1 Samuweli
23 Ekuhambeni kwexesha beza kuxela kuDavide, besithi: “Nanga amaFilisti esilwa imfazwe neKeyila,+ yaye ayaziphanga izanda.”+ 2 Waza uDavide wabuza+ kuYehova, esithi: “Ndiye na, ndize ndiwaxabele la maFilisti?” Naye ke uYehova wathi kuDavide: “Yiya, uze uwaxabele amaFilisti uyisindise iKeyila.” 3 Athi amadoda kaDavide kuye: “Khangela! Siyoyika ngoxa silapha kwaYuda,+ kungakanani ke ukuba kunokwenzeka siye eKeyila ezintlwini zamaFilisti!”+ 4 Ngoko kwakhona uDavide wabuza kuYehova.+ Ke kaloku uYehova wamphendula waza wathi: “Suka, uhle uye eKeyila, ngenxa yokuba ndiwanikela esandleni sakho amaFilisti.”+ 5 Ngako oko wahamba uDavide namadoda akhe waya eKeyila waza walwa namaFilisti, wayiqhuba imfuyo yawo, kodwa wona wawaxabela ngogonyamelo olukhulu; uDavide ke wabasindisa abemi baseKeyila.+
6 Kwathi ke xa uAbhiyatare+ unyana ka-Ahimeleki wabalekela kuDavide eKeyila, wehla ne-efodi+ esandleni sakhe. 7 Ekuhambeni kwexesha kwanikelwa ingxelo kuSawule: “UDavide ufikile eKeyila.”+ Waza uSawule wathi: “UThixo umthengisele esandleni sam,+ kuba uzivalele ngokungena esixekweni esineengcango nemivalo.” 8 Ngoko uSawule wabizela bonke abantu emfazweni, ukuba behle baye eKeyila, ukuze kungqingwe uDavide namadoda akhe. 9 NoDavide wazi ukuba uSawule wayemyilela ububi.+ Ngenxa yoko wathi kuAbhiyatare umbingeleli: “Sondeza iefodi leyo.”+ 10 Waza uDavide wahlabela mgama wathi: “Owu Yehova THIXO kaSirayeli,+ ngokuqinisekileyo umkhonzi wakho uvile ukuba uSawule ufuna ukuza eKeyila ukuze enze isixeko sibe linxuwa ngenxa yam.+ 11 Ngaba abanini-mhlaba baseKeyila baya kundinikezela na esandleni sakhe? Uya kuhla na uSawule kanye njengoko evile umkhonzi wakho? Owu Yehova THIXO kaSirayeli, mxelele umkhonzi wakho, nceda.” Wathi ke uYehova: “Uya kuhla.”+ 12 Waza uDavide waqhubeka wathi: “Ngaba abanini-mhlaba baseKeyila baya kundinikezela na mna namadoda am esandleni sikaSawule?” NoYehova ke wathi: “Baya kunikezela.”+
13 Kwaoko wesuka uDavide namadoda akhe, amadoda amalunga namakhulu amathandathu,+ baphuma eKeyila baza baqhubeka behambahamba naphi na apho babenokuhambahamba khona. Waxelelwa uSawule ukuba uDavide ubalekile eKeyila, waza ke wayeka ukuphuma. 14 UDavide wahlala entlango kwiindawo ekunzima ukuzifikelela, yaye waqhubeka ehlala kummandla weentaba kwintlango yeZifi.+ NoSawule wayesoloko emfuna,+ uThixo akamnikela esandleni sakhe.+ 15 UDavide waqhubeka esoyika ngenxa yokuba uSawule wayephumile eze kufuna umphefumlo wakhe ngoxa uDavide wayekwintlango yeZifi eHoreshi.+
16 Ke kaloku wesuka uYonatan unyana kaSawule waza waya kuDavide eHoreshi, ukuze asomeleze+ isandla sakhe ngokubhekisele kuThixo.+ 17 Wahlabela mgama wathi kuye: “Musa ukoyika;+ kuba isandla sikaSawule ubawo asiyi kukufumana, yaye wena kanye uya kuba ngukumkani+ phezu koSirayeli, mna ke ndiya kuba ngowesibini kuwe; noSawule ubawo uyakwazi oko.”+ 18 Bandula ke bobabini benza umnqophiso+ phambi koYehova; noDavide waqhubeka ehlala eHoreshi, uYonatan yena waya ekhayeni lakhe.
19 Kamva abantu baseZifi+ benyuka baya kuSawule eGibheya,+ besithi: “UDavide akazifihlanga+ kufuphi nathi na ezindaweni ekunzima ukuzifikelela eHoreshi,+ endulini kaHakila,+ kwicala lasekunene leYeshimon?+ 20 Ke kaloku ngokuvisisana nomnqweno wonke womphefumlo wakho,+ Owu kumkani, wokuba uhle, yihla, yaye indima yethu iya kuba kukumnikezela esandleni sokumkani.”+ 21 Wathi uSawule: “Nisikelelwe nina nguYehova,+ kuba nibe nemfesane kum. 22 Khanincede, nihambe, nizingise ngakumbi ukuze niqinisekise nize nibone indawo yakhe oluba kuyo unyawo lwakhe—nabani na ombonileyo apho—kuba kuthiwe kum ngokuqinisekileyo yena unobuqhokolo.+ 23 Nibone nize niqinisekise ngazo zonke iindawo zokuzimela apho azifihla khona; yaye nimele nibuyele kum ninobungqina, ndiza kuhamba ke nani; kwaye kumele kuthi, ukuba ukho elizweni, nam ndigocagoce ngenyameko phakathi kwawo onke amawaka+ akwaYuda.”
24 Ngoko besuka baza baya eZifi+ phambi koSawule, ngoxa uDavide namadoda akhe babesentlango yeMahon+ eArabha+ kumzantsi weYeshimon. 25 Kamva uSawule weza namadoda akhe ukuya kumfuna.+ Xa bamxelelayo uDavide, kwaoko wehla waya engxondoreni+ waza waqhubeka ehlala entlango yeMahon. Xa uSawule wakuvayo oko, wamsukela+ uDavide ukuya kwintlango yeMahon. 26 Ekugqibeleni uSawule wafika kweli cala lentaba, noDavide namadoda akhe babekwelaa cala lentaba. Ngoko uDavide wakhawuleza wemka+ ngenxa kaSawule; lonke elo xesha uSawule namadoda akhe babemvingcela uDavide namadoda akhe ukuba bababambe.+ 27 Kodwa kwafika umthunywa kuSawule, esithi: “Ngxama uhambe, kuba amaFilisti alihlasele ilizwe!” 28 Wabuya ke uSawule ekusukeleni uDavide+ waza waya kuhlangabeza amaFilisti. Kungenxa yoko le nto loo ndawo bayibize ngokuba yiNgxondorha Yezahlulo.
29 Wandula ke uDavide wenyuka esuka apho waza waya kuhlala kwiindawo ekunzima ukuzifikelela e-En-gedi.+