Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli
19 Ngemva kwesikhathi uSawuli wakhuluma loJonathani lezinceku zakhe ngokuthi uDavida kumele abulawe.+ 2 Kodwa uJonathani indodana kaSawuli wayemthanda kakhulu uDavida,+ yikho wamtshela wathi: “Ubaba ufuna ubulawe, yikho wena nanzelela uvuke ekuseni uyecatsha endaweni esithekileyo. 3 Mina ngizaphuma ngiyekuma lobaba egangeni duze lalapho oyabe ucatshe khona. Ngizakukhulumela kubaba besengibuya ngizokutshela loba yini engiyabe ngiyizwile.”+
4 UJonathani wakhuluma kuhle ngoDavida+ kuyise uSawuli. Wathi: “Nkosi, akumelanga wenze okubi kuDavida inceku yakho ngoba konanga lutho njalo konke akwenzele khona kukuncedile. 5 Wafaka impilo yakhe engozini wabulala umFilisti+ njalo uJehova wenza bonke abantu bako-Israyeli banqoba. Wathi ukubona lokhu wathokoza kakhulu. Manje kungani kumele wenze isono ubulale uDavida yena engelacala?”+ 6 USawuli wamlalela uJonathani, wasefunga wathi: “Ngifunga ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ophilayo, kasoze abulawe.” 7 Ngakho uJonathani wabiza uDavida wamtshela konke lokhu, wasemthatha wamhambisa kuSawuli. UDavida waqhubeka esebenzela uSawuli njengakuqala.+
8 Ngemva kwesikhathi kwaphinda kwaba lempi, uDavida wasephuma wayakulwa lamaFilisti wabulala amanengi kakhulu futhi amaFilisti ambalekela.
9 UJehova wavumela ukuthi uSawuli ahlutshwe yimicabango yakhe+ ngesikhathi ehlezi endlini yakhe ephethe umkhonto. Ngalesosikhathi uDavida wayetshaya ihabhu.*+ 10 USawuli wazama ukuthi agwaze uDavida amhlanganise lomduli, kodwa uDavida wavika, umkhonto wayahlaba emdulini. Ngalobobusuku uDavida wabaleka. 11 USawuli wathuma izithunywa ukuthi ziyelinda indlu kaDavida zimbulale ekuseni.+ Kodwa uMikhali inkosikazi kaDavida wamtshela wathi: “Nxa ungayekela ukubaleka lamuhla ebusuku, kusasa bazakubulala.” 12 Yikho uMikhali wahle wehlisa uDavida ngewindi ukuze abaleke. 13 Wathatha isithombe setherafimu wasibeka* embhedeni, wasefaka inethi eyenziwe ngoboya bembuzi lapho uDavida ayeqamela khona. Wathatha isembatho wembathisa isithombe.
14 USawuli wathuma izithunywa ukuthi ziyethatha uDavida kodwa uMikhali wazitshela ukuthi uyagula. 15 Ngakho uSawuli watshela izithunywa ukuthi ziyembona uDavida, wathi kuzo: “Limthwale ngombheda wakhe limlethe lapha abulawe.”+ 16 Izithunywa zathi zifika zathola embhedeni kaDavida kulesithombe setherafimu* lenethi eyenziwe ngoboya bembuzi lapho ayeqamela khona. 17 Ngakho uSawuli wathi kuMikhali: “Kungani ungiqilile wabalekisa isitha sami?”+ UMikhali waphendula wathi: “Uthe kimi, ‘Ngiyekela ngihambe nxa ufuna ngingakubulali!’”
18 UDavida wabaleka waya kuSamuyeli eRama,+ wafika wamtshela konke uSawuli ayemenze khona. Yena loSamuyeli basuka bayahlala eNayiyothi.+ 19 Ngemva kwesikhathi uSawuli watshelwa ukuthi uDavida useNayiyothi eRama. 20 USawuli wathi ekuzwa lokhu wahle wathuma izithunywa ukuthi ziyebamba uDavida. Izithunywa lezi zathi zibona abaphrofethi abadala bephrofetha futhi uSamuyeli emi phakathi kwabo ebakhokhela, umoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela phezu kwazo, zaqala ukwenza njengabaphrofethi.
21 USawuli wathi ekuzwa lokhu wahle wathuma ezinye izithunywa, kodwa lazo zaqalisa ukwenza njengabaphrofethi. Ngakho wathuma iqembu lesithathu lezithunywa, lazo zaqalisa ukwenza njengabaphrofethi. 22 Ekucineni uSawuli laye wahamba eRama. Wathi efika emgodini omkhulu waseSekhu, wabuza abantu wathi: “USamuyeli loDavida bangaphi?” Bamphendula bathi: “BaseNayiyothi+ eRama.” 23 USawuli wathi esendleleni esiya eNayiyothi eRama, umoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela laphezu kwakhe, wahamba esesenza angathi ungumphrofethi waze wayafika eNayiyothi eRama. 24 Wakhipha izigqoko futhi wenza njengomphrofethi phambi kukaSamuyeli. Wahlala ilanga lonke lobusuku bonke engagqokanga. Yikho kulesitsho esithi: “Kanti uSawuli laye ngumphrofethi?”+