Eyokuqala KaSamuweli

14 Ngolunye usuku uJonathani + indodana kaSawule wathi esikhonzini esiphatha izikhali zakhe: “Woza siwelele ngaphesheya ebuthweni lamaFilisti.” Kodwa akamtshelanga uyise. 2 USawule wayehlala ngaphansi kwesihlahla samahalananda esiseMigironi, emaphethelweni eGibheya, + ekanye namadoda angaba ngu-600. + 3 (U-Ahiya indodana ka-Ahithubi, + umfowabo ka-Ikhabhodi, + indodana kaFinehasi, + indodana ka-Eli, + umpristi kaJehova eShilo, + wayephethe i-efodi.) + Abantu babengazi ukuthi uJonathani wayehambile. 4 Esikhaleni uJonathani ayezama ukudlula kuso ukuze aye ebuthweni lamaFilisti, kwakunedwala elimise okwezinyo ohlangothini olulodwa nedwala elimise okwezinyo kolunye uhlangothi; igama lelinye kwakuyiBhozezi, igama lelinye kuyiSene. 5 Elinye idwala lalisenyakatho limise okwensika libheke eMikimashi, elinye liseningizimu libheke eGeba. +

6 Ngakho uJonathani wathi esikhonzini esiphatha izikhali zakhe: “Woza siwelele kuleliya butho lalaba bantu abangasokile. + Mhlawumbe uJehova uzosisiza, ngoba akukho lutho olungavimba uJehova ukuba asindise ngabaningi noma ngabambalwa.” + 7 Isikhonzi sakhe sathi kuye: “Yenza noma yini esenhliziyweni yakho. Yana nomaphi lapho uthanda ukuya khona, mina ngizokulandela nomaphi lapho inhliziyo yakho ikuholela khona.” 8 UJonathani wathi: “Sizowelela kulawaya madoda, bese sivela ukuze asibone. 9 Uma ethi kithi, ‘Yimani lapho size sifike kini!’ sizoma lapho sikhona, ngeke sikhuphukele kuwo. 10 Kodwa uma ethi kithi, ‘Khuphukani silwe!’ sizokhuphuka, ngoba uJehova uzowanikela esandleni sethu. Lokhu kuzoba uphawu kithi.” +

11 Bobabili bavela ukuze ibutho lamaFilisti libabone. AmaFilisti athi: “Nanka amaHebheru ephuma emigodini abecashe kuyo.” + 12 Ngakho amadoda ayekulelo butho athi kuJonathani nasesikhonzini sakhe: “Wozani la, sizonifundisa isifundo!” + Ngaso leso sikhathi uJonathani wathi esikhonzini sakhe: “Ngilandele, ngoba uJehova uzowanikela esandleni sika-Israyeli.” + 13 UJonathani wakhuphuka eweni ngezandla nangezinyawo, isikhonzi sakhe simlandela; uJonathani waqala ukulwa namaFilisti. Isikhonzi sakhe saqedela amaFilisti uJonathani ayengawabulalanga. 14 Ekuhlaseleni kokuqala uJonathani nesikhonzi sakhe babulala amadoda angu-20 endaweni eyibanga elifushane.*

15 Abantu ababesekamu kanye neviyo lamaFilisti bathuthumela. Ibutho labaphangi + nalo lathuthumela, umhlaba wazamazama. Konke lokhu kwakuvela kuNkulunkulu. 16 Onogada bakaSawule eGibheya + kwaBhenjamini babona ukuthi kunesiyaluyalu yonke indawo. +

17 USawule wathi kubantu ababekanye naye: “Ngicela nibale abantu nibone ukuthi ubani ongekho.” Lapho bebala, babona ukuthi uJonathani nesikhonzi sakhe abekho. 18 USawule wayesethi ku-Ahiya: + “Sondeza uMphongolo kaNkulunkulu weqiniso!” (Ngoba uMphongolo kaNkulunkulu weqiniso wawukanye nama-Israyeli ngaleso sikhathi.*) 19 Njengoba uSawule ayekhuluma nompristi, isiyaluyalu esasisekamu lamaFilisti sasilokhu sanda. USawule wayesethi kumpristi: “Yeka lokhu okwenzayo.”* 20 Ngakho uSawule nabo bonke abantu ababekanye naye babuthana base beya empini, bafike bathola ukuthi amaFilisti abulalana wodwa nokudideka kukhulu kakhulu. 21 Ngisho namaHebheru ayekade echeme namaFilisti, ekhuphuke nawo aya ekamu, ayebuyela ngakuma-Israyeli ngaphansi kukaSawule noJonathani. 22 Wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli ayecashe + ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi ezwa ukuthi amaFilisti ayabaleka, ngakho nawo aya empini ayowajaha. 23 Ngakho uJehova wamsindisa u-Israyeli ngalolo suku + futhi balwa baze bafika eBheti-aveni. +

24 Kodwa amadoda akwa-Israyeli ayedonsa kanzima ngalolo suku, ngoba uSawule wayefungise abantu, wathi: “Uqalekisiwe umuntu odla noma yini edliwayo* kungakahlwi, ngingakaziphindiseleli ezitheni zami!” Ngakho akekho noyedwa kubantu owadla noma yini edliwayo. +

25 Bonke abantu* bafika ehlathini, lapho kwakukhona khona uju oluningi. 26 Lapho abantu befika ehlathini, babona uju luconsa, kodwa akekho owaludla, ngoba babesaba isifungo. 27 Kodwa uJonathani wayengezwanga lapho uyise efungisa abantu, + ngakho wagcobhoza ikhekheba lezinyosi ngesihloko senduku ayeyiphethe. Lapho edla, wathola amandla. 28 Omunye kubantu wathi: “Uyihlo ufungise abantu, wathi, ‘Uqalekisiwe umuntu odla ukudla namuhla!’ + Yingakho abantu bekhathele kanje.” 29 Nokho, uJonathani wathi: “Ubaba ubafake enkingeni enkulu* abantu. Ngicela nibheke ukuthi amandla ami avuseleleke kanjani ngenxa yokuthi nginambithe le ngcosana yoju. 30 Cabanga ukuthi bekuyoba ngcono kangakanani ukube abantu bebezidlela nje + namuhla empangweni yezitha zabo abayitholile! Ukube bekunjalo, bekuyobulawa amaFilisti amaningi nakakhulu.”

31 Ngalolo suku babelokhu bewabulala amaFilisti kusukela eMikimashi kuya e-Ajaloni, + ngakho abantu bakhathala kakhulu. 32 Ngenxa yalokho, abantu bagijimela impango ngobugovu bathatha izimvu nezinkomo namathole bakuhlabela khona lapho, badla inyama kanye negazi. + 33 Ngakho kwabikwa kuSawule, kwathiwa: “Bheka! Abantu bayona kuJehova ngokudla inyama kanye negazi.” + USawule wathi: “Ukungathembeki lokhu enikwenzile. Gingqelani itshe elikhulu kimi ngokushesha.” 34 Ngemva kwalokho uSawule wathi: “Yanini kubantu nxazonke, nithi kubo, ‘Yilowo nalowo makalethe inkomo yakhe nemvu yakhe, nizihlabele kuleli tshe bese niyadla. Ningoni kuJehova ngokudla inyama kanye negazi.’ ” + Ngakho yilowo nalowo kubo waletha inkomo yakhe ngalobo busuku wayihlabela lapho. 35 USawule wabe esakhela uJehova i-altare. + Leli kwakuyi-altare lokuqala alakhela uJehova.

36 Kamuva uSawule wathi: “Masehle silandele amaFilisti ebusuku siwaphange kuze kube sekuseni. Sizowabulala wonke, kungasali noyedwa.” Bathi: “Yenza noma yini enhle emehlweni akho.” Umpristi wayesethi: “Masibuze kuNkulunkulu weqiniso kule ndawo.” + 37 USawule wabe esebuza kuNkulunkulu ethi: “Ngehle yini ngilandele amaFilisti? + Uzowanikela yini esandleni sika-Israyeli?” Kodwa uNkulunkulu akamphendulanga ngalolo suku. 38 Ngakho uSawule wathi: “Wozani lapha, nonke nina madoda ayizikhulu zabantu, nithole ukuthi yisiphi lesi sono esenziwe namuhla. 39 Ngoba ngimfunge uJehova, owakhulula u-Israyeli, ngisho noma kungaba uJonathani indodana yami, kumele afe.” Kodwa akekho noyedwa owamphendula. 40 Wayesethi ku-Israyeli wonke: “Nina nizoba kolunye uhlangothi, mina noJonathani indodana yami sibe kolunye uhlangothi.” Abantu bathi kuSawule: “Yenza lokho okuhle emehlweni akho.”

41 USawule wathi kuJehova: “O Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, phendula ngeThumimi!” + Kwakhethwa uJonathani noSawule, abantu baphunyuka. 42 Manje uSawule wathi: “Yenzani inkatho + ukuze kunqunywe ukuthi ubani owonile phakathi kwami noJonathani indodana yami.” Kwakhethwa uJonathani. 43 USawule wayesethi kuJonathani: “Ngitshele, wenzeni?” Ngakho uJonathani wathi: “Ngimane ngakhotha uju oluncane ngesihloko senduku yami. + Mangibulawe uma kufanele!”

44 USawule wathi: “Kwangathi uNkulunkulu angangijezisa kanzima uma ungafi Jonathani.” + 45 Kodwa abantu bathi kuSawule: “Ingabe uJonathani kufanele afe, yena kanye lo olethe lokhu kunqoba *+ okukhulu kangaka kwa-Israyeli? Yinto engacabangeki leyo! Simfunge uJehova, ngeke kuwele phansi ngisho nonwele olulodwa lwekhanda lakhe, ngoba uNkulunkulu umsizile kulokhu akwenzile namuhla.” + Ngaleyo ndlela abantu bamkhulula* uJonathani, akazange afe.

46 Ngakho uSawule wayeka ukujaha amaFilisti, amaFilisti aya ezweni lawo.

47 USawule wabuqinisa ubukhosi bakhe kwa-Israyeli, walwa nazo zonke izitha zakhe nxazonke, walwa noMowabi, + abakwa-Amoni, + abakwa-Edomi, + amakhosi aseZoba + namaFilisti; + nomaphi lapho ayeya khona wayenqoba. 48 Walwa ngesibindi, wanqoba ama-Amaleki, + wakhulula u-Israyeli esandleni sabaphangi.

49 Amadodana kaSawule kwakuyilawa: uJonathani, u-Ishivi noMaliki-shuwa. + Wayenamadodakazi amabili; igama lendala kunguMerabi, + encane kunguMikhali. + 50 Igama lomkaSawule kwakungu-Ahinohama indodakazi ka-Ahimahazi. Igama lenduna yempi yakhe kwakungu-Abhineri + indodana kaNeri, umfowabo kayise kaSawule. 51 UKishi + wayenguyise kaSawule, uNeri + uyise ka-Abhineri wayeyindodana ka-Abhiyeli.

52 Kwakuhlale kunempi enzima phakathi kukaSawule namaFilisti ngesikhathi sokubusa kwakhe. + Kwakuthi lapho uSawule ebona noma iyiphi indoda enamandla noma enesibindi, ayithathe ayifake ebuthweni lakhe. +