USamyela Wokuthoma
23 Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi babikela uDavida bathi: “AmaFilista alwa neKeyila+ begodu aphanga izelelo.” 2 Yeke uDavida wabuza uJehova wathi:+ “Ngikhambe na ngiyokurhayila amaFilista la?” UJehova wathi kuDavida: “Khamba uyokurhayila amaFilista bewusindise iKeyila.” 3 Kodwana abantu bakaDavida bathi kuye: “Qala! Siyasaba njengombana sikwaJuda;+ kangangani-ke nange siya eKeyila siyokulwa nebutho lamaFilista!”+ 4 Ngalokho uDavida wabuza uJehova godu.+ UJehova wamphendula wathi: “Sikima; yehlela eKeyila ngombana ngizokunikela amaFilista esandleni sakho.”+ 5 Yeke uDavida nabantu bakhe baya eKeyila begodu balwa namaFilista; wathumba ifuywabo bewarhayila amaFilista amanengi begodu wasindisa abantu beKeyila.+
6 Lokha u-Abhiyathari+ indodana ka-Arhimeleki abalekela kuDavida eKeyila, bekaphethe i-efodi. 7 USawula wafumana umbiko othi: “UDavida useKeyila.” Yeke uSawula wathi: “UZimu umnikele esandleni sami,+ ngombana uzithiye yena ngokungena edorobheni elinamasango neensimbi.” 8 Ngalokho uSawula walayela boke abantu bona baye epini, behlele eKeyila bayokuvimbezela uDavida nabantu bakhe. 9 UDavida nakezwa bona uSawula wenza amano wokumsahlela, wathi ku-Abhiyathari umphristi: “Letha i-efodi.”+ 10 Ngemva kwalokho uDavida wathi: “Maye! Jehova Zimu ka-Israyeli, isisebenzi sakho sizwile bona uSawula ufuna ukuza eKeyila azokutjhabalalisa idorobho ngebanga lami.+ 11 Kghani abarholi beKeyila bazonginikela* esandleni sakhe? USawula uzokwehla na njengombana isisebenzi sakho sizwile? Maye! Jehova Zimu ka-Israyeli, ngibawa uphendule incekwakho.” UJehova wathi: “Uzokwehla.” 12 UDavida wathi: “Kghani abarholi beKeyila bazokunikela ngami nabantu bami esandleni sakaSawula?” UJehova wamphendula wathi: “Iye bazokunikela ngani.”
13 UDavida wasikima khonokho nabantu bakhe, nababoke bebangaba ma-600,+ basuka eKeyila baya nanyana kukuphi lapho bebakghona ukuya khona. USawula nakezwa bona uDavida uphunyurhile eKeyila, akhenge asamgijimisa. 14 UDavida bekahlala emmangweni eendaweni okubudisi ukufika kizo, esifundeni seentaba sommango weZifu.+ USawula bekafunana naye qobe,+ kodwana uJehova akhenge amnikele esandleni sakhe. 15 UDavida bekazi bona* uSawula bekafuna ukumbulala njengombana uDavida bekasemmangweni weZifu eRhoretjha.
16 UJonathani indodana kaSawula waphuma, waya kuDavida eRhoretjha begodu wamsiza bona afumane amandla kuJehova.+ 17 Wathi kuDavida: “Ungasabi ngombana ubaba uSawula angeze akufumana; wena uzokuba yikosi phezu kwaka-Israyeli,+ mina ngizokuba ngaphasi kwakho; ubaba uSawula uyakwazi lokho.”+ 18 Yeke bobabili benza isivumelwano+ phambi kwakaJehova, uDavida wahlala eRhoretjha begodu uJonathani wabuyela ekhabo.
19 Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, abantu beZifu bakhuphukela kuSawula eGibeya+ bathi kuye: “UDavida ubhace eduze nathi+ eendaweni ekubudisi ukufika kizo eRhoretjha,+ embundwini kaRhakila,+ osesewula* yeJetjhimoni.*+ 20 Nje-ke kosi, yehla nanyana kunini nakukuhle kuwe, sizomnikela esandleni sekosi.”+ 21 USawula wathi: “Kwanga uJehova anganibusisa ngombana ningirhawukele. 22 Ngibawa nikhambe niyokufunisisa kuhle bonyana ukuphi nokuthi ngubani ombonileko lapho ngombana ngizwile bona unamaqhinga khulu. 23 Qinisekani bona nizifumana zoke iindawo abhaca kizo begodu nibuye kimi nobufakazi. Ngemva kwalokho, ngizokukhamba nani, nange asenarheni, ngizomfuna hlangana nazo zoke iinkulungwana* zakwaJuda.”
24 Yeke bakhamba babuyela eZifu+ phambi kwakaSawula, ngesikhatheso uDavida nabantu bakhe bebasemmangweni weMawoni,+ e-Araba+ esewula yeJetjhimoni. 25 USawula weza nabantu bakhe bazomfuna.+ UDavida nakatjelwa ngalokho, wehlela edwaleni+ khonokho begodu wahlala emmangweni weMawoni. Kwathi uSawula nakezwa lokho, walandela uDavida emmangweni weMawoni. 26 USawula nakafika ngakwelinye ihlangothi lentaba, uDavida nabantu bakhe bebangakwelinye ihlangothi lentaba. UDavida bekarhabile bona abalekele+ uSawula kodwana uSawula nabantu bakhe bebatjhidela kuDavida nabantu bakhe bona bababhudungele.+ 27 Kwathi kusesenjalo kwafika isithunywa kuSawula, sathi: “Yiza msinya ngombana amaFilista asahlele inarha!” 28 Yeke uSawula walisa ukugijimisa uDavida+ begodu wakhamba bona ayokulwa namaFilista. Kungebangelo indawo leyo yabizwa ngokuthi liDwala Lokwahlukanisa.
29 UDavida wakhuphuka asuka lapho wayokuhlala eendaweni okubudisi ukufika kizo e-Eni-Gedi.+