1 USamuyeli 18 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UDavida uthandwa nguJonathani, uzondwa nguSawuli

¹ Kwathi eseqedile ukukhuluma loSawuli, inhliziyo kaJonathani yanamathela kwekaDavida; uJonathani wamthanda njengoba ezithanda yena.

² USawuli wamthatha ngalolosuku, kaze amvumela ukubuyela emzini kayise.

³ UJonathani wasesenza isivumelwano loDavida ngoba wayemthanda njengoba ezithanda yena.

⁴ UJonathani wakhumula isigqoko ayesigqokile, wasinika uDavida, wamnika lebhatshi lakhe, kanye lomhedla wakhe lomtshoko wakhe lebhanti lakhe.

⁵ UDavida waphuma, waphumelela kuzo zonke indawo lapho uSawuli amthuma khona, uSawuli waze wambeka waba yinduna yempi. Lokhu kwaba kuhle ebantwini bonke lezincekwini zikaSawuli.

⁶ Kwathi ekubuyeni kwabo ekhaya, uDavida esevela ukubulala umFilistiya, abesifazana baphuma kuyo yonke imizi yakoIsrayeli ukuba bahlangabeze inkosi uSawuli ngokuthokoza, behlabela, begida, betshaya izigubhu lamachacho.

⁷ Abesifazana labo bajabula bahlabela besithi: USawuli ubulele izinkulungwane, kodwa uDavida ubulele inkulungwane ezingamatshumi.

⁸ USawuli wathukuthela kakhulu, lawomazwi kawamthokozisanga; wasesithi: Banike uDavida inkulungwane ezingamatshumi, mina banginika izinkulungwane nje, usesalelwe ngumbuso kuphela.

⁹ USawuli wamkhangela ngelihlo elibi uDavida kusukela kulolosuku kusiya phambili.

¹⁰ Kwathi kusisa umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu wamehlela uSawuli, wahlanya endlini; uDavida wayetshaya ichacho njengokwenza kwakhe insuku ngensuku. USawuli wayephethe umkhonto,

¹¹ wawuphosa umkhonto ngoba wathi: Ngizambandakanya lomduli uDavida. Kodwa uDavida wavika kabili.

¹² USawuli wayemesaba uDavida ngoba iNkosi yayilaye, kodwa yayisisukile kuSawuli.

¹³ Ngakhoke uSawuli wasemsusa kuye, wambeka waba yinduna yamabutho ayinkulungwane; waye wahola ekulweni.

¹⁴ UDavida waphumelela kukho konke ayekwenza, ngoba iNkosi yayilaye.

¹⁵ Lapho uSawuli ebona ukuba uDavida uyaphumelela, wamesaba kakhulu.

¹⁶ Kodwa wonke uIsrayeli loJuda bamthanda uDavida, ngoba wayebahola ekulweni.

¹⁷ USawuli wasesithi kuDavida: Nansi indodakazi yami endala uMerabi; ngizakukunika yona ibe ngumkakho; wena uzangilwela ngobuqhawe ezimpini zeNkosi uNkulunkulu. Ngoba uSawuli wafisa ukuba uDavida abulawe ngamaFilistiya, angabulawa nguye.

¹⁸ Kodwa uDavida wathi: Ngingubani mina na? Abakithi bayini, lendlu kababa iyini koIsrayeli, ukuba ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi na?

¹⁹ Kodwa kwathi ngesikhathi uMerabi indodakazi kaSawuli ayefanele ukunikwa ngaso uDavida abe ngumkakhe wayesenikwe uAdriyeli waseMehola waba ngumkakhe.

²⁰ UMikhali indodakazi kaSawuli wayemthanda uDavida; bamtshela uSawuli, lokho kwamthokozisa.

²¹ USawuli wasesithi: Ngizamnika yena ukuba abe ngumjibila wokumdonsela ekubulaweni ngamaFilistiya. Ngakho uSawuli wasesithi kuDavida ngokwesibili: Usuzakuba ngumkhwenyana wami.

²² USawuli waselaya inceku zakhe wathi: Khulumani loDavida ngensitha lithi: Inkosi iyakuthanda, lazo zonke inceku zayo ziyakuthanda; ngakho woba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi.

²³ Inceku zikaSawuli zakhuluma lawomazwi kuDavida. UDavida wathi: Kubonakala kuyinto elula yini kini ukuba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, lokhu mina ngingumuntu ongumyanga lodelelekileyo na?

²⁴ Inceku zikaSawuli zamtshela okutshiwo nguDavida.

²⁵ USawuli wasesithi: Alibomtshela uDavida lithi: Inkosi kayifuni malobolo, kuphela amajwabu alikhulu amaFilistiya ukuba kuphindiselwe ezitheni zenkosi. USawuli wayefuna ukumbulalisa ngamaFilistiya uDavida.

²⁶ Inceku zikaSawuli zamtshela uDavida lawomazwi; kwamthokozisa uDavida ukuba abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. Kodwa insuku zingakapheleli,

²⁷ uDavida wasuka kanye labantu bakhe, wayabulala amaFilistiya angamakhulu amabili. Wabuya lamajwabu awo, wawesa enkosini ephelele ukuze abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. USawuli wamnika indodakazi yakhe uMikhali ukuba ibe ngumkakhe.

²⁸ Lapho uSawuli ebona ukuthi iNkosi iloDavida, lokuthi uIsrayeli wonke wayemthanda uDavida,

²⁹ uSawuli wamesaba kakhulu, waba yisitha sakhe sonke isikhathi.

³⁰ Izikhulu zamaFilistiya zaziphuma ukuya empini; izikhathi zonke nxa ziphuma, uDavida wayephumelela ukwedlula zonke inceku zikaSawuli, laze laduma kakhulu ibizo lakhe.