Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli
23 Ngokuya kwesikhathi uDavida watshelwa ukuthi amaFilisti ayehlasela iKheyila,+ ethatha lamabele ezizeni.* 2 Ngakho uDavida wabuza uJehova wathi:+ “Ngihambe yini ngiyehlasela amaFilisti?” UJehova wamphendula wathi: “Hamba uyewahlasela ukhulule abantu baseKheyila.” 3 Kodwa amadoda ayeloDavida athi kuye: “Sivele sihlalele evalweni sikhonapha koJuda,+ manje singasithatha ngaphi isibindi sokuya eKheyila siyedibana lamabutho amaFilisti?”+ 4 Ngakho uDavida waphinda wabuza kuJehova,+ uJehova wasemphendula wathi: “Suka uye eKheyila ngoba ngizanikela amaFilisti esandleni sakho.”+ 5 Yikho-ke uDavida lamadoda ayelaye basuka baya eKheyila bayakulwa lamaFilisti. Wafika wabulala amaFilisti amanengi kakhulu futhi wathumba lezifuyo zawo, wakhulula abantu baseKheyila.+
6 Ngesikhathi u-Abhiyatha+ indodana ka-Ahimeleki ebaleka esiya kuDavida eKheyila wayethwele i-efodi. 7 USawuli watshelwa ukuthi uDavida wayeseKheyila, yikho wathi: “UNkulunkulu usemnikele esandleni sami.+ UDavida useziphosele emjibileni ngokungena edolobheni elilamagedi lemigoqo.” 8 USawuli wabizela wonke amabutho akhe empini ukuze ehlele eKheyila ayevimbezela uDavida lamadoda ayelawo. 9 UDavida wathi esizwa ukuthi uSawuli ufuna ukumhlasela, wathi ku-Abhiyatha umphristi: “Sondela lapha le-efodi.”+ 10 UDavida wasesithi: “Awu Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, inceku yakho isizwile ukuthi uSawuli uhlose ukuza eKheyila azotshabalalisa lonke idolobho ngenxa yami.+ 11 Abakhokheli beKheyila bazanginikela* esandleni sakhe yini? USawuli uzabuya yini njengoba nje inceku yakho izwile? Awu Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngicela uyitshele inceku yakho.” UJehova wasemphendula wathi: “Ye uzabuya.” 12 UDavida wasebuza wathi: “Abakhokheli beKheyila bazanginikela kuSawuli yini mina lamadoda engilawo lapha?” UJehova wamphendula wathi: “Bazalinikela.”
13 UDavida wathi ekuzwa lokho wahle wasuka eKheyila lamadoda ayelaye ayengaba ngu-600.+ Babehamba behlala loba ngaphi lapho ababebona kuvikeleke khona. USawuli kasayanga eKheyila ngoba wezwa ukuthi uDavida usebalekile. 14 UDavida wahlala enkangala endaweni okunzima ukufika kuzo, ezintabeni zenkangala yaseZifi.+ USawuli wamdinga phansi phezulu,+ kodwa uJehova kazange amnikele esandleni sakhe. 15 Ngesikhathi uDavida eseHoreshi enkangala yaseZifi, wayesazi* ukuthi uSawuli uyamzingela ufuna ukumbulala.
16 UJonathani indodana kaSawuli wasuka waya kuDavida eHoreshi njalo wamnceda ukuthi athole amandla kuJehova.+ 17 Wathi kuye: “Ungesabi ngoba ubaba kasoze akuthole. Wena uzakuba yinkosi yako-Israyeli+ futhi mina ngizakuba ngumsekeli wakho, lobaba uyakwazi lokhu.”+ 18 Ngemva kwalokho bobabili benza isivumelwano+ phambi kukaJehova, uJonathani wasesuka wabuyela emzini wakhe, uDavida wasala eHoreshi.
19 Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi amadoda aseZifi aya kuSawuli eGibheya+ afika athi kuye: “UDavida ucatshe eduze kwethu+ eHoreshi,+ endaweni okunzima ukufika kuzo. Useqaqeni lwaseHakhila+ oluseningizimu yeJeshimoni.*+ 20 Nxa inkosi ikubona kufanele ukuthi ibuye, kayibuye futhi thina sizamnikela esandleni sayo.”+ 21 USawuli yena wathi: “UJehova kalibusise ngoba libe lozwelo kimi. 22 Ngicela lihambe liyedingisisa ukuthi ungaphi sibisibili lokuthi ukhona yini ombonileyo ngoba ngizwa besithi uliqili elikhulu. 23 Dingani lize lizazi zonke indawo acatsha kuzo beseliphenduka kimi selilobufakazi. Lapho-ke ngizahamba lani futhi nxa ekhona elizweni ngizamdinga kuzo zonke izinkulungwane zakoJuda.”
24 Ngakho basuka batshiya uSawuli baya eZifi.+ Ngalesosikhathi uDavida lamadoda ayelawo babesenkangala yeMawoni+ e-Arabha,+ eningizimu yeJeshimoni. 25 USawuli lamabutho akhe bafika bezomdinga.+ UDavida wathi ekuzwa lokho wahle wasuka wehlela edwaleni elikhulu+ elalisenkangala yeMawoni. USawuli wakuzwa lokhu wasexotshanisa uDavida phakathi kwenkangala yeMawoni. 26 USawuli wayexotshanisa uDavida lamadoda ayelaye ekwelinye icele lentaba, bona bekwelinye icele. UDavida wayelwisa ukuthi abalekele+ uSawuli kodwa uSawuli lamabutho akhe basebebafica, sekuseduze ukuthi babahlasele.+ 27 Kusenjalo kwafika isithunywa kuSawuli sathi: “Buya masinyane ngoba amaFilisti asehlasele ilizwe!” 28 Ngakho uSawuli wayekela ukuxotshanisa uDavida+ wasesiyakulwa lamaFilisti. Yikho indawo leyo yabizwa ngokuthi liDwala Lokwehlukana.
29 UDavida wasuka lapho wayahlala e-Eni-gedi+ endaweni okunzima ukufika kuzo.