Incwadzi Yekucala YaSamuweli
13 Sawula abeneminyaka lengu- . . .* budzala ngesikhatsi aba yinkhosi,+ futsi wabusa iminyaka lemibili ka-Israyeli. 2 Sawula wabese ukhetsa emadvodza langu-3 000 ka-Israyeli; langu-2 000 kuwo abenaye eMikmashi nasesifundzeni lesinetintsaba saseBetheli, kantsi langu-1 000 kuwo abenaJonathani+ eGibeya+ yakaBhenjamini. Lalabanye bantfu wabakhulula, nguloyo naloyo waya ethendeni lakhe. 3 Jonathani wabese ubulala libutfo lemasotja emaFilisti+ lebeliseGeba,+ futsi emaFilisti eva ngaloko. Sawula watsi akushaywe luphondvo+ kulo lonkhe lelive kutsiwe: “EmaHebheru akalalele!” 4 Onkhe ema-Israyeli ativa letindzaba lebetitsi: “Sawula ubulele libutfo lemasotja emaFilisti, futsi nyalo ema-Israyeli asayenyanyeka kumaFilisti.” Ngako bantfu babitwa kute bahambe naSawula eGilgali.+
5 NemaFilisti ahlangana ndzawonye kuze ayokulwa nema-Israyeli. Aphuma netinkalishi temphi letingu-30 000, emasotja langu-6 000 lagibele emahhashi kanye nemasotja lamanyenti ngangesihlabatsi saselwandle;+ futsi akhuphuka afike emisa emathende eMikmashi, emphumalanga yeBhethi-aveni.+ 6 Emadvodza aka-Israyeli abona kutsi abesenkingeni ngobe bekasesimeni lesimatima kakhulu, ngako abhaca emihumeni,+ emigodzini, emadvwaleni, etindzaweni letingephansi kwemhlaba* nasemigodzini yemanti. 7 Lamanye emaHebheru aze awela iJordane aya eveni lakaGadi nelakaGileyadi.+ Kodvwa Sawula abesolo aseGilgali, futsi bonkhe bantfu lebebamlandzela bebavevetela. 8 Wachubeka alindze emalanga langu-7 kwaze kwefika lesikhatsi lebesibekwe* nguSamuweli, kodvwa Samuweli abesolo angakefiki eGilgali, kantsi nalabantfu besebamshiya. 9 Ekugcineni Sawula watsi: “Letsani lomhlatjelo wekushiswa nalemihlatjelo yekuthula.” Ngako wabese unikela lomhlatjelo wekushiswa.+
10 Kodvwa watsi nje nakacedza kunikela lomhlatjelo wekushiswa, Samuweli wefika. Sawula wamhlangabeta futsi wambingelela. 11 Ngemuva kwaloko Samuweli watsi: “Yini lena loyentile?” Sawula wamphendvula watsi: “Ngibone kutsi labantfu sebayangishiya+ nekutsi wena awukafiki ngalesikhatsi lobewusibekile, kantsi nemaFilisti abebutsana ndzawonye eMikmashi.+ 12 Ngibese ngiyacabanga ngitsi: ‘Nyalo emaFilisti atakwehla atongihlasela eGilgali, futsi angikawuceli nemusa* kuJehova.’ Ngako ngitive ngiphocelelekile kutsi nginikele lomhlatjelo wekushiswa.”
13 Nakeva loku Samuweli watsi kuSawula: “Loku lokwentile kubulima. Awukawulaleli umtsetfo waJehova Nkulunkulu wakho.+ Kube uwulalele, Jehova abetokwenta kutsi umbuso wakho uhlale ucinile ka-Israyeli kuze kube phakadze. 14 Nyalo-ke umbuso wakho ngeke uhlale sikhatsi lesidze.+ Jehova utatitfolela umuntfu lotsandzekako enhlitiyweni yakhe,+ futsi Jehova utambeka abe ngumholi webantfu bakhe+ ngobe wena awukakulaleli loko Jehova labekutjele kona.”+
15 Ngemuva kwaloko Samuweli wesuka eGilgali wakhuphukela eGibeya yakaBhenjamini futsi Sawula wabala bantfu. Emadvodza labesolo anaye bekangaba ngu-600.+ 16 Sawula naJonathani indvodzana yakhe kanye nalabantfu labebanabo bebahleti eGeba+ yakaBhenjamini, kantsi emaFilisti wona abemise emathende eMikmashi.+ 17 Lamasotja lahlaselako abephuma enkambu yemaFilisti angemacembu lamatsatfu. Lelinye licembu belihamba liye ngasemgwacweni loya ngase-Ofra, lilibangise eveni laseShuwali; 18 lelelinye licembu liye ngasemgwacweni waseBhethi-horoni,+ kantsi leli lesitsatfu lona beliya ngasemgwacweni loya emnceleni lobukene nesihosha saseSeboyimu ngasehlane.
19 Bekute ngisho namunye umuntfu losebenta ngensimbi kulo lonkhe live lema-Israyeli, ngobe emaFilisti abetsite: “Sentela kutsi emaHebheru angakhi ngisho nenkemba nobe sikhali.” 20 Ngaleso sizatfu, onkhe ema-Israyeli bekudzingeka aye kumaFilisti kuze alole emakhuba awo, tingejazembe, emazembe nobe emasikela. 21 Bekubita lisiliva lelingemagremu langaba ngu-8* kulola emakhuba, tingejazembe, timfologo letinematinyo lamatsatfu, kanye nemazembe, nekulungisa tindvuku tekuchuba tinkhomo. 22 Ngalelilanga lemphi, kute umuntfu lobekanenkemba nobe sikhali kulaba lebebakanye naSawula naJonathani.+ NguSawula naJonathani indvodzana yakhe kuphela lebebanetikhali.
23 Libutfo lemasotja* emaFilisti beliphume laya emseleni waseMikmashi.+