Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
19 Ethubeni uSawule wachazela uYonatan unyana wakhe nezicaka zakhe zonke ukuba ufuna ukubulala uDavide.+ 2 Ekubeni uYonatan, unyana kaSawule, wayemthanda kakhulu uDavide,+ wathi kuye: “USawule utata ufuna ukukubulala. Ekuseni uze ulumke, uhambe uye endaweni efihlakeleyo, uzimele apho. 3 Ndiza kuya entsimini, kufutshane nendawo oza kube ukuyo, ndime ecaleni kukatata. Ndiza kuthetha ngawe kuye, yaye ukuba kukho into endiyivileyo, qiniseka ukuba ndiza kukuxelela.”+
4 Ngoko uYonatan wathetha kakuhle ngoDavide+ kuSawule utata wakhe waza wathi: “Ukumkani makangamenzi into embi* uDavide isicaka sakhe, kuba akakonanga yaye izinto azenzileyo zincede kwawena. 5 Uye wabeka ubomi bakhe engozini, waxabela umFilisti,+ ukuze uYehova enze uSirayeli wonke oyise.* Nawe lo wayibona loo nto, wavuya kakhulu. Ngoko kutheni ufuna ukona igazi elimsulwa ngokubulala uDavide ngaphandle kwesizathu?”+ 6 USawule wammamela uYonatan, waza wafunga wathi: “Njengoko ephila uYehova, uDavide akazukubulawa.” 7 Emva koko uYonatan wabiza uDavide, wamxelela yonke into. UYonatan wazisa uDavide kuSawule, waza waqhubeka emsebenzela njengakuqala.+
8 Ekuhambeni kwexesha kwaphinda kwabakho imfazwe, waza uDavide wayokulwa namaFilisti, wawaxabela wabulala abantu abaninzi kakhulu, aza amaFilisti abaleka.
9 UYehova wamyeka uSawule wafikelwa ngumoya ombi+ xa wayehleli endlini yakhe, ephethe umkhonto, yena uDavide edlala umculo ngohadi lwakhe.+ 10 USawule wazama ukumdibanisa nodonga uDavide ngomkhonto, kodwa yena waphepha, umkhonto wahlaba udonga. UDavide wabaleka, waqhwesha ngobo busuku. 11 Emva koko uSawule wathumela abathunywa endlini kaDavide ukuba bayigade baze bambulale ekuseni.+ UMikali umfazi wakhe wathi kuDavide: “Ukuba awuqhweshi* ngobu busuku, ngomso uza kuba ngofileyo.” 12 Ngoko nangoko uMikali wamhlisa uDavide ngefestile, ukuze abaleke emke, asinde. 13 UMikali wathatha isithixo sekhaya waza wasibeka ebhedini. Wathatha nomnatha woboya bebhokhwe wawubeka kwindawo yentloko kaDavide, emva koko wasogquma ngesambatho.
14 USawule wathuma abathunywa ukuba bayokumbamba uDavide, kodwa uMikali wathi: “Uyagula.” 15 Ngoko uSawule wathumela abathunywa ukuba baye kubona uDavide, waza wathi kubo: “Mziseni kum ngebhedi leyo yakhe ukuze ndimbulale.”+ 16 Xa befika abathunywa, bafumana isithixo sekhaya ebhedini nomnatha woboya bebhokhwe kwindawo yentloko kaDavide. 17 USawule wathi kuMikali: “Undikhohlisele ntoni, waluzimelisa utshaba lwam+ lwabaleka?” UMikali wathi kuSawule: “Uthe kum, ‘Ndiyeke ndihambe kungenjalo ndiza kukubulala!’”
18 UDavide wayebaleke wemka ukuze asinde. Waya kuSamuweli eRama.+ Wamxelela yonke into uSawule amenze yona. Emva koko, yena noSamuweli bemka, baya kuhlala eNayoti.+ 19 Ekuhambeni kwexesha kwathiwa kuSawule: “Jonga! UDavide useNayoti, eRama.” 20 Ngoko nangoko uSawule wathumela abathunywa ukuba bayokubamba uDavide. Bathe bakubona abaprofeti abadala beprofeta, noSamuweli emi kwisigxina sakhe ebakhokela, umoya kaThixo waba phezu kwabathunywa bakaSawule, baza nabo baqalisa ukuzenza abaprofeti.
21 Uthe akuyichazelwa le nto uSawule, ngoko nangoko wathumela abanye abathunywa, nabo baqalisa ukuzenza abaprofeti. USawule waphinda wathumela abathunywa, iqela lesithathu, baza nabo baqalisa ukuzenza abaprofeti. 22 Ekugqibeleni waziyela ngokwakhe eRama. Uthe akufika ngakwiqula elikhulu eliseSeku, wabuzisa: “Khange nimbone uSamuweli noDavide?” Abantu bathi: “Nabaya eNayoti,+ eRama.” 23 Uthe uSawule esesendleleni eya eNayoti, eRama, naye wafikelwa ngumoya kaThixo, waza wahamba ezenza umprofeti wada wafika eNayoti, eRama. 24 USawule wakhulula iimpahla zakhe, naye wazenza umprofeti phambi koSamuweli, waza walala phantsi ehamba ze* imini yonke nobusuku bonke. Yiloo nto kwathiwa: “Ngaba noSawule ngumprofeti na?”+