USamyela Wokuthoma
13 USawula bekaneminyaka e . . .* nakaba yikosi+ begodu wabusa kwa-Israyeli iminyaka emibili. 2 USawula wakhetha abantu abazii-3 000 kwa-Israyeli; abazii-2 000 babo bebanoSawula eMikimasi nesifundeni seentaba seBhetheli begodu abayi-1 000 bebanoJonathani+ eGibeya+ yakwaBhenjamini. Wajikisa boke abanye abantu, omunye nomunye wabuyela etendenakhe. 3 Yeke uJonathani warhayila ikampa yamajoni wamaFilista+ ebeyiseGeba,+ begodu amaFilista ezwa ngalokho. USawula wathi akubethwe ipalapala+ enarheni yoke kuthiwe: “MaHebheru lalelani!” 4 Ama-Israyeli woke azizwa iindaba ezithi: “USawula urhayile ikampa yamajoni wamaFilista begodu nje ama-Israyeli asivunda hlangana namaFilista.” Yeke abantu batjelwa bona balandele uSawula eGiligali.+
5 AmaFilista nawo ahlangana bona ayokulwa nama-Israyeli, bewaneenkarana zepi ezizii-30 000 nabakhweli beenjomani abazii-6 000 namajoni amanengi njengehlabathi emagega nelwandle;+ akhuphuka ahloma ikampa eMikimasi esepumalanga yeBhethe-Aveni.+ 6 Yeke abantu bakwa-Israyeli babona ukuthi basemrarweni, ngebanga legandelelo ebebangaphasi kwalo; ngalokho abantu bazifihla emarholweni,+ emipharwini yamadwala, emadwaleni, eendaweni ezingaphasi kwehlabathi neempetsini. 7 Amanye amaHebheru abe ayama iJordani atjhinga enarheni yakwaGadi neGiliyadi.+ Kodwana uSawula bekangakakhambi eGiligali begodu boke abantu ebebamlandela bebahlengezela. 8 Waraga nokulinda amalanga alikhomba bekwaba sikhathi uSamyela ebekasibekile kodwana uSamyela akhenge afike eGiligali begodu abantu batjhiya uSawula lapho bakhamba. 9 Ekugcineni uSawula wathi: “Lethani umhlatjelo otjhiswako nemihlatjelo yetjhebiswano kimapha.” Wanikela umhlatjelo otjhiswako.+
10 Kodwana msinyana nakaqeda ukunikela umhlatjelo otjhiswako, uSamyela wafika. Yeke uSawula waphuma bona ayomhlangabeza bekambusise. 11 USamyela wambuza wathi: “Wenzeni?” USawula wamphendula wathi: “Ngibone ukuthi abantu bebangilahla,+ nawe akhenge ufike ngesikhathi osibekileko begodu namaFilista bewahlangana eMikimasi.+ 12 Ngazitjela ngathi, ‘Nje amaFilista azokwehla azokulwa nami eGiligali begodu angikabawi isizo lakaJehova.’ Yeke ngazizwa ngikatelelekile bona nginikele umhlatjelo otjhiswako.”
13 Nakezwa lokho uSamyela wathi kuSawula: “Budlhadlha into oyenzileko. Awukalaleli umyalo uJehova uZimakho akunikele wona.+ Ngathana uwulalele, uJehova bekazokuqinisa umbuswakho phezu kwaka-Israyeli ngokungapheliko. 14 Kodwana nje umbuswakho angekhe uhlale.+ UJehova uzozifumanela indoda ethandwa yihliziywakhe+ begodu uJehova uzoyibeka bona ibe mrholi wabantu bakhe+ ngombana wena akhenge ulalele umyalo kaJehova.”+
15 Ngemva kwalokho, uSamyela wasikima, wakhuphuka asuka eGiligali aya eGibeya yakwaBhenjamini begodu uSawula wabala abantu; labo egade basele naye bebama-600.+ 16 USawula nendodanakhe uJonathani nabantu egade basele nabo bebahlala eGeba+ yakwaBhenjamini begodu amaFilista bewahlome ikampawo eMikimasi.+ 17 Bekuphuma iinqhema ezintathu zamajoni ekampeni yamaFilista. Isiqhema sokuthoma besitjhinga endleleni eya e-Ofira enarheni yeTjhuwali; 18 esinye isiqhema besitjhinga endleleni eya eBethe-Rhoroni;+ begodu isiqhema sesithathu besitjhinga endleleni eya emkhawulweni oqale umrhoba weTseboyimu, nawutjhinga emmangweni.
19 Nje-ke bekunganasisebenzi sesimbi enarheni yakwa-Israyeli yoke, ngombana amaFilista bewathe: “Khona amaHebheru angazokwenza isabula namkha umkhonto.” 20 Yeke ama-Israyeli woke bekufuneka ehlele kumaFilista bona ayokulola amalembe weemplurhu, amalembe, amazembe namkha iinsegere zawo. 21 Inani lokulola amalembe weemplurhu, amalembe, iimforogo, amazembe nelokuqinisa isitlhorholojakomo bekumagremu abunane wesiliva.* 22 Yeke ngelanga lepi, akunasabula namkha umkhonto owafunyanwa esandleni sabantu ebebanoSawula noJonathani,+ nguSawula noJonathani indodanakhe kwaphela ebebaneenkhali.
23 Ikampa yamajoni wamaFilista beyiphumile itjhinge emrhobeni weMikimasi.+