1 USamuyeli 14 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Ubuqhawe bukaJonathani, lesono sakhe

¹ Ngolunye usuku uJonathani indodana kaSawuli wathi emfaneni ophatha izikhali zakhe: Woza siwelele ebuthweni lamaFilistiya elingaphetsheya. Kodwa kamtshelanga uyise.

² USawuli wayehlala emaphethelweni aseGibeya ngaphansi kwesihlahla sepomegranati esiseMigironi; abantu ababelaye babe ngamakhulu ayisithupha.

³ UAhija indodana kaAhitubi, umfowabo kaIkabodi indodana kaFiniyasi indodana kaEli, umpristi weNkosi eShilo, wayembethe ingubo yamahlombe. Abantu babengazi ukuba uJonathani uhambile.

⁴ Intuba uJonathani ayezama ukuwela ngayo ukuya ebuthweni lamaFilistiya yayiphahlwe ngamawa amabili alamadwala; elinye lalithiwa yiBozezi, elinye lithiwa yiSene.

⁵ Elinye iliwa lalimi ngasenyakatho ngaphambi kweMikimashi, elinye limi ngaseningizimu ngaphambi kweGeba.

⁶ UJonathani wathi emfaneni ophatha izikhali zakhe: Woza siwelele ebuthweni lalaba abangasokanga; engxenye iNkosi uNkulunkulu ingasisebenzela, ngoba kakukho okungayinqabela ukuba ikhulule ngabanengi loba ngabalutshwana.

⁷ Umphathi wezikhali zakhe wathi kuye: Yenza lokho okubonayo, mina ngilawe kukho konke okwenzayo.

⁸ UJonathani wasesithi: Kulungile, sizawela siye kulabobantu ukuze basibone.

⁹ Uba besithi kithi: Manini, size sifike kini; sizakumake endaweni yethu, singayi kibo.

¹⁰ Kodwa uba besithi: Wozani lapha; sizakuya, ngoba iNkosi ibanikele ezandleni zethu. Lokhu kuzakuba yisibonakaliso kithi.

¹¹ Ngakho bobabili bazibonakalisa ebuthweni lamaFilistiya; amaFilistiya athi: Khangelani, amaHeberu asephuma emilindini abecatshe kiyo.

¹² AmaFilistiya asememeza oJonathani lomphathi wezikhali zakhe athi: Wozani lapha, kukhona esizalitshengisa khona. UJonathani wasesithi kophatha izikhali zakhe: Ngilandela, ngoba iNkosi iwanikele esandleni sikaIsrayeli.

¹³ UJonathani wakhwela ngezandla lenyawo, lophethe izikhali zakhe wamlandela. Wawadilizela phansi amaFilistiya uJonathani, ophatha izikhali zakhe wamlandela ewabulala.

¹⁴ Ekuhlaseleni lokho kokuqala okwenziwa nguJonathani lomphathi wezikhali zakhe babulala abantu abangamatshumi amabili, endaweni elingana lengxenye yendima.

¹⁵ Kwaba khona ukuthuthumela ezihonqweni lasegangeni, lebantwini bonke; ibutho kanye labaphangi bathuthumela; umhlaba wanyikinyeka, kwaba lokuthuthumela okukhulu.

¹⁶ Abalindi bakaSawuli eGibeya elakoBenjamini babona ixuku lamaFilistiya liphithizela.

¹⁷ USawuli wasesithi ebantwini ababelaye: Balani abantu, libone ukuba ngubani ongekho. Kwathi sebebabalile kwafumaniseka ukuba uJonathani lomphathi wezikhali zakhe kabakho.

¹⁸ USawuli wasesithi kuAhija: Letha lapha ingubo yamahlombe. Ngoba ngalesosikhathi kwakunguAhija olengubo yamahlombe phambi kukaIsrayeli.

¹⁹ Kwathi uSawuli esakhuluma lompristi, umsindo owawusezihonqweni zamaFilistiya wakhula njalonjalo. USawuli wasesithi kumpristi: Yekela!

²⁰ USawuli labo bonke abantu ababelaye babuthana baya ekulweni, lapho bafumana khona izitha zabo zibulalana, kukhona isiyaluyalu esikhulu.

²¹ Kwathi amaHeberu ayekade elamaFilistiya kuqala, ayehlala lawo ezihonqweni, abuyela kwabakoIsrayeli ababeloSawuli loJonathani.

²² Njalo labantu bonke abakoIsrayeli ababecatshe ezintabeni zakoEfrayimi sebezwile ukuthi amaFilistiya ayabaleka, labo baxotshana lawo.

²³ INkosi uNkulunkulu yamkhulula uIsrayeli mhlalokho; ukulwa kwadlulela ngaphambi kweBeti‐Aveni.

²⁴ Abantu bakoIsrayeli bahlupheka ngalolosuku, ngoba uSawuli wafungisa abantu wathi: Kaqalekiswe umuntu odla ukudla kungakahlwi, ngingakaphindiseli ezitheni zami. Ngakho kakho umuntu owadlayo.

²⁵ Bonke abantu bafika ehlathini lapho kwakuloluju phansi.

²⁶ Lapho abantu bengena ehlathini babona uluju luthonta; kodwa kakho loyedwa owake waludla, ngoba babesesaba isifungo.

²⁷ Kodwa uJonathani wayengamzwanga uyise efungisa abantu; ngakho welula isihloko somqwayi owayewuphethe, wahlaba uhlanga lwenyosi, wafaka emlonyeni wakhe, amehlo akhe aqaqabuka.

²⁸ Omunye wabantu wasesithi: Uyihlo ubafungisile impela abantu wathi: Uqalekisiwe umuntu odla ukudla lamuhla. Abantu basebephele amandla.

²⁹ UJonathani wasesithi: Ubaba wehlisele inhlupheko enkulu elizweni; ake libone ukuthi amehlo ami aseqaqabukile kanjani, ngoba ngizwe ingcosana yoluju.

³⁰ Bekuzakuba ngcono kangakanani aluba abantu bebedlile lamuhla impango yezitha zabo abayifumanayo; bebezakuwabulala kakhulu amaFilistiya.

³¹ Bawabulala amaFilistiya ngalolosuku kusukela eMikimashi kwaze kwafika eAjaloni. Abantu basebelambe baze baphela amandla kakhulu.

³² Batheleka empangweni; bazithathela izimvu, lezinkabi, lamathole, bakubulala, bakudla kanye legazi.

³³ Basebemtshela uSawuli besithi: Khangela, abantu bayona eNkosini uNkulunkulu ngokudla okulegazi. USawuli wasememeza esithi: Lenze okubi; giqelani lapha kimi ilitshe elikhulu.

³⁴ Wasesithi: Hlakazekani phakathi kwabantu lithi kibo: Wonke umuntu kalethe inkabi yakhe lemvu yakhe lizihlabele lapha, lidle; lingoni eNkosini ngokudla okulegazi. Ngakho bonke baletha kwaba yilowo lalowo inkabi yakhe ngalobobusuku, bazihlaba khona.

³⁵ USawuli wayakhela iNkosi ialtare; kwakulialtare lokuqala alakhela iNkosi.

³⁶ USawuli wasesithi: Asihambeni silandele amaFilistiya ebusuku, siwahlasele kuze kuse, singatshiyi loyedwa kiwo. Bathi: Yenza lokho okubona kulungile. Kodwa umpristi wathi: Asisondeleni kuNkulunkulu khona lapha.

³⁷ USawuli wabuza kuNkulunkulu wathi: Ngixotshane lawo amaFilistiya na? Uzawanikela ezandleni zikaIsrayeli na? Kodwa kamphendulanga ngalolosuku.

³⁸ USawuli wasesithi: Sondelani lonke lina bakhokheli babantu, ukuze sibone ukuba lesisono sivele kanjani lamuhla.

³⁹ Ngoba ngifunga iNkosi ekhulula uIsrayeli, loba kunguJonathani indodana yami, uzakufa impela. Kodwa kakho loyedwa owamphendulayo.

⁴⁰ Wasesithi kuye wonke uIsrayeli: Buyelani nganxanye lina, mina loJonathani indodana yami sizabuyela nganxanye. Abantu bathi kuSawuli: Yenza lokho okubona kulungile.

⁴¹ Ngakho uSawuli wathi: Nkosi, Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, kungani ungayiphendulanga inceku yakho lamuhla? Uba isono sikimi kumbe kuJonathani indodana yami, Nkosi, Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, inkatho kayibe yiUrimi; kodwa uba isono sisebantwini bakoIsrayeli, inkatho kayibe yiThumimi. UJonathani loSawuli badliwa, kodwa abantu baphunyuka.

⁴² USawuli wasesithi: Yenzani inkatho phakathi kwami lendodana yami uJonathani. UJonathani wadliwa.

⁴³ USawuli wasesithi kuJonathani: Ngitshele okwenzileyo. UJonathani wasemtshela wathi: Nginambithe inyosi ngesihloko somqwayi ebengiwuphethe; kulungile ngingafa.

⁴⁴ USawuli wathi: UNkulunkulu angihlanekele impela ngokwengezelelweyo; uzakufa impela, Jonathani.

⁴⁵ Kodwa abantu basebesithi kuSawuli: Uzakufa yini uJonathani yena elethele uIsrayeli ukunqoba okungaka na? Atshi bo! Sifunga iNkosi, kakuyikuwela phansi lolulodwa unwele lwekhanda lakhe, ngoba usebenze loNkulunkulu lamuhla. Ngakho abantu bamhlenga ekufeni uJonathani.

⁴⁶ USawuli wayekela ukuxotshana lamaFilistiya; amaFilistiya abuyela endaweni yawo.

⁴⁷ Lapho uSawuli esebusa koIsraeli, walwa lezitha zakhe zonke inxa zonke, walwa lamaMowabi, lamaAmoni, lamaEdoma, lamakhosi aseZoba, lamaFilistiya; loba kungaphi lapho aphendukela khona wanqoba.

⁴⁸ Wenza ubuqhawe ngokunqoba amaAmaleki, wakhulula uIsrayeli ezandleni zabaphangi.

⁴⁹ Amadodana kaSawuli ayengoJonathani loIshivi, loMalikishuwa; amabizo amadodakazi akhe amabili yila, ibizo lenkulu lalinguMerabi, ibizo lencinyane linguMikhali.

⁵⁰ Ibizo lomkaSawuli lalinguAhinowama indodakazi kaAhimazi. Ibizo lenduna yempi yakhe lalinguAbineri indodana kaNeri, uyise omncinyane kaSawuli.

⁵¹ UKishi uyise kaSawuli, loNeri uyise kaAbineri, babengamadodana kaAbiyeli.

⁵² Kwakukhona ukulwa okunzima lamaFilistiya zonke insuku zikaSawuli; kwakuthi uSawuli ebona indoda elamandla loba eliqhawe, ayifake ebuthweni lakhe.