Eyokuqala KaSamuweli

15 USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “UJehova wangithuma ukuba ngikugcobe njengenkosi phezu kwabantu bakhe u-Israyeli; + manje lalela izwi likaJehova. + 2 Yilokhu uJehova wamabutho akushoyo: ‘Ngizowajezisa ama-Amaleki ngenxa yalokho akwenza ku-Israyeli lapho emelana naye endleleni ngesikhathi ephuma eGibhithe. + 3 Manje hamba uyobulala ama-Amaleki, + uwabhubhise + kanye nakho konke anakho. Ungawayeki;* kumele ubulale + indoda kanye nowesifazane, umntwana kanye nosana, inkomo kanye nemvu, ikamela kanye nembongolo.’ ” + 4 USawule wabiza abantu wababala eThelayimi: Kwakunamasosha ayimigundatshani angu-200 000 namadoda akwaJuda angu-10 000. +

5 USawule wahamba waze wafika edolobheni lama-Amaleki, wabeka abaqamekeli ngasesigodini.* 6 USawule wayesethi kumaKheni: + “Hambani, sukani phakathi kwama-Amaleki, ukuze nginganikhukhuli kanye nawo. + Ngoba nabonisa uthando oluqotho kuwo wonke ama-Israyeli ngesikhathi ephuma eGibhithe.” + Ngakho amaKheni asuka phakathi kwa-Amaleki. 7 Ngemva kwalokho uSawule wawabulala ama-Amaleki + kusukela eHavila + kuze kufike eShuri, + eliseduze kweGibhithe. 8 Wambamba ephila u-Agagi + inkosi yama-Amaleki, kodwa bonke abanye abantu wabaqothula ngenkemba. + 9 Nokho, uSawule nabantu abambulalanga* u-Agagi kanye nomhlambi wezimvu nowezimbuzi ongcono kunayo yonke, umhlambi wezinkomo ezinonile, izinqama nakho konke okwakukuhle. + Abafunanga ukukubhubhisa. Kodwa zonke izinto ezazidelelekile nezazingafunwa muntu bazibhubhisa.

10 Izwi likaJehova lafika kuSamuweli, lathi: 11 “Ngiyazisola* ngokuthi ngibeke uSawule waba yinkosi, ngoba uyekile ukungilandela, akawafezanga amazwi ami.” + USamuweli wakhathazeka kakhulu, wayelokhu ekhala kuJehova ubusuku bonke. + 12 Lapho uSamuweli evuka ekuseni ukuze ahlangane noSawule, uSamuweli wabikelwa kwathiwa: “USawule uye eKarmeli, + wafike wazimisela itshe eliyisikhumbuzo. + Ngemva kwalokho usukile wehlela eGiligali.” 13 Ekugcineni lapho uSamuweli efika kuSawule, uSawule wathi kuye: “Kwangathi uJehova angakubusisa. Ngikwenzile lokho uJehova akushilo.” 14 Kodwa uSamuweli wathi: “Pho owani lo msindo womhlambi wezimvu nowezimbuzi, kanye nomsindo wezinkomo engiwuzwayo?” + 15 USawule waphendula wathi: “Babuye nazo kuma-Amaleki, ngoba abantu abazibulalanga* izimvu nezimbuzi nezinkomo ezinhle kunazo zonke ukuze benze ngazo umhlatshelo oya kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho; kodwa konke okunye sikubhubhisile.” 16 USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Yima-ke! Awuthi ngikutshele lokho uJehova akusho kimi izolo ebusuku.” + Ngakho wathi kuye: “Khuluma!”

17 USamuweli wathi: “Wawungaziboni yini ungelutho + lapho wenziwa inhloko yezizwe zakwa-Israyeli, nalapho uJehova ekugcoba ukuba ube yinkosi kwa-Israyeli? + 18 Kamuva uJehova wakuthuma wathi, ‘Hamba uyobhubhisa lezi zoni ezingama-Amaleki, + ulwe nazo uze uziqothule.’ + 19 Pho kungani ungalilalelanga izwi likaJehova? Kunalokho, ugijimele impango ngobugovu, + wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova!”

20 Nokho, uSawule wathi kuSamuweli: “Kodwa ngililalelile izwi likaJehova! Ngiyile lapho uJehova engithume khona, ngabuya no-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki, ngawaqothula ama-Amaleki. + 21 Kodwa abantu bathathe izimvu nezinkomo empangweni, okungcono kakhulu kulokho obekufanele kubhujiswe, ukuze benzele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho umhlatshelo eGiligali.” +

22 USamuweli wathi: “Ingabe uJehova ujabulela iminikelo eshiswayo nemihlatshelo + kunokulalelwa kwezwi likaJehova? Ukulalela kungcono kunomhlatshelo, + nokunakisisa kungcono kunamanoni + ezinqama; 23 ngoba ukudlubulunda + kuyafana nesono sokubhula, + nenkani iyafana nokwenza imilingo nokukhonza izithixo.* Ngenxa yokuthi awulilalelanga izwi likaJehova, + naye ukulahlile ukuba ungabe usaba yinkosi.” +

24 USawule wathi kuSamuweli: “Ngonile, ngiweqile umyalo kaJehova namazwi akho, ngoba ngesabe abantu ngalalela izwi labo. 25 Manje ngicela ungixolele ngesono engisenzile, ubuyele nami emuva ukuze ngikhothame kuJehova.” + 26 Kodwa uSamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Ngeke ngibuyele nawe emuva, ngoba awulilalelanga izwi likaJehova, noJehova usekulahlile ukuba ungabe usaqhubeka uyinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli.” + 27 Njengoba uSamuweli ayephenduka ukuze ahambe, uSawule wabamba umphetho wejazi lakhe elingenamikhono, lavele ladabuka. 28 USamuweli wayesethi kuye: “UJehova ubuhlwithile ubukhosi buka-Israyeli kuwe namuhla, uzobunika umuntu wakini ongcono kunawe. + 29 Ngaphezu kwalokho, uMhlonishwa ka-Israyeli + ngeke aqambe manga + noma ashintshe umqondo,* ngoba akayena umuntu ukuba kudingeke ashintshe umqondo.” *+

30 Wathi: “Ngonile. Kodwa ngicela ungangilahli phambi kwamadoda amadala abantu bami naphambi kuka-Israyeli. Buyela nami emuva ukuze ngikhothame kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho.” + 31 Ngakho uSamuweli wabuyela emuva noSawule, uSawule wakhothama kuJehova. 32 Ngemva kwalokho uSamuweli wathi: “Lethani u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki lapha kimi.” U-Agagi waya kuye emadolonzima,* ngoba u-Agagi wayelokhu ezitshela ethi: ‘Nakanjani angisekho engozini yokufa.’* 33 Nokho, uSamuweli wathi: “Njengoba nje inkemba yakho iphuce abesifazane izingane zabo, nonyoko uzoba sosizini lokufelwa ukwedlula bonke abanye besifazane.” Ngemva kwalokho uSamuweli wamhlahlela u-Agagi phambi kukaJehova eGiligali. +

34 USamuweli wahamba waya eRama, uSawule wakhuphukela emzini wakhe eGibheya likaSawule. 35 USamuweli waze wafa engaphindanga wambona uSawule, ngoba uSamuweli wezwa ubuhlungu ngoSawule. + UJehova yena wazisola ngokuthi wayebeke uSawule waba yinkosi kwa-Israyeli. +