Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
28 Ngaloo mihla, amaFilisti aqokelela imikhosi yawo ukuze alwe imfazwe noSirayeli.+ Ngoko uAkishe wathi kuDavide: “Ngokuqinisekileyo uyayazi ukuba wena namadoda akho niza kuphuma nam namhlanje siye edabini.”+ 2 UDavide wamphendula uAkishe wathi: “Uyazi kakuhle into eza kwenziwa ngumkhonzi wakho.” UAkishe wathi kuDavide: “Yiloo nto kanye ndiza kukwenza uhlale ungunogada wam.”*+
3 USamuweli wayesele efile, yaye wonke uSirayeli wayemzilele waza wamngcwaba eRama, isixeko sakowabo.+ Yena uSawule wayewasusile elizweni onke amagqirha nabantu abachaza izinto kwangaphambili.+
4 AmaFilisti aqokelelana aza aya kumisa inkampu eShunem.+ Ngoko uSawule waqokelela wonke uSirayeli baza bamisa inkampu eGilbhowa.+ 5 Akuyibona uSawule inkampu yamaFilisti woyika, lwangongoza uvalo.+ 6 Nangona uSawule wayemane ebuza kuYehova,+ uYehova zange amphendule. Wayengamphenduli nokuba kungamaphupha, ngeUrim+ okanye ngabaprofeti. 7 Ekugqibeleni uSawule wathi kwizicaka zakhe: “Ndikhangeleleni umfazi oligqirha,+ ndize ndiyokubuza kuye.” Zaphendula izicaka zakhe zathi: “Jonga! Ukhona umfazi oligqirha e-En-dore.”+
8 Ngoko uSawule wazenza omnye umntu, watshintsha izambatho zakhe waza wahamba ngobusuku namadoda akhe amabini baya kuloo mfazi. Wathi: “Ndicela uvumise,+ uze undinyusele umntu endimkhethileyo.” 9 Kodwa lo mfazi wathi kuye: “Ndiqinisekile ukuba uyazi kakuhle into eyenziwa nguSawule. Uyayazi ukuba wawasusa elizweni amagqirha nabantu abachaza izinto kwangaphambili.+ Kutheni ke ngoku uzama ukundibambisa* ukuze undibulalise?”+ 10 Ngoko uSawule wamfungela egameni likaYehova, esithi: “Ephila nje uYehova, awuzukubekwa tyala ngale nto!” 11 Wathi ke lo mfazi: “Ufuna ndikunyusele bani?” Yena wathi: “Ndinyusele uSamuweli.” 12 Akubona “uSamuweli,”*+ lo mfazi wasitsho isikhalo, wathi kuSawule: “Undiqhathele ntoni? UnguSawule!” 13 Ukumkani wathi kuye: “Sukoyika, ndixelele, ubona ntoni?” Lo mfazi wathi: “Ndibona umntu ofana nothixo enyuka ephuma emhlabeni.” 14 Ngokukhawuleza wathi kuye: “Unjani?” Wathi: “Yindoda esele ilixhego le inyukayo, inxibe isambatho esingenamikhono.”+ Waqonda ke uSawule ukuba “nguSamuweli”* lowo, waza waqubuda, ejongise ubuso bakhe emhlabeni.
15 Emva koko “uSamuweli”* wathi kuSawule: “Undiphazamisele ntoni ngokuthi mandinyuswe?” USawule wathi: “Ndisengxakini enkulu. AmaFilisti alwa nam, ibe noThixo undishiyile yaye akasandiphenduli, nokuba kungabaprofeti okanye ngamaphupha.+ Yiloo nto ke ndibhenela kuwe ukuze undixelele into endimele ndiyenze.”+
16 “USamuweli”* wathi: “Kutheni ke ngoku ubuza kum xa uYehova ekushiyile+ waba lutshaba lwakho? 17 UYehova uza kwenza laa nto wayeyithethe kum: UYehova uza kuboxutha ubukumkani kuwe aze abunike uDavide.+ 18 Awuzange ulithobele ilizwi likaYehova, awawatshabalalisa nama-Amaleki+ awayemcaphukisile, yiloo nto uYehova esenza le nto kuwe ngale mini. 19 Wena noSirayeli, uYehova uza kuninikela kumaFilisti.+ Wena+ noonyana bakho+ ngomso niza kuba kunye nam. Nomkhosi wamaSirayeli, uYehova uza kuwunikela kumaFilisti.”+
20 Ngoko nangoko uSawule wawa bhaxa phantsi waza woyika kakhulu ngenxa yamazwi “kaSamuweli.”* Wayengenamandla, kuba wayengatyanga imini yonke nobusuku bonke. 21 Xa lo mfazi weza kuSawule waza wabona indlela awayephazamiseke kakhulu ngayo, wathi kuye: “Isicaka sakho sikuthobele, yaye ndiye ndabubeka engozini ubomi bam,*+ ndenza le nto ubusithi mandiyenze. 22 Ngoku ke ndiyakucela ukuba usimamele isicaka sakho. Ndivumele ndibeke phambi kwakho iqhekeza lesonka, uze ulitye ukuze ube namandla okuhamba.” 23 Kodwa wala waza wathi: “Andizukutya.” Izicaka zakhe kunye nomfazi lowo bamcenga. Ekugqibeleni wabamamela, waphakama waza wahlala ebhedini. 24 Lo mfazi wayenethole lenkomo elityebileyo kwakhe. Ngoko wakhawuleza walixhela,* wathatha umgubo, waxova intlama waza wayibhaka wenza isonka esingenagwele. 25 Wanika uSawule nabakhonzi bakhe, batya. Emva koko baphakama bemka ngobusuku.+