Eyokuqala KaSamuweli

18 Wathi nje akugqiba uDavide ukuthetha noSawule, uYonatan+ noDavide bangabahlobo abasenyongweni,* yaye uYonatan wamthanda kanye ngendlela azithanda ngayo yena.*+ 2 Ukususela ngaloo mini, uSawule wamgcina kuye uDavide, akamvumela ukuba abuyele endlini katata wakhe.+ 3 Waza uYonatan noDavide benza isivumelwano,+ kuba wayemthanda kanye ngendlela azithanda ngayo yena.*+ 4 UYonatan wasikhulula isambatho esingenamikhono awayesinxibile waza wasinika uDavide, wamnika nesambatho sakhe semfazwe, ikrele lakhe, isaphetha sakhe nebhanti lakhe. 5 UDavide waqalisa ukuphuma ayokulwa iimfazwe, yaye wayesoloko ephumelela*+ naphi na apho athunyelwe khona nguSawule. Ngoko uSawule wamenza intloko yamadoda emfazwe,+ yaye bonke abantu babeyivuyela loo nto, nkqu nezicaka zikaSawule.

6 Xa uDavide nabanye bevela kuxabela amaFilisti, abafazi babephuma kuzo zonke izixeko zakwaSirayeli becula+ yaye bedanisa, behlangabeza uKumkani uSawule. Babesiza bedlala amagubu+ neziginkci, bevuya. 7 Aba bafazi babebhiyoza babecula besithi:

8 USawule waba lugcwabevu ngumsindo,+ imcaphukisa nale ngoma, kuba wayesithi: “Banike uDavide amashumi amawaka, mna bandinika amawaka. Sekusele nje ukuba bamenze ukumkani!”+ 9 Ukususela ngaloo mini, uSawule wayesoloko emgxeleshile uDavide.

10 Ngemini elandelayo uThixo wamyeka uSawule wafikelwa ngumoya ombi,+ waza waqalisa ukwenza izinto ezothusayo* ngaphakathi endlini, ngoxa uDavide wayedlala umculo ngohadi+ njengesiqhelo. USawule wayephethe umkhonto.+ 11 Wajula umkhonto+ kuDavide esithi: ‘Ndiza kumdibanisa nodonga uDavide!’ Kodwa yena wabaleka kwada kwakabini. 12 Emva koko, uSawule wamoyika uDavide kuba uYehova wayemxhasa+ kodwa emshiyile uSawule.+ 13 Ngenxa yoko uSawule wamsusa phambi kwakhe, wamenza umphathi wamajoni akhe.* Ngoko uDavide wayekhokela umkhosi xa kusiyiwa emfazweni.*+ 14 UDavide waphumelela*+ kuyo yonke into ayenzayo, yaye uYehova wayemxhasa.+ 15 Wathi uSawule akubona ukuba uDavide wayephumelela kakhulu, wamoyika. 16 Kodwa wonke uSirayeli noYuda babemthanda uDavide, kuba wayebakhokela xa kusiyiwa emfazweni.

17 Ethubeni uSawule wathi kuDavide: “Nantsi intombi yam endala uMerabhi.+ Ndiza kukunika yena abe ngumfazi wakho.+ Kodwa ke, umele uhlale unesibindi, uze ulwe iimfazwe zikaYehova.”+ Nantsi into awayezixelele yona uSawule: ‘Mandingalwi naye. Makabulawe ngamaFilisti.’+ 18 Wathi ke uDavide kuSawule: “Apha kwaSirayeli ndingubani na mna nezizalwana zam, eziyintsapho katata, ukuba ndingade ndibe ngumkhwenyana kakumkani?”+ 19 Lathi lakufika ixesha lokuba uSawule anike uDavide uMerabhi intombi yakhe, wabe sele etshatiselwe kuAdriyeli+ umMehola.

20 UMikali,+ intombi kaSawule, wayemthanda uDavide, waza wayichazelwa uSawule loo nto, ibe yamvuyisa. 21 Ngoko uSawule wathi: “Ndiza kumnika yena ukuze abe ngumgibe kuye, nokuze isandla samaFilisti sibe phezu kwakhe.”+ USawule waphinda wathi kuDavide: “Uza kwendiselana nam* namhlanje.” 22 Wayalela nezicaka zakhe esithi: “Thethani noDavide ecaleni nithi, ‘Jonga! Ukumkani uyakholwa nguwe, yaye zonke izicaka zakhe ziyakuthanda. Ngoko ke yendiselana nokumkani.’” 23 Xa izicaka zikaSawule zaxelela uDavide loo nto, wathi: “Yinto engenamsebenzi na kuni ukwendiselana nokumkani, ekubeni ndiyindoda elihlwempu nejongelwe phantsi?”+ 24 Izicaka zikaSawule zabuyela kuye zathi: “Nantsi into ethethwe nguDavide.”

25 Wathi uSawule: “Nimele nithi kuye, ‘Ukumkani akafuni lobola,+ kodwa ufuna amajwabi ayi-100+ amaFilisti, ukuze aziphindezelele kwiintshaba zakhe.’” USawule ke wayecebe ukuba uDavide abulawe ngamaFilisti. 26 Izicaka zakhe zayokumxelela uDavide, naye wakuvuyela ukwendiselana nokumkani.+ Lathi lingekapheli ixesha awayelibekelwe, 27 uDavide wahamba namadoda akhe baza babulala amadoda angamaFilisti ayi-200, yaye uDavide wawazisa amajwabi awo onke kukumkani, ukuze endiselane nokumkani. Ngoko uSawule wamnika uMikali intombi yakhe waba ngumfazi wakhe.+ 28 USawule wabona ukuba uYehova uyamxhasa uDavide,+ yaye nentombi yakhe uMikali yayimthanda.+ 29 Le nto yamenza uSawule wamoyika kakhulu uDavide, waza uSawule waba lutshaba lwakhe ubomi bakhe bonke.+

30 Zazihamba ke ziyokulwa iinkosana zamaFilisti, yaye qho xa ziphuma, uDavide wayephumelela* azodlule izicaka zikaSawule,+ yaye igama lakhe lathathelwa phezulu.+