Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli

17 Amabutho amaFilisti+ aqoqana ukuze aye empini. Abuthana eSokho+ yakoJuda, asemisa inkamba yawo e-Efesi-damimi+ phakathi kweSokho le-Azekha.+ 2 USawuli lamadoda ako-Israyeli labo babuthana bamisa inkamba yabo esigodini se-Ela.+ Bama ngezindawo zabo balungela ukudibana lamaFilisti. 3 AmaFilisti ayesentabeni eyayikwelinye icele, ama-Israyeli wona esentabeni ekwelinye icele, kulesigodi phakathi kwabo.

4 Kwaphuma iqhawe okwakuthiwa nguGoliyathi+ enkambeni yamaFilisti. Lalidabuka eGathi+ futhi ubude balo babuzingalo eziyisithupha lobubanzi besandla.* 5 UGoliyathi wayelengwane yekhopha ekhanda futhi egqoke ijazi elalenziwe ngensimbi zekhopha ezazelekene. Ijazi lakhe lensimbi+ lalilesisindo esingamashekheli angu-5 000.* 6 Emibaleni yakhe wayegqoke okokuzivikela okwenziwe ngekhopha,* emhlane egaxe umkhonto+ wekhopha. 7 Uluthi lomkhonto wakhe lwalunjengesigodo somaluki+ futhi isihloko sawo sasilesisindo esingamashekheli angu-600.* Umphathi wehawu lakhe wayehamba phambi kwakhe. 8 UGoliyathi wama wamemeza amabutho ako-Israyeli+ wathi: “Kungani libuye ukuzokulwa lathi? Mina ngiliqhawe lamaFilisti, lina liyizinceku zikaSawuli. Khethani indoda ezabuya izokulwa lami. 9 Nxa ingalwa lami ingibulale sizakuba zinceku zenu, kodwa nxa ngingayehlula ngiyibulale, yini elizakuba zinceku zethu lisisebenzele.” 10 UmFilisti waqhubeka wathi: “Ngiyaleyisa ibutho lako-Israyeli+ lamuhla. Ngiphani umuntu engizakulwa laye!”

11 USawuli labo bonke abako-Israyeli bathi besizwa amazwi omFilisti besaba bathuthumela.

12 UDavida wayeyindodana kaJese wase-Efratha,+ eBhethilehema+ yakoJuda. UJese+ wayelamadodana angu-8+ futhi ngensuku zikaSawuli wayesegugile. 13 Amadodana kaJese amathathu amadala ayehambe loSawuli empini.+ Izibulo kwakungu-Eliyabi,+ eyesibili kungu-Abhinadabi,+ eyesithathu kunguShama.+ 14 UDavida nguye owayemncane.+ Amadodana amadala kaJese yiwo ayehambe loSawuli.

15 UDavida wayeke asuke kuSawuli ayekwelusa izimvu+ zikayise eBhethilehema aphinde abuyele. 16 Ngalezonsuku umFilisti wayebuya ekuseni lantambama azokuma enkundleni yempi. Lokhu wakwenza okwamalanga angu-40.

17 UJese wathi kuDavida indodana yakhe: “Ngicela uthathe i-efa* yamabele akhanzingiweyo lezinkwa lezi ezilitshumi uhambe lazo kubafowenu enkambeni. 18 Thatha lezigaqa lezi zetshizi ezilitshumi uyenika induna yenkulungwane. Kumele ufike ubuze ukuthi abafowenu banjani ubusubuya lesiqinisekiso sokuthi bayaphila.” 19 Abafowabo babeloSawuli lamadoda ako-Israyeli esigodini se-Ela,+ besilwa lamaFilisti.+

20 UDavida wavuka kusesele wacela omunye umuntu ukuthi amkhangelele izimvu, wasethatha lokho ayezahamba lakho wangena indlela njengoba nje uyise wayetshilo. Wathi efika wathola ibutho liphuma enkambeni lisiya enkundleni yempi livungama. 21 Amabutho ako-Israyeli lawamaFilisti ama ngezindawo zawo ajamelana. 22 UDavida wahle watshiya konke ayekuthwele kulowo owayegcina impahla wagijima waya enkundleni yempi, wafika wabuza ukuthi abafowabo banjani.+

23 Wathi elokhu esakhuluma kwathutsha iqhawe lamaFilisti okwakuthiwa nguGoliyathi+ elalidabuka eGathi. UGoliyathi waphuma emabuthweni amaFilisti wakhuluma amazwi ayeke wawatsho,+ uDavida wamuzwa. 24 Wonke amadoda ako-Israyeli athi embona esaba ambalekela.+ 25 Amadoda ako-Israyeli ayesithi: “Kambe liyayibona indoda le elokhu ichothoza isizwe sakithi?+ Nxa kungaba lomuntu olwa layo ayibulale, inkosi izamupha inotho enengi, ize imuphe lendodakazi yayo.+ Izakuthi abemuli kayise bangaphindi babhadale imithelo njalo izabakhulula emisebenzini okumele yenzelwe inkosi.”

26 UDavida waqalisa ukukhuluma lamadoda ayemi eduze kwakhe wathi: “Uzakwenzelwani umuntu ozabulala umFilisti lo asuse ihlazo ko-Israyeli? Ungubani umFilisti lo ongasokanga ukuthi usengaze achothoze ibutho likaNkulunkulu ophilayo?”+ 27 Abantu baphinda bamtshela lokho ababemtshele khona, bathi: “Lokhu yikho okuzakwenzelwa umuntu obulala indoda le.” 28 Umnewabo omdala u-Eliyabi+ uthe emuzwa ekhuluma lamadoda ayelapho wazonda wathi kuye: “Ulandeni lapha? Izimvu leziyana ezilutshwana uzitshiye lobani egangeni?+ Ngikwazi kuhle ukuthi uyaziphakamisa lokuthi inhliziyo yakho imbi. Ulande ukuzobona ukuthi impi ihamba njani kuphela.” 29 UDavida waphendula wathi: “Kanti sengenzeni? Bengibuza nje kuphela.” 30 Watshibilika waya komunye wambuza umbuzo ofananayo.+ Abantu bamtshela lokho ababemtshele khona ekuqaliseni.+

31 Labanye bakuzwa lokho uDavida ayekutsho basebebikela uSawuli. Ngakho uSawuli wathi kayebizwa. 32 UDavida wathi kuSawuli: “Akungabi lomuntu omesabayo umFilisti lo. Inceku yakho izahamba iyekulwa laye.”+ 33 Kodwa uSawuli wathi kuDavida: “Ngeke wenelise ukulwa lomFilisti lo ngoba wena usesengumfanyana+ nje, kodwa yena ubesilwa izimpi kusukela eseselijaha.” 34 UDavida wasesithi kuSawuli: “Mina nceku yakho ngathi ngiselusa izimvu zikababa, kwathutsha isilwane+ sabamba imvu sahamba layo. Ngelinye ilanga kwafika ibhere lenza okufananayo. 35 Kokubili ngakulandela ngakutshaya ngathatha imvu eyayisemlonyeni wakho. Kwathi kungivukela ngakuxhakalaza ngoboya obusesilevini* ngakutshaya ngakubulala. 36 Inceku yakho yabulala isilwane lebhere. UmFilisti lo ongasokanga uzakuba njengakho ngoba uchothoze ibutho likaNkulunkulu ophilayo.”+ 37 UDavida waqhubeka wathi: “UJehova owangikhulula enzitsheni zesilwane lezebhere, nguye ozangikhulula esandleni somFilisti lo.”+ USawuli wasesithi kuDavida: “Hamba, uJehova abe lawe.”

38 USawuli wathatha izembatho zakhe wazigqokisa uDavida. Wamgqokisa lengwane yekhopha kanye lejazi lensimbi. 39 UDavida wabophela inkemba yakhe ezembathweni zakhe wazama ukuhamba kodwa wehluleka ngoba wayengazijayelanga izembatho lezi. UDavida wathi kuSawuli: “Angenelisi ukuhamba ngigqoke lokhu ngoba angikujayelanga.” Yikho uDavida wazikhipha izembatho lezi. 40 Wathatha intonga yakhe waya esifuleni wafika wakhetha amatshe amahlanu abutshelezi wawafaka esikhwameni sakhe sokwelusa, waselanda umFilisti ethwele isavutha sakhe+ ngesandla.

41 UmFilisti wayelokhu esondela kuDavida, umphathi wehawu lakhe ehamba phambi kwakhe. 42 UmFilisti wakhangela uDavida wameyisa ngoba wayengumfanyana omuhle futhi obomvana.+ 43 Ngakho umFilisti wathi kuDavida: “Kanti ngiyinja+ yini mina ukuthi usungangilanda uthwele okuyizigojwana?” UmFilisti wamqalekisa uDavida ngabonkulunkulu bakhe. 44 UmFilisti wathi kuDavida: “Buya lapha, inyama yakho ngizayinika inyoni zezulu lenyamazana zeganga.”

45 UDavida waphendula umFilisti wathi: “Wena uza kimi uphethe inkemba lomkhonto lejavelini,+ kodwa mina ngizokulwa lawe ngebizo likaJehova wamabutho,+ uNkulunkulu webutho lika-Israyeli oleyisayo.+ 46 Lamuhla uJehova uzakunikela esandleni sami+ njalo ngizakubulala ngikujuqule ikhanda. Ngalolusuku ngizanika inyoni zezulu lenyamazana zeganga izidumbu zamabutho wonke amaFilisti. Lapho-ke bonke abantu emhlabeni bazakwazi ukuthi ukhona uNkulunkulu ko-Israyeli.+ 47 Bonke ababuthene lapha bazakwazi ukuthi uJehova kasindisi ngenkemba loba ngomkhonto,+ ngoba impi ngekaJehova+ futhi lonke uzalinikela ezandleni zethu.”+

48 Ngakho umFilisti wamlanda uDavida, uDavida laye wagijima esiyadibana laye enkundleni yempi. 49 UDavida wafaka isandla esikhwameni sakhe wathatha ilitshe waliphosa ngesavutha sakhe, watshaya umFilisti esiphaqeni ilitshe latshona, wawa ngobuso.+ 50 UDavida wamehlula njalo umFilisti. Wamtshaya wamlahla phansi ngelitshe lesavutha wambulala, lanxa wayengathwalanga nkemba esandleni sakhe.+ 51 UDavida wagijima wafika wama phezu komFilisti, wahwatsha inkemba yomFilisti+ esikhwameni sayo wamjuqula ikhanda ukuze abe leqiniso lokuthi ufile. AmaFilisti athi ebona ukuthi iqhawe lawo selifile acela ezinyaweni.+

52 Amadoda ako-Israyeli lawakoJuda amemeza, asukela amaFilisti awaxotshanisa kusukela esigodini+ aze ayafika emagedini e-Ekhroni.+ Abulala amaFilisti awatshiya ethe daca phansi emgwaqweni, kusukela eSharayimi+ kwaze kwayafika eGathi lase-Ekhroni. 53 Ngemva kokuxotshanisa amaFilisti, abako-Israyeli babuyela bafika babutha zonke izinto ezazisenkambeni yamaFilisti.

54 UDavida wathatha ikhanda lomFilisti waya lalo eJerusalema, kodwa izikhali zomFilisti wazibeka etendeni lakhe.+

55 Ngesikhathi uSawuli ebona uDavida elanda umFilisti, wabuza u-Abhineri+ induna yebutho wathi: “Umfana lo ngumntakabani+ Abhineri?” U-Abhineri waphendula wathi: “Ngiyafunga phambi kwakho nkosi,* angikwazi.” 56 Inkosi yasisithi: “Akudinge ukuthi umfana lo ngumntakabani.” 57 Yikho uDavida wathi esevela bulala umFilisti, u-Abhineri wamthatha wahamba laye kuSawuli ethwele ikhanda lomFilisti+ esandleni sakhe. 58 USawuli wathi kuDavida: “Ungumntakabani wena mfana?” UDavida wasephendula wathi: “Ngiyindodana yenceku yakho uJese+ waseBhethilehema.”+