Eyokuqala KaSamuweli

25 Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uSamuweli + wafa; wonke u-Israyeli waqoqana ukuze umlilele, umngcwabe emzini wakhe eRama. + Ngemva kwalokho, uDavide wasuka wehlela ehlane lasePharanu.

2 Kwakukhona umuntu othile eMawoni + owayenemfuyo eKarmeli. *+ Lo muntu wayecebe kakhulu; wayenezimvu ezingu-3 000 nezimbuzi ezingu-1 000, ngaleso sikhathi wayegunda izimvu zakhe eKarmeli. 3 Igama lale ndoda kwakunguNabali, + igama lomkayo kungu-Abhigayili. + Inkosikazi yayikhaliphile futhi iyinhle, kodwa indoda, eyayingumKalebi, + yayinokhahlo nemikhuba emibi. + 4 UDavide wezwa esehlane ukuthi uNabali ugunda izimvu zakhe. 5 Ngakho uDavide wathuma izinsizwa eziyishumi ukuba ziye kuye, wathi kuzo: “Hambani niye eKarmeli, nifike kuNabali ningibuzele ngenhlalakahle yakhe. 6 Nithi kuye, ‘Kwangathi ungaba nokuthula* wena nendlu yakho nakho konke onakho. 7 Ngizwile ukuthi ugunda izimvu. Ngesikhathi abelusi bakho bekanye nathi, asibalimazanga, + futhi abalahlekelwanga yilutho sonke isikhathi beseKarmeli. 8 Buza izinsizwa zakho, zizokutshela. Kwangathi izinsizwa zami zingathola umusa emehlweni akho, ngoba sifike ngesikhathi esimnandi.* Ngicela uphe izinceku zakho nendodana yakho uDavide noma yini ongasipha yona.’ ” +

9 Ngakho izinsizwa zikaDavide zahamba zafike zatshela uNabali konke uDavide ayezithume kona. Lapho ziqeda, 10 uNabali waziphendula izinceku zikaDavide wathi: “Ucabanga ukuthi ungubani uDavide indodana kaJese ukuba mina ngizwe ngaye? Kulezi zinsuku ziningi izinceku ezeqayo emakhosini azo. + 11 Ingabe kumele ngithathe isinkwa sami, amanzi ami nenyama engiyihlabele abagundi bezimvu zami ngikunike abantu engingazi nokuthi bavelaphi?”

12 Lapho zizwa lokho, izinsizwa zikaDavide zaphindela emuva zafike zambikela wonke la mazwi. 13 Ngokushesha uDavide wathi emadodeni ayekanye naye: “Nonke gaxani izinkemba zenu!” + Ngakho bonke bagaxa izinkemba zabo, noDavide naye wagaxa inkemba yakhe, amadoda angaba ngu-400 akhuphuka noDavide, kuyilapho angu-200 esele nemithwalo.

14 Phakathi naleso sikhathi, enye yezinceku yabikela u-Abhigayili, umkaNabali, yathi: “UDavide uthume izithunywa esehlane efisela inkosi yethu okuhle, kodwa yona izithethisile yazithuka. + 15 Lawaya madoda asiphatha kahle kakhulu. Awasilimazanga, futhi asilahlekelwanga ngisho nayinto eyodwa zonke izinsuku esazichitha nawo endle. + 16 Aba njengodonga olubiyele nxazonke zethu ubusuku nemini, zonke izinsuku sikanye nawo seluse umhlambi. 17 Manje nquma ukuthi uzokwenzenjani, ngoba inkosi yethu nayo yonke indlu + yayo inqunyelwe inhlekelele, futhi ingumuntu ongelusizo lwalutho + ukuba kungakhulunywa nayo.”

18 Ngakho u-Abhigayili + waphuthuma wathatha izinkwa ezingu-200, imiphongolo emibili yewayini, izimvu ezinhlanu ezihlatshiwe, amaseya* amahlanu okudla okugazingiwe, amakhekhe amagilebhisi omisiwe angu-100 namakhekhe amakhiwane agxishiwe angu-200 wakulayisha ezimbongolweni. + 19 Ngemva kwalokho wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Hambani phambili, ngizonilandela.” Kodwa akashongo lutho kumyeni wakhe uNabali.

20 Kwathi esagibele imbongolo futhi ehla esithwe yintaba, kwaqhamuka uDavide namadoda ayekanye naye behla beza ngakuye, wahlangana nabo. 21 UDavide wayelokhu ecabanga ethi: “Ngizigadele ubala zonke izinto zalo muntu ehlane. Akulahlekanga ngisho neyodwa kuzo zonke izinto zakhe, + kodwa yena ungibuyisela okubi ngokuhle engimenzele kona. + 22 Kwangathi uNkulunkulu angazijezisa izitha zikaDavide* uma ngingashiya ngisho nowesilisa oyedwa* walo muntu ephila kuze kube sekuseni.”

23 Lapho u-Abhigayili ebona uDavide, wehla ngokushesha embongolweni waguqa phambi kukaDavide wakhothama. 24 Waguqa ngasezinyaweni zakhe wayesethi: “Nkosi yami, ngicela usole mina ngalokhu okwenzekile; ngicela uvumele incekukazi yakho ikhulume nawe, ulalele amazwi encekukazi yakho. 25 Ngicela inkosi yami ingayinaki le ndoda engelusizo lwalutho uNabali, + ngoba iyafana negama layo. Igama layo uNabali,* futhi ayinangqondo. Kodwa mina ncekukazi yakho, angizibonanga izinsizwa zenkosi yami obuzithumile. 26 Manje, nkosi yami, ngiyafunga phambi kukaJehova naphambi kwakho, nguJehova okunqandile + ukuba ungangeni ecaleni legazi + nokuba ungaziphindiseleli* ngesandla sakho. Kwangathi izitha zakho nalabo abafuna ukulimaza inkosi yami bangaba njengoNabali. 27 Nasi isipho *+ esilethwe yincekukazi yakho enkosini yami, masinikwe izinsizwa ezilandela inkosi yami. + 28 Ngicela uthethelele incekukazi yakho, ngoba nakanjani uJehova uyokwenza inzalo yakho ibuse isikhathi eside, + ngoba inkosi yami ilwa izimpi zikaJehova; + akukho bubi obutholakele kuwe zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakho. + 29 Lapho umuntu esukuma ukuze akujahe efuna ukuphila kwakho, uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho uyokuvikela njengalapho umuntu evikela izinto zakhe eziyigugu ezifakwe esikhwameni, kodwa ukuphila kwezitha zakho uyokujikijela njengamatshe ajikijelwa ngendwayimane. 30 Lapho uJehova eseyenzele inkosi yami konke okuhle akuthembisile, nalapho ekubeka ukuba ube umholi kwa-Israyeli, + 31 ngeke udabuke noma uzisole* enhliziyweni yakho ngokuchitha igazi ngaphandle kwesizathu nangokuvumela isandla senkosi yami ukuba siziphindiselele. *+ Lapho uJehova eyenzela okuhle inkosi yami, uyikhumbule incekukazi yakho.”

32 Lapho uDavide ezwa lokhu wathi ku-Abhigayili: “Makadunyiswe uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, okuthumile ukuba ungihlangabeze namuhla! 33 Kwangathi uNkulunkulu angakubusisa ngokuhlakanipha kwakho! Kwangathi ungabusiswa ngokungivimbela ekubeni necala legazi + namuhla nokuba ngiziphindiselele* ngezandla zami. 34 Ngaphandle kwalokho, ngimfunge uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, onginqandile ukuba ngingakulimazi, + ukube awuphuthumanga wazongihlangabeza, + bekuyothi kusa kube kungasekho ngisho nendoda* eyodwa ephilayo emadodeni kaNabali.” + 35 Ngakho uDavide wamukela izinto ayemlethele zona, wayesethi kuye: “Khuphuka uye endlini yakho ngokuthula. Ngikuzwile futhi ngizokwenzela lokho okucelayo.”

36 Kamuva u-Abhigayili wabuyela kuNabali, owayenze isiphihli sedili endlini yakhe. UNabali wayeneme,* edakwe ephelile. U-Abhigayili akamtshelanga lutho kwaze kwaba sekuseni. 37 Ekuseni, lapho sebusile utshwala kuNabali, umkakhe wamtshela lezi zinto. Inhliziyo yakhe yaba ndikindiki, akabange esakwazi kwenza lutho, waqina njengetshe. 38 Ngemva kwezinsuku ezingaba yishumi, uJehova wamshaya uNabali, wafa.

39 Lapho uDavide ezwa ukuthi uNabali ufile, wathi: “Makadunyiswe uJehova, owahlulele + uNabali + ngokungithuka kwakhe nonqande inceku yakhe ukuba ingenzi lutho olubi, + futhi uJehova ubuyisele ububi bukaNabali ekhanda lakhe!” UDavide wabe esethumela izwi wacela u-Abhigayili ukuba abe ngumkakhe. 40 Ngakho izinceku zikaDavide zafika ku-Abhigayili eKarmeli zathi kuye: “UDavide usithume kuwe ukuba sizokulanda uzoba ngumkakhe.” 41 Ngokushesha wasukuma wakhothama ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi wathi: “Isigqilakazi sakho sizimisele ukuba yincekukazi egeza izinyawo + zezinceku zenkosi yami.” 42 Ngemva kwalokho u-Abhigayili + waphakama ngokushesha wagibela imbongolo, izincekukazi zakhe ezinhlanu zamlandela; wahamba nezithunywa zikaDavide, waba ngumkakhe.

43 UDavide wayeshade nano-Ahinohama + waseJizreyeli, + bobabili laba besifazane baba abafazi bakhe. +

44 Kodwa uMikhali, + umkaDavide, uSawule uyise wayesemthathile wamnika uPhaliti + indodana kaLayishi owayengowaseGalimi.