israyeli. Bekawarhuwelela athi: ‘Thumelani indoda ezokulwa nami. Nayingangihlula, sizokuba ziingqila zenu. Kodwana nangingayihlula, nizakuba ziingqila zethu.’

UDavida wangena ngekampeni yamasotja wakwa-Israyeli alethele abafowabo ukudla, nabo ebebamasotja. Wathi nakezwa lokho okutjhiwo nguGoliyadi, wathi kuye: ‘Mina ngizokulwa nawe!’ IKosi uSawula yathi: ‘Kodwana usese msanyana.’ UDavida wathi: ‘UJehova uzongisiza.’

USawula wanikela uDavida izambatho zakhe zepi kodwana uDavida wathi: ‘Angikwazi ukulwa ngezambathwezi mina.’ UDavida wathatha isarwayi sakhe watjhinga emlanjeni. Wakhetha amatje abutjhelelezi amahlanu wawafaka ngesikhwanyeni sakhe sokulusa. Wagijimela kuGoliyadi. Ikakaramba leyo yamdelela yathi: ‘Yiza kimapha ngizokuthatha inyamakho ngiyinikele iinyoni zezulu neembandana.’ UDavida akhenge kumthuse lokho. Naye wamtjela wathi: ‘Wena uzakimi ngesabula nangomkhonto, mina ngiza kuwe ngegama lakaJehova. Awulwi nathi kodwana ulwa noZimethu. Woke umuntu okhona la uzokubona ukuthi uJehova unamandla adlula womkhonto nesabula. Uzokwenza bona noke nje nibe sezandleni zethu.’

UDavida wafaka ilitje esirwayini wasidrayisa ngamandlakhe woke. Ilitje laphuma likhamba ngamandla kaJehova, latjhinga poro kuGoliyadi lambetha belangena epandla. Ikakaramba le yaduleka phasi yafa. AmaFilista adla phasi, abalekela ukufa nokuphila. Uyamthemba na uJehova, njengombana uDavida bekamthemba?

UDavida nakaqeda ukubulala uGoliyadi, iKosi uSawula yambeka bona abe yinduna yebutho lakhe. UDavida wathumba izipi ezinengi begodu waba mumuntu odumileko. Qobe uDavida angabuya epini, abafazi bebaphuma bagide babhine, bathi: ‘USawula umadlhe abaziinkulungwana, uDavida yena abaziinkulungwana ezimatjhumi!’ USawula waba nomona ngoDavida wafuna nokumbulala.

UDavida bekalibetha kamnandi tle irharibha. Ngelinye ilanga uDavida abethela uSawula irharibha, ikosi yaphosa umkhonto kuDavida. Kodwana uDavida waphunyurha, umkhonto wahlaba emthangaleni. Ngemva kwalokho uSawula walinga amahlandla amanengi ukubulala uDavida. Emaswapheleni, uDavida wabalekela emmangweni.

USawula wathatha ibutho elinamadoda azii-3 000 wakhamba nalo bayokufuna uDavida. Kwenzeka bona bangene emrhobeni lapho uDavida azifihle ngakhona. Amadoda akhamba noDavida amhlebela athi kuye: ‘Leli lithuba lakho lokubulala uSawula.’ Kwathi uSawula nakasalele aphumulile, uDavida wamnanabela, waqunta umphetho wesambatho sakhe. USawula khenge ezwe litho. Nakaqeda ukwenza njalo, uDavida wazisola ngokuthi akakayihloniphi ikosi ekhethwe nguJehova. Akhenge avumele amadoda akhamba nawo bona abulale uSawula. Wabe wabiza uSawula wathi, bengingakubulala nangithandako njengombana benginethuba lokwenza njalo. Kghani lokho bekuzowutjhugulula na umcabango kaSawula?

Awa. USawula waraga nokufuna uDavida. Ngobunye ubusuku uDavida nomzukulwanakhe u-Abhitjhayi bananabela ngekampeni kaSawula. U-Abineri ogada ikosi naye bekalapho alele. U-Abhitjhayi wathi: ‘Leli lithuba lethu! Ngivumela ngimbulale.’ UDavida waphendula wathi: ‘UJehova uzambona. Thina asithathe umkhontwakhe nomjekakhe wamanzi sikhambe.’

UDavida wakhwela intaba eseduze, engehla kwekampa kaSawula. Warhuwelela wathi: ‘Abineri, kubayini ungakavikeli ikosakho na? Uphi umjeka nomkhonto kaSawula?’ USawula walemuka ukuthi liphimbo lakaDavida wathi kuye: ‘Bewungangibulala, kodwana akhenge wenze njalo. Ngiyazi ukuthi uzokuba yikosi elandelako yakwa-Israyeli.’ USawula wabuyela esigodlweni sakhe begodu uDavida bekangakahloywa ngiwo woke amalunga womndeni kaSawula.