Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
20 UDavide wabaleka wemka eNayoti, eRama. Waya kuYonatan, wathi: “Yintoni endiyenzileyo?+ Siyintoni isono sam, yaye ndimone njani utata wakho, le nto ezingelana nobomi bam?”* 2 Yena wathi kuye: “Soze!+ Awuzukufa. Jonga! Akukho nto ayenzayo utata engakhange andixelele, nokuba inkulu okanye incinci. Kutheni ngoku eza kundifihlela le into? Soze yenzeke loo nto.” 3 Kodwa uDavide wathi: “Utata wakho wazi kakuhle ukuba wena uyakholwa ndim.+ Ngoko usenokuthi, ‘UYonatan makangayixelelwa le nto, kungenjalo uza kuba buhlungu.’ Kodwa njengoko uYehova ephila, nanjengoko nawe* uphila, ubomi bam busengozini!”+
4 UYonatan wathi kuDavide: “Nantoni na oyithethayo* ndiza kukwenzela.” 5 UDavide wathi kuYonatan: “Jonga! Ngomso kuthwasa inyanga,+ ibe kulindelwe ukuba ndibekho kwisidlo sikakumkani. Ngoko umele undikhulule ndihambe, yaye ndiza kuzifihla endle de kube ngomsomnye. 6 Ukuba kwenzekile utata wakho abuze ukuba ndiphi, uze uthi, ‘UDavide undicengile esithi ufuna ukuthi tshalala, abaleke aye eBhetelehem+ kwisixeko sakowabo, kuba kukho umbingelelo waminyaka le wentsapho yonke apho.’+ 7 Ukuba uthe, ‘Kulungile,’ loo nto ithetha uxolo kumkhonzi wakho. Kodwa ukuba ube nomsindo, uze wazi ukuba uzimisele ukundenzakalisa. 8 Mthande ngokungagungqiyo umkhonzi wakho,+ kuba wenze isivumelwano nomkhonzi wakho+ phambi koYehova. Kodwa ukuba ndinetyala,+ ndibulale ngokwakho. Kutheni ufanele undise kutata wakho?”
9 Akuva loo nto, uYonatan wathi: “Sukuyicinga nokuyicinga loo nto! Ucinga ukuba bendingazukukuxelela na xa ndisiva ukuba utata uzimisele ukukwenzakalisa?”+ 10 UDavide wathi kuYonatan: “Ngubani ke ngoku oza kundixelela xa utata wakho ekuphendule kakubi?” 11 UYonatan wathi kuDavide: “Makhe siye endle.” Ngoko baphuma baya endle. 12 Waza uYonatan wathi kuDavide: “UYehova uThixo kaSirayeli makabe lingqina xa ndimgrumba ngemibuzo utata malunga neli xesha ngomso okanye ngomsomnye. Ukuba ubonakele engenangxaki nawe,* andizukuthumela lizwi na kuwe ukuze wazi ukuba kuqhubeka ntoni? 13 Kodwa ukuba utata uzimisele ukukwenzakalisa, ndaza mna andakuxelela ndize ndikukhulule uhambe ngoxolo, kwanga uYehova angandohlwaya,* aze ongeze. Kwanga uYehova angakuxhasa+ njengokuba wayemxhasa notata.+ 14 Ngaba wena awuzukufana noYehova, uqhubeke undithanda ngoku ndisaphilayo naxa sele ndiswelekile?+ 15 Ungaze uyeke ukuyithanda indlu yam,+ kwanaxa uYehova ezitshayela zonke iintshaba zakho* phezu komhlaba.” 16 Ngoko uYonatan wenza isivumelwano nendlu kaDavide, esithi: “UYehova uza kuqinisekisa ukuba uyaziphendulisa iintshaba zikaDavide.” 17 UYonatan waphinda wamcela uDavide ukuba afunge ukuba uyamthanda, kuba yena wayemthanda uDavide kanye ngendlela azithanda ngayo.+
18 Emva koko uYonatan wathi kuye: “Ngomso kuthwasa inyanga,+ yaye kuza kubuzwa ukuba uphi, kuba isihlalo sakho siza kube singenamntu. 19 Ngomsomnye nakanjani kuza kubuzwa ukuba uphi, ngoko umele uze kuzifihla apha kule ndawo ubuzifihle kuyo ngala mini.* Uze uhlale kufutshane neli litye. 20 Mna ke, ndiza kutolela ecaleni kwalo iintolo ezintathu, ngokungathi kukho into endizama ukuyichana. 21 Xa ndithuma unogada, ndiza kuthi kuye, ‘Hamba, uye kukhangela eza ntolo.’ Ukuba ndithe kunogada, ‘Jonga! Iintolo zingakweli cala lakho, yiza nazo,’ ngoko ke wena ungabuya, kuba njengoko uYehova ephila, loo nto ithetha ukuba kukho uxolo yaye awukho sengozini. 22 Kodwa ukuba ndithe kuloo mfana, ‘Jonga! Iintolo zingaphaya kwakho,’ umele umke, kuba loo nto ithetha ukuba uYehova uthi hamba. 23 Ekubeni siye sathembisana,+ kwanga uYehova angalingqina leso sithembiso ngonaphakade.”+
24 Ngoko uDavide wazifihla endle. Ithe yakuthwasa inyanga, ukumkani wahlala endaweni yakhe esidlweni ukuze atye.+ 25 Wayehleli kwisihlalo sakhe njengesiqhelo, kwisihlalo esingaseludongeni, ejongene noYonatan. UAbhinere+ wayehleli kwicala likaSawule, kodwa yona indawo kaDavide yayingenamntu. 26 USawule akazange athethe nto ngaloo mini, kuba nantsi into awayezixelele yona: ‘Ikhona into eyenzekileyo emenze akacoceka.+ Nakanjani umele ukuba akacocekanga.’ 27 Nakusuku lwesibini ithwasile inyanga, indawo kaDavide yayiseyodwa. Ngoko uSawule wathi kuYonatan unyana wakhe: “Kutheni unyana kaYese+ engezanga esidlweni izolo nanamhlanje?” 28 UYonatan wathi: “UDavide uye wandicenga ukuba akhe athi tshalala aye eBhetelehem.+ 29 Uthe, ‘Ndicela undivumele ndihambe, kuba sinombingelelo wentsapho esixekweni, yaye ngumntakwethu ondibizileyo. Ukuba uyakholwa ndim, khawundivumele ndiye kubona abantakwethu.’ Yiloo nto engezanga etafileni kakumkani.” 30 USawule waba nomsindo, ecatshukiswa nguYonatan waza wathi kuye: “Nyanandini womfazi ongathobeliyo, ucinga ukuba andazi ukuba ukhetha unyana kaYese, uzihlaza wena nomama wakho?* 31 Logama unyana kaYese esaphila kulo mhlaba, wena nobo bukumkani bakho anizukumiselwa ngokuqinileyo.+ Ngoko ke thumela umntu aze naye apha kum, kuba umele afe.”*+
32 Noko ke uYonatan wathi kuSawule utata wakhe: “Kutheni efanele abulawe?+ Wenze ntoni?” 33 Akuva loo mazwi, uSawule wajula umkhonto ukuze amhlabe.+ Ngoko uYonatan waqonda ukuba utata wakhe uzimisele ukumbulala uDavide.+ 34 UYonatan wathi thwasu etafileni enomsindo. Zange atye nokunjani ukutya ngosuku lwesibini emva kokuthwasa kwenyanga, kuba wayebuhlungu kakhulu ngoDavide,+ futhi wayehlaziswe nangutata wakhe.
35 Kusasa, uYonatan waphuma waya endle kwindawo ebebevumelene ngayo noDavide, yaye wayekunye nonogada wakhe.+ 36 Wathi kunogada wakhe: “Khawubaleke, uyokuchola ezi ntolo ndizitolayo.” Wabaleka ke unogada. UYonatan walutola utolo lwaya kutsho ngaphaya konogada. 37 Xa unogada efika kwindawo uYonatan awayetolele kuyo, uYonatan wamkhwaza wathi: “Alukho ngaphaya kwakho na utolo?” 38 UYonatan wamkhwaza unogada esithi: “Khawulezisa! Hamba ngokukhawuleza! Sukulibazisa!” Unogada kaYonatan wazichola iintolo waza wabuyela kwinkosi yakhe. 39 Ke yena unogada wayengazi nokuba kubethwa abaphi. NguYonatan noDavide ababesazi ukuba ithetha ntoni yonke le nto. 40 Emva koko uYonatan wanika unogada izixhobo zakhe waza wathi kuye: “Hamba nazo uzise esixekweni.”
41 Ukumka kukanogada, uDavide wathi vumbu kufutshane, ngakwicala elingasemzantsi. Waqubuda kathathu, baphuzana,* balilelana, kodwa uDavide wayengoyena ulila kakhulu. 42 UYonatan wathi kuDavide: “Hamba ngoxolo, kuba sobabini siye safunga+ egameni likaYehova sisithi, ‘Kwanga uYehova angaba lingqina phakathi kwam nawe, naphakathi kwenzala* yam nenzala* yakho ngonaphakade.’”+
Emva koko uDavide waphakama wahamba, noYonatan waya esixekweni.