USamyela Wokuthoma

14 Ngelinye ilanga uJonathani+ indodana kaSawula wathi esisebenzini esithwala iinkhali zakhe: “Yewize siyamele ngale ekampeni yamaFilista.” Kodwana akhenge atjele uyise. 2 USawula bekahlala emkhawulweni weGibeya+ ngaphasi komuthi wamarharinada eMigroni begodu bekunabantu abangaba ma-600 ebebanaye.+ 3 (U-Arhiya indodana ka-Arhithubi,+ umfowabo ka-Ikabhodi,+ indodana kaFiniyasi,+ indodana ka-Eli,+ umphristi kaJehova eTjhilo+ bekambethe i-efodi.)+ Abantu bebangazi bona uJonathani ukhambile. 4 Nje-ke eendledlaneni uJonathani ebekalinga ukuyama kizo bona ayokufika ekampeni yamaFilista, bekunedwala elifana nezinyo ngakwelinye ihlangothi nelinye idwala elifana nezinyo kwelinye ihlangothi; igama lelinye bekuyiBhosesi elinye kuyiSene. 5 Elinye idwala beliyisika ngetlhagwini liqale eMikimasi, elinye belingesewula liqale eGeba.+

6 Yeke uJonathani wathi kumphathinkhalakhe: “Yewize siyamele ngale ekampeni yamadoda angakasoki.+ Mhlamunye uJehova uzosisiza ngombana akunalitho elingavimba uJehova bona asindise ngabanengi namkha ngabambalwa.”+ 7 Umphathinkhalakhe wathi kuye: “Yenza nanyana yini ihliziywakho ethi yenze. Iya nanyana kukuphi lapho ufuna ukuya khona, mina ngizokukhamba nawe nanyana kukuphi lapho ihliziywakho ikusa khona.” 8 UJonathani wathi: “Sizokuyamela ngale ebantwinaba, bese siyaziveza kibo. 9 Nange bathi kithi, ‘Jamani lapho besifike kini!’ Sizokujama lapho sikhona, angekhe sikhuphukele kibo. 10 Kodwana nabangathi, ‘Khuphukelani kithapha!’ Sizokukhuphuka ngombana uJehova uzobanikela esandleni sethu. Leli kuzokuba litshwayo lethu.”+

11 Bobabili baziveza ekampeni yamajoni wamaFilista. AmaFilista athi: “Qalani! AmaHebheru ayaphuma emigodini ebewabhace kiyo.”+ 12 Yeke amajoni ebewasekampeni athi kuJonathani nomphathinkhalakhe: “Khuphukelani kithapha, sizonifundisa isifundo!”+ Kilokho uJonathani wathi kumphathinkhalakhe: “Ngilandela ngombana uJehova uzobanikela esandleni sama-Israyeli.”+ 13 UJonathani wakhuphuka akhasa begodu umphathinkhalakhe bekangemva kwakhe; uJonathani wathoma ukusahlela amaFilista begodu umphathinkhalakhe bekawaqedelela ngemva kwakhe. 14 UJonathani nomphathinkhalakhe nabasahlela kokuthoma barhayila abantu abangaba ma-20 phakathi nesimu engaba yingcenye yehekthara.*

15 Abantu ebebasekampeni esemmangweni nabantu ebebasekampeni yamajoni bathoma ukusaba, ngitjho namajoni+ ebewathunyelwe ukuyokusahlela aba nevalo. Iphasi lathoma ukusikinyeka begodu uZimu wababangela bona basabe. 16 Abonogada bakaSawula eGibeya+ yakwaBhenjamini balemuka bona kunetjharagano ekampeni yamaFilista begodu irhatjheka mahlangothi woke.+

17 USawula wathi ebantwini ebebanaye: “Ngibawa nibale abantu, nibone ukuthi ngubani okhambileko.” Nababalako, babona ukuthi uJonathani nomphathinkhalakhe abekho. 18 USawula wathi ku-Arhiya:+ “Tjhideza umFaji kaZimu weqiniso eduze!” (UmFaji kaZimu weqiniso bewunama-Israyeli ngesikhatheso.*) 19 Lokha uSawula nakasakhuluma nomphristi, ukutjharagana ebekusekampeni yamaFilista bekusolo kuthuwelela. Ngalokho uSawula wathi kumphristi: “Lisa into oyenzako.” 20 USawula nabo boke abantu ebebanaye bahlangana baya epini, bafumana bona amaFilista alwa wodwa begodu atjharagene khulu. 21 Ngitjho namaHebheru ebewangehlangothini lamaFilista phambilini, ebewakhuphuke namaFilista atjhinga ekampenawo, bewabuyela ehlangothini lama-Israyeli ebewangaphasi kwakaSawula noJonathani. 22 Woke ama-Israyeli ebewabhace+ esifundeni seentaba sakwa-Efrayimu ezwa bona amaFilista abalekile nawo eza azowagijimisa bona alwe nawo. 23 UJehova wasindisa ama-Israyeli ngelangelo+ begodu ipi yaraga beyafika eBhethe-Aveni.+

24 Kodwana ama-Israyeli bewanganamandla mhlokho ngombana uSawula bekawabeke ngaphasi kwesifungo wathi: “Uqalekisiwe umuntu odla nanyana yini ngaphambi kokuthi litjhinge begodu ngingakazibuyiseleli emanabenami!” Yeke akunamuntu owathinta ukudla.+

25 Nje-ke boke abantu bafika ehlathini begodu bekuneliju phasi. 26 Lokha abantu nabangena ehlathini, babona iliju lithonta kodwana akukho namunye owalidlako ngombana bebasaba isifungo. 27 Kodwana uJonathani akhenge ezwe uyise nakafaka abantu ngaphasi kwesifungo,+ yeke walula ipente yentonga ebeyisesandleni sakhe watapa iliju. Kuthe nakalidlako, amehlwakhe aphazima. 28 Omunye ebantwini wathi: “Uyihlo ufake abantu ngaphasi kwesifungo esiqinileko, wathi, ‘Uqalekisiwe umuntu odlako namhlanjesi!’+ Kungebangelo abantu badinwe kangaka.” 29 Nanyana kunjalo, uJonathani wathi: “Ubaba ufake inarha le emrarweni omkhulu. Qalani bona amehlwami aphazima kangangani ngebanga lokuthi nginambithe ilijwaneli. 30 Bekuzokuba ngcono khulu ngathana abantu bazidlele ngokutjhaphulukileko+ izinto abazifumene emanabenabo namhlanjesi! Ukurhayilwa kwamaFilista bekuzoba kukhulu ukudlula lokhu.”

31 Baragela phambili barhayila amaFilista ngelangelo kusukela eMikimasi ukuyokufika e-Ayaloni+ begodu abantu badinwa khulu. 32 Ngalokho abantu bagijimela ezintweni ebebazifumene emanabenabo bamarhamaru, bathatha izimvu, iinkomo namakonyana bazihlabela khonapho begodu badla inyama bangakayophisi iingazi.+ 33 Abantu bathi kuSawula: “Qala! Abantu bayona kuJehova ngokudla inyama eneengazi.”+ Yena wathi: “Anikathembeki, gedani ilitje elikhulu nililethe kimapha.” 34 Ngemva kwalokho uSawula wathi: “Tjhingani ebantwini nithi kibo, ‘Omunye nomunye kufuze eze nekunzakhe nemvakhe azoyihlabela lapha begodu ayidle. Ningoni kuJehova ngokudla inyama neengazi.’”+ Yeke omunye nomunye weza nekunzakhe ebusuku bamhlokho wayihlabela lapho. 35 USawula wakhela uJehova i-aldara.+ Leli bekuli-aldara lokuthoma alakhela uJehova.

36 Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi uSawula wathi: “Asehleni sigijimise amaFilista ebusuku, siwasahlele bekube sekuseni besithathe nezinto zawo. Singatjhiyi namunye aphila.” Kilokhu bathi: “Yenza nanyana yini elungileko emehlwenakho.” Umphristi wathi: “Asibuzeni uZimu weqiniso lapha.”+ 37 USawula wabuza uZimu: “Ngiwalandele amaFilista?+ Uzowanikela esandleni sama-Israyeli?” Kodwana uZimu akhenge amphendule ngelangelo. 38 USawula wathi: “Yizani lapha noke nina nduna zabantu, nihlolisiseni bona ngisiphi isono esenziwe namhlanjesi. 39 Ngifunga ngoJehova uZimu ophilako, owasindisa ama-Israyeli nanyana kungaba nguJonathani indodanami, kufuze afe.” Kodwana akunamuntu owamphendulako. 40 USawula wathi kiwo woke ama-Israyeli: “Nizokuba ngehlangothini linye begodu mina nendodanami uJonathani sibe ngakwelinye ihlangothi.” Abantu bathi kuSawula: “Yenza nanyana yini elungileko emehlwenakho.”

41 Ngemva kwalokho, uSawula wathi kuJehova: “Maye! Zimu ka-Israyeli, phendula ngeThumimi!”+ Yeke kwakhethwa uJonathani noSawula begodu abantu batjhaphuluka. 42 Nje-ke uSawula wathi: “Yenzani ifumbe+ bona iqunte phakathi kwami nendodanami uJonathani.” Yakhetha uJonathani. 43 USawula wathi kuJonathani: “Akhungitjele, wenzeni?” UJonathani wathi kuye: “Senganambitha ilijwana ngepente yentonga esesandleni sami.+ Nangu mina! Ngikulungele ukufa!”

44 USawula wathi: “UZimu akangijezise kabuhlungu nange ungafi Jonathani.”+ 45 Kodwana abantu bathi kuSawula: “Kghani uJonathani olethe isindiso* engaka+ kwa-Israyeli kufuze afe? Angeze yenzeke leyo! Sifunga ngoJehova uZimu ophilako, akukafuzi kuwele phasi nesihluthu sinye sehlokwakhe ngombana koke akwenzileko namhlanjesi ukwenze ngoZimu.”+ Yeke abantu bamsindisa* uJonathani begodu akhenge afe.

46 Ngalokho uSawula walisa ukugijimisa amaFilista begodu amaFilista abuyela esifundeni sawo.

47 USawula waqinisa ubukhosi bakhe kwa-Israyeli bese walwa namanabakhe woke mahlangothi woke, walwa nebakwaMowabi,+ ama-Amoni,+ bakwa-Edomu,+ amakhosi weTsoba+ namaFilista;+ koke lapha ebekaya khona bekawahlula. 48 Walwa ngesibindi, wahlula ama-Amalekhi+ begodu wasindisa ama-Israyeli esandleni samanabawo.

49 Amadodana kaSawula bekunguJonathani, uYitjhivi noMaliki-Tjhuwa+ begodu bekanamadodakazi amabili; igama lendodakazakhe ekulu bekunguMerabi,+ igama lendodakazakhe encani kunguMikali.+ 50 Igama lomkaSawula bekungu-Arhinowami indodakazi ka-Arhimahatsi. Igama lenduna yebutho lakhe bekungu-Abineri+ indodana kaNeri, obekangumfowabo kayise kaSawula. 51 UKhitjhi+ bekangubaba kaSawula begodu uNeri+ uyise ka-Abineri bekayindodana ka-Abiyeli.

52 Bekuhlala kunepi ekulu namaFilista emihleni yoke kaSawula.+ Lokha uSawula nakabona indoda enamandla namkha enesibindi, bekayithatha ibe sebuthweni lakhe.+