1 Samuweli 18 - IBHAYIBHELI ELINGCWELE

UDavide uthandwa nguJonathani, uzondwa nguSawule

¹ Kwathi eseqedile ukukhuluma kuSawule, inhliziyo kaJonathani yanamathela enhliziyweni kaDavide, uJonathani wamthanda njengenhliziyo yakhe.

² USawule wamthatha ngalolo suku, akabe esamvumela ukubuyela endlini kayise.

³ OJonathani noDavide benza isivumelwano, ngokuba wamthanda njengenhliziyo yakhe.

⁴ UJonathani wakhumula ingubo ayenayo, wayinika uDavide, nezinye izambatho zakhe kwaze kwaba nenkemba yakhe, nomnsalo wakhe, nebhande* lakhe.

⁵ UDavide waphuma, waya nomaphi lapho uSawule emthuma khona, waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha; uSawule wambeka phezu kwamadoda empi; wayemuhle emehlweni abantu bonke nasemehlweni ezinceku zikaSawule.

⁶ Kwathi ekufikeni kwabo, uDavide esebuya ekubulaleni umFilisti, abesifazane baphuma emizini yonke yakwa-Israyeli, behlabelela besina, ukuba bamhlangabeze uSawule inkosi ngezigubhu, nangokuthokoza, nangezinkenenezo.

⁷ Abesifazane bavumelana ngokudlala, bathi: “USawule ubulele izinkulungwane zakhe, kepha uDavide izinkulungwane zakhe eziyishumi.”

⁸ USawule wathukuthela kakhulu, laba libi lelo zwi emehlweni akhe; wathi: “Bamnike uDavide izinkulungwane eziyishumi, kepha mina banginike izinkulungwane nje; sekumsalele umbuso kuphela.”

⁹ USawule wambheka uDavide kusukela kulolo suku kuya phambili.

¹⁰ Kwathi ngangomuso umoya omubi owavela kuNkulunkulu wamehlela uSawule, wabheva phakathi kwendlu; uDavide wayebetha ngesandla sakhe njengokwenza kwakhe izinsuku ngezinsuku; uSawule wayenomkhonto wakhe esandleni sakhe.

¹¹ USawule wawuciba umkhonto, ngokuba wathi: “Ngiyakumbhujela uDavide odongeni.” Kepha uDavide washalaza phambi kwakhe kabili.

¹² USawule wamesaba uDavide, ngokuba uJehova wayenaye, kepha wayesukile kuSawule.

¹³ Ngalokho uSawule wamsusa kuye, wambeka abe yinduna yakhe yenkulungwane; wayephuma engena phambi kwabantu.

¹⁴ UDavide waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha kuzo zonke izindlela zakhe; uJehova wayenaye.

¹⁵ Lapho uSawule ebona ukuthi waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha, wamesaba.

¹⁶ Kepha wonke u-Israyeli noJuda bamthanda uDavide, ngokuba wayephuma engena phambi kwabo.

UDavide umkhwenyana wenkosi

¹⁷ USawule wathi kuDavide: “Bheka, indodakazi yami enkulu uMerabi ngiyakukunika yona ibe ngumkakho; yiba yiqhawe lami kuphela, ulwe izimpi zikaJehova.” Ngokuba uSawule wathi: “Isandla sami masingabi phezu kwakhe, kepha isandla samaFilisti masibe phezu kwakhe.”

¹⁸ UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Mina ngingubani, kuyini ukuphila kwami, nomndeni kababa uyini kwa-Israyeli ukuba ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi?”

¹⁹ Kepha kwathi ngesikhathi uMerabi indodakazi kaSawule ebeyakunikwa uDavide, wanikwa ku-Adriyeli waseMehola abe ngumkakhe.

²⁰ UMikhali indodakazi kaSawule wamthanda uDavide; bamtshela uSawule, kwaba kuhle emehlweni akhe.

²¹ Wayesethi uSawule: “Ngiyakumnika yena ukuba abe lugibe kuye, isandla samaFilisti sibe phezu kwakhe.” Ngalokho uSawule wathi kuDavide: “Uyakuba ngumkhwenyana wami ngokwesibili namuhla.”

²² USawule wayaleza izinceku zakhe ngokuthi: “Khulumani noDavide ngasese, nithi: ‘Bheka, inkosi yenamile ngawe, nazo zonke izinceku zayo ziyakuthanda; ngalokho yiba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi.’ ”

²³ Izinceku zikaSawule zakhuluma lawo mazwi ezindlebeni zikaDavide. UDavide wathi: “Kuyinto elula emehlweni enu ukuba ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, lokhu ngingumuntu ompofu nodelelikileyo na?”

²⁴ Izinceku zikaSawule zamtshela zathi: “Wakhuluma kanjalo uDavide.”

²⁵ USawule wathi: “Niyakusho kanje kuDavide, nithi: ‘Inkosi ayifuni ilobolo, kuphela amajwabu ayikhulu amaFilisti ukuba kuphindiswe ezitheni zenkosi.’ ” USawule wacabanga ukumwisa uDavide ngesandla samaFilisti.

²⁶ Izinceku zakhe zamtshela uDavide lawo mazwi, kwaba kuhle emehlweni kaDavide ukuba abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, kepha izinsuku zazingakapheleli;

²⁷ uDavide wasuka waya, yena nabantu bakhe, wabulala kuwo amaFilisti abantu abangamakhulu amabili; uDavide waletha amajwabu abo, bawayisa enkosini ephelele ukuba abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. USawule wayesemnika uMikhali indodakazi yakhe abe ngumkakhe.

²⁸ USawule wabona, wazi ukuthi uJehova unoDavide; uMikhali indodakazi kaSawule wamthanda.

²⁹ USawule wayesemesaba uDavide kakhulu; uSawule wayeyisitha sikaDavide sonke isikhathi.

³⁰ Kwase kuphuma izikhulu zamaFilisti; kwathi njalo uma zisaphuma, uDavide waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha kakhulu kunazo zonke izinceku zikaSawule, laze laduma kakhulu igama lakhe.