Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli
9 Kwakulendoda yakoBhenjamini okwakuthiwa nguKhishi.+ Yayizalwa ngu-Abhiyeli indodana kaZerori, indodana kaBhekhorathi, indodana ka-Afiya. Yayingeyesizwana sakoBhenjamini+ futhi yayinothe kakhulu. 2 Yayilendodana eyayiseselijaha okwakuthiwa nguSawuli.+ USawuli wayemuhle kulawo wonke amadoda ako-Israyeli futhi emude kulabo bonke abantu, kakho owayesedlula emahlombe akhe.
3 Kwathi obabhemi* bakaKhishi uyise kaSawuli belahlekile, uKhishi wathi kuSawuli indodana yakhe: “Ngicela uthathe esinye isisebenzi lihambe liyedinga obabhemi.” 4 Badabula phakathi kwezintaba zako-Efrayimi lasesabelweni seShalisha kodwa abazange babathole. Bahamba wonke umango weShalima kodwa babengekho lalapho. Baqhubeka bedinga kulo lonke ilizwe lakoBhenjamini kodwa abazange babathole.
5 Bahamba baze bayafika esabelweni saseZufi, uSawuli wasesithi esisebenzini esasilaye: “Asibuyele ukuze ubaba angacini esekhathazeka ngathi kulokuthi akhathazeke ngabobabhemi.”+ 6 Kodwa isisebenzi saphendula sathi: “Kulomuntu kaNkulunkulu edolobheni leli. Uyahlonitshwa kakhulu futhi konke akukhulumayo kuyenzakala loba sekutheni.+ Asiye kuye, engxenye angasitshela ukuthi singabathola ngaphi obabhemi.” 7 USawuli wasesithi esisebenzini: “Nxa singaya khona sizafika simnikani lowomuntu? Asilasinkwa ezikhwameni zethu futhi asilasipho esingamphathela sona umuntu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso. Kukhona yini esilakho?” 8 Isisebenzi saphendula uSawuli sathi: “Ngilesiliva esiyingxenye yesine yeshekheli.* Ngizasinika umuntu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso abesesitshela ukuthi singabathola ngaphi obabhemi.” 9 (Kudala ko-Israyeli kwakusithi nxa umuntu esiyabuza kuNkulunkulu athi: “Asihambe siyebona umboni.”*+ Phela umuntu osebizwa ngokuthi ngumphrofethi lamuhla wayebizwa ngokuthi ngumboni ngalezonsuku.) 10 USawuli wasesithi esisebenzini esasilaye: “Okutshoyo kuzwakala kukuhle. Asiye kuye.” Yikho basuka baya edolobheni lapho umuntu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso ayekhona.
11 Bathi beqansa besiya edolobheni bahlangana lamantombazana ayesiya kukha amanzi. Bawabuza bathi: “Umboni+ ulapha yini?” 12 Amantombazana aphendula athi: “Ye ukhona, uphambi kwenu nje khonapho. Mlandeleni masinyane ngoba lamuhla uze edolobheni ngenxa yokuthi abantu benza umhlatshelo+ endaweni ephakemeyo.+ 13 Lizathi lifika nje edolobheni lihle limbone engakayikudla endaweni ephakemeyo. Abantu abasoze badle engakafiki ngoba nguye othandazela umhlatshelo. Nxa esekwenzile lokho, abanxusiweyo sebengadla. Yikho hambani khathesi lizamthola.” 14 Baqansa-ke baya edolobheni. Bathi befika uSamuyeli wabahlangabeza ukuze ahambe labo endaweni ephakemeyo.
15 Ngayizolo kwakhona uSawuli engakafiki, uJehova wayetshele uSamuyeli wathi: 16 “Kusasa ngezikhathi zonalezi ngizathumela kuwe indoda yakoBhenjamini.+ Kumele uyigcobe ukuthi ibe ngumkhokheli wabantu bami bako-Israyeli.+ Izakhulula abantu bami ezandleni zamaFilisti ngoba sengibubonile ubunzima abaphakathi kwabo futhi sengikuzwile ukukhala kwabo.”+ 17 USamuyeli wathi ebona uSawuli, uJehova wathi kuye: “Nansi indoda ebengikutshela ngayo ngisithi, ‘Yiyo ezabusa abantu bami.’”+
18 USawuli walanda uSamuyeli egedini wafika wathi: “Ngicela ukubuza ukuthi indlu yomboni ingaphi.” 19 USamuyeli waphendula uSawuli wathi: “Yimi umboni. Hamba phambi kwami uye endaweni ephakemeyo. Lamuhla lizakudla lami.+ Uzahamba ekuseni futhi mina ngizakutshela konke ofuna ukukwazi.* 20 Obabhemi abalahleke ensukwini ezintathu ezidlulileyo+ sebetholakele, lingasazikhathazi ngabo. Kanti konke okuhle okuko-Israyeli ayisikho kwakho yini wena lemuli kayihlo?”+ 21 Kodwa uSawuli waphendula wathi: “Mina ngingowakoBhenjamini isizwana esincane kulazo zonke izizwana zako-Israyeli+ futhi imuli yangakithi incane kakhulu kulezinye imuli zakoBhenjamini. Manje kungani usitsho njalo kimi?”
22 USamuyeli wathatha uSawuli lesisebenzi ayehamba laso waya labo ewolu yokudlela, wafika wabahlalisa endaweni yabanxusiweyo. Wabapha indawo engcono kulazo zonke. Kwakulamadoda angaba ngu-30. 23 USamuyeli wathi kulowo owayepheka: “Letha inyama leyana engikuphe yona ngathi uyibeke eceleni.” 24 Owayepheka wathatha umlenze lokwakuphezu kwawo wafika wakuthi qithi phambi kukaSawuli. USamuyeli wasesithi: “Nanku ebesikugcinele khona. Dlana ngoba bekugcinelwe wena ukuthi ukudle ngalesisikhathi. Bengivele ngibatshelile ukuthi ngizakuba labantu bemzini.” Ngakho ngalelolanga uSawuli wadla loSamuyeli. 25 Ngemva kwalokho basuka endaweni ephakemeyo+ baya edolobheni. USamuyeli waqhubeka ekhuluma loSawuli besephahleni lwendlu. 26 Bavuka ekuseni kakhulu futhi ilanga lathi selisiyaphuma uSamuyeli wabiza uSawuli owayesephahleni lwendlu wathi: “Lunga ngikuphelekezele.” Ngakho uSawuli walungiselela ukuhamba, wasephuma loSamuyeli. 27 Bathi besehla bephuma edolobheni uSamuyeli wathi kuSawuli: “Tshela isisebenzi+ sidlule siye phambili.” Ngakho isisebenzi sadlula saya phambili. USamuyeli wasesithi: “Wena mana lapha ngikutshele ilizwi elivela kuNkulunkulu.”