USamyela Wokuthoma
9 Bekunendoda yakwaBhenjamini igama layo bekunguKhitjhi,+ indodana ka-Abiyeli, indodana kaTserori indodana kaBhekhorathi indodana ka-Afiyarhi. Indoda le beyingeyakwaBhenjamini+ begodu beyinjinge khulu. 2 Beyinendodana igama layo kunguSawula;+ uSawula bekasesemutjha begodu aqaleka, ayikho indoda ebeyiqaleka ukudlula yena kwa-Israyeli begodu kusukela emahlombe ukuya phezulu bekamude kunabo boke abantu.
3 Kwathi nakulahleka abodumbana bakaKhitjhi uyise lakaSawula, uKhitjhi wathi endodanenakhe uSawula: “Ngibawa uthathe omunye wabasizi niyokufuna abodumbana.” 4 Badlula esifundeni seentaba sakwa-Efrayimu, badlula enarheni yeTjhalitjha kodwana akhenge babafumane. Batjhinga enarheni yeTjhalima kodwana nalapho abodumbana bebangekho. Badlula enarheni yakwaBhenjamini yoke kodwana akhenge babafumane.
5 Bafika enarheni yeTsufi begodu uSawula wathi kumsizakhe: “Asibuyele emuva bona ubaba angatshwenyeki ngathi kunokuthi atshwenyeke ngabodumbana.”+ 6 Kodwana umsizi wamphendula wathi: “Qala, kunomuntu kaZimu edorobheneli, umumuntu ohlonitjhwa khulu. Koke akutjhoko kuyenzeka nakanjani.+ Asitjhinge khona njenganje. Mhlamunye angasitjela bona sitjhingephi.” 7 Nakezwa lokho uSawula wathi emsizinakhe: “Nangabe siyaya, singamphathelani? Akunaburotho emigodlenethu; asinasipho esingasipha umuntu kaZimu weqiniso. Sinani?” 8 Yeke umsizi kaSawula wamphendula godu wathi: “Qala! Nginekota yetjhekeli* lesiliva esandleni sami. Ngizoyinikela umuntu kaZimu weqiniso, yena uzositjela bona sitjhingephi.” 9 (Ekadeni kwa-Israyeli, nasi indlela umuntu ebekakhuluma ngayo nakayokubuza kuZimu, bekathi: “Asiyeni kumboni wemibono.”+ Ngombana loyo obizwa ngokuthi mphorofidi namhlanjesi bekabizwa ngokuthi mboni ekadeni.) 10 Ngemva kwalokho, uSawula wathi emsizinakhe: “Ukhulume kuhle. Asikhambe.” Yeke batjhinga edorobheni umuntu kaZimu weqiniso ebekakilo.
11 Nabasakhuphuka ngendlela etjhinga edorobheni, bahlangana nabantazana abayokukha amanzi. Yeke bababuza: “Umboni wemibono+ usendaweni le na?” 12 Baphendula bathi: “Iye. Qalani, niseenthendeni zakhe. Rhabani njenganje ngombana uze edorobheni namhlanjesi ngebanga lokuthi abantu benza umhlatjelo+ endaweni ephakemeko+ namhlanjesi. 13 Msinyana naningena edorobheni, nizomfumana ngaphambi kokuthi akhuphukele endaweni ephakemeko ayokudla. Abantu angeze badle angakafiki ngombana nguye obusisa umhlatjelo. Ngemva kwalokho, labo abamenyiweko bangadla. Khuphukani njenganje begodu nizomfumana.” 14 Yeke bakhuphukela edorobheni. Njengombana bangena ekabeni yedorobho, uSamyela weza wazobahlangabeza bona bakhuphukele endaweni ephakemeko.
15 Ngelanga langaphambi kokuthi uSawula eze, uJehova bekatjele uSamyela ukuthi: 16 “Kusasa ngeenkhathezi, ngizokuthumela kuwe umuntu ovela enarheni yakwaBhenjamini.+ Kufuze umzese bona abe mrholi wabantu bami u-Israyeli+ begodu uzokusindisa abantu bami esandleni samaFilista. Ngombana ngikubonile ukuhlunguphazeka kwabantu bami nesililo sabo sifikile kimi.”+ 17 Kwathi uSamyela nakabona uSawula, uJehova wathi kuye: “Nasi indoda engikhulume ngayo kuwe ngathi, ‘Lo nguye ozokubusa abantu bami.’”+
18 Yeke uSawula watjhidela kuSamyela esangweni wathi: “Ngibawa ukubuza, ikuphi indlu yomboni?” 19 USamyela waphendula uSawula wathi: “Ngimi umboni wemibono. Khuphukani ngaphambi kwami niye endaweni ephakemeko, nizokudla nami namhlanjesi.+ Nizokukhamba ekuseni begodu ngizokutjela koke ofuna ukukwazi.* 20 Nakubodumbana abalahleke emalangeni amathathu adlulileko,+ ungatshwenyeki ngabo ngombana bafunyenwe. Kuhlekuhle, ngewakabani woke amagugu wakwa-Israyeli? Kghani awasingewakho nendlu kayihlo yoke?”+ 21 Nakezwa lokho uSawula waphendula wathi: “Kghani angisimBhenjamini wekoro encani kunazo zoke kwa-Israyeli,+ begodu umndenami awusingongakaqakatheki khulu emindenini yoke yekoro yakwaBhenjamini na? Alo kubayini ukhulume nami ngendlela le?”
22 Ngemva kwalokho, uSamyela wathatha uSawula nomsizakhe waya nabo ngewolweni lokudlela begodu wababeka eenhlalweni eziphambili zabamenyiweko; bekunamadoda angaba ma-30. 23 USamyela wathi kumpheki: “Letha ingcenye engikunikele yona bengathi kuwe, ‘Ibekele ngeqadi.’” 24 Yeke umpheki wakhupha umlenze wawubeka phambi kwakaSawula. USamyela wathi: “Nakhu egade ubekelwe khona. Yidla ngombana bakubekele wena bona ukudle esenzakalwenesi. Ngombana ngibatjelile ngathi, ‘Ngimeme iimvakatjhi.’” Yeke uSawula wadla noSamyela mhlokho. 25 Ngemva kwalokho, behlela edorobheni basuka endaweni ephakemeko+ begodu uSamyela waragela phambili akhuluma noSawula phezu kwendlu. 26 Ngakusasa kwakhona bavuka ngamasa, uSamyela wabiza uSawula phezu kwendlu wathi: “Zilungise bona ngikuphekelele.” Yeke uSawula wazilungisa begodu yena noSamyela baphumela ngaphandle. 27 Kwathi nabehlela emaphethelweni wedorobho, uSamyela wathi kuSawula: “Tjela umsizakho+ asitjhiye.” Yeke wabatjhiya. USamyela waraga wathi kuSawula: “Kodwana wena jama, ngikutjele ilizwi lakaZimu.”