Eyokuqala KaSamuweli

23 Ngemva kwesikhathi kwabikwa kuDavide, kwathiwa: “AmaFilisti alwa neKheyila, + aphanga nokudla ezibuyeni.” 2 Ngakho uDavide wabuza kuJehova, + wathi: “Ngihambe yini ngiyobulala la maFilisti?” UJehova wathi kuDavide: “Hamba uwabulale amaFilisti, usindise iKheyila.” 3 Kodwa amadoda ayekanye noDavide athi kuye: “Ngathi sesaba silapha kwaJuda, + sizokwesaba kangakanani-ke uma siya eKheyila siyolwa nebutho lamaFilisti!” + 4 Ngakho uDavide waphinda futhi wabuza kuJehova. + UJehova wamphendula wathi: “Suka wehlele eKheyila, ngoba ngizowanikela esandleni sakho amaFilisti.” + 5 Ngakho uDavide wahamba namadoda ayekanye naye waya eKheyila wayolwa namaFilisti; wathatha imfuyo yawo, wabulala amaningi kakhulu, uDavide wabasindisa abantu baseKheyila. +

6 Ngesikhathi u-Abhiyathara + indodana ka-Ahimeleki ebalekela kuDavide eKheyila, wayephethe i-efodi. 7 Kwabikwa kuSawule kwathiwa: “UDavide useKheyila.” USawule wathi: “UNkulunkulu umnikele kimi, *+ ngoba uzivalele ngokungena edolobheni elinamasango nemigoqo.”* 8 Ngakho uSawule wabizela bonke abantu empini ukuze behlele eKheyila, bayovimbezela uDavide namadoda ayekanye naye. 9 Lapho uDavide ethola ukuthi uSawule umakhela uzungu, wathi ku-Abhiyathara umpristi: “Letha lapha i-efodi.” + 10 Ngemva kwalokho uDavide wathi: “O Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, inceku yakho izwile ukuthi uSawule ufuna ukuza eKheyila ukuze alibhubhise leli dolobha ngenxa yami. + 11 Abaholi* baseKheyila bazonginikela yini esandleni sakhe? Ingabe uSawule uzokwehla njengoba nje inceku yakho izwile? O Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngicela uyitshele inceku yakho.” UJehova wathi: “Uzokwehla.” 12 UDavide wabuza wathi: “Ingabe abaholi baseKheyila bazonginikela mina kanye namadoda akanye nami esandleni sikaSawule?” UJehova waphendula wathi: “Bazokunikela.”

13 UDavide wasuka ngaso leso sikhathi namadoda ayekanye naye, amadoda angaba ngu-600, + baphuma eKheyila bahambahamba ezindaweni ababezibona ziphephile. Lapho uSawule etshelwa ukuthi uDavide ubalekile eKheyila, akabange esamlandela. 14 UDavide wahlala ehlane ezindaweni okunzima ukuzifinyelela, ezintabeni ezisehlane laseZifi. + USawule wayelokhu emfuna, + kodwa uJehova akamnikelanga esandleni sakhe. 15 Ngesikhathi uDavide esehlane laseZifi eHoreshi, wayazi ukuthi* uSawule wayephumile eyozingela ukuphila kwakhe.

16 UJonathani indodana kaSawule wasuka waya kuDavide eHoreshi, wamkhuthaza ukuba athembele* kuJehova. + 17 Wathi kuye: “Ungesabi, ngoba uSawule ubaba ngeke akuthole; wena uzoba yinkosi kwa-Israyeli, + mina ngibe ngaphansi kwakho; uSawule ubaba naye uyakwazi lokho.” + 18 Bobabili base benza isivumelwano + phambi kukaJehova, uDavide waqhubeka ehlala eHoreshi, uJonathani wabuyela ekhaya.

19 Kamuva amadoda aseZifi akhuphukela kuSawule eGibheya, + athi: “UDavide ucashe eduze kwethu + ezindaweni okunzima ukuzifinyelela eHoreshi, + egqumeni laseHakhila, + elingaseningizimu* yeJeshimoni. *+ 20 Noma nini lapho usukulungele ukwehla nkosi, yehla, thina sizomnikela esandleni senkosi.” + 21 USawule wathi: “Kwangathi uJehova anganibusisa, ngoba nibe nobubele kimi. 22 Ngicela nihambe nithole kahle ukuthi ukuphi ngempela nokuthi ubani ombonile, ngoba ngitsheliwe ukuthi uyiqili kabi. 23 Funani ngokucophelela ukuthi zikuphi izindawo acasha kuzo nibuye kimi nobufakazi. Ngiyobe sengihamba nani, ngizomcingisisa phakathi kwayo yonke imindeni* yakwaJuda.”

24 Ngakho basuka baya eZifi + ngesikhathi uDavide namadoda ayekanye naye besehlane laseMawoni, + e-Araba + eseningizimu yeJeshimoni, uSawule wabalandela kamuva. 25 USawule wafika namadoda ayekanye naye bezomfuna. + Lapho bembikela uDavide, wehla ngaso leso sikhathi waya emaweni + wahlala ehlane laseMawoni. Lapho uSawule ezwa ngalokhu, wamlandela uDavide waya ehlane laseMawoni. 26 Njengoba uSawule ayeza ngakolunye uhlangothi lwentaba, uDavide namadoda ayekanye naye babekolunye uhlangothi lwentaba. UDavide wayeshesha ebalekela uSawule, + kodwa uSawule namadoda ayekanye naye babeya ngokuya besondela kuDavide namadoda ayekanye naye ukuze bababambe. + 27 Kodwa kwafika isithunywa kuSawule, sathi: “Phuthuma, amaFilisti alithelekele izwe!” 28 Ngakho uSawule wayeka ukujaha uDavide + wahamba wayolwa namaFilisti. Kungaleso sizathu leyo ndawo yaqanjwa ngokuthi iDwala Lokwahlukana.

29 Ngemva kwalokho uDavide wasuka lapho wakhuphuka wayohlala ezindaweni okunzima ukuzifinyelela e-Eni-gedi. +