USamyela Wokuthoma

18 Msinyana ngemva kobana uDavida aqede ukukhuluma noSawula, uJonathani+ waba mngani kaDavida omkhulu, uJonathani wathoma ukumthanda njengombana azithanda yena.+ 2 Kusukela mhlokho, uSawula wathatha uDavida bona amsebenzele, azange asamvumela bona abuyele endlini kayise.+ 3 UJonathani noDavida benza isivumelwano,+ ngombana bekamthanda njengombana azithanda yena.+ 4 UJonathani wahlubula ijasakhe enganamikhono wayinikela uDavida, wamnikela nezambatho zakhe zepi, isabulakhe, umsubelakhe nebhande lakhe. 5 UDavida wathoma ukuya epini begodu bekaphumelela+ nanyana kukuphi lapho uSawula ebekamthumela khona. Nje-ke uSawula wamenza umphathi wamasotja, lokho kwabathabisa boke abantu neensebenzi zakaSawula.

6 Bekuthi uDavida nabanye nababuya ukuyokurhayila amaFilista, abafazi bebaphuma kiwo woke amadorobho wakwa-Israyeli ngengoma+ nangokujida bahlangabeze ikosi uSawula ngabosotjherere,+ ngethabo nangeenliliso zeentambo ezintathu. 7 Abafazi ebebagidinga bebavuma bathi:

8 USawula wasilingeka khulu,+ azange ayithande ingoma le ngombana wathi: “UDavida bamnikele amatjhumi weenkulungwana kodwana mina banginikele iinkulungwana. Sekusele bona bamnikele ubukhosi kwaphela!”+ 9 Kusukela mhlokho, uSawula bekasolo aqala uDavida ngokumsola.

10 Ngelanga elilandelako uSawula wabanjwa mummoya omumbi ovela kuZimu,+ yeke wathoma ukwenza izinto ezirarako ngendlini ngesikhathi uDavida adlala umbhino ngeharibha+ njengemihleni. USawula bekaphethe umkhonto,+ 11 begodu wawuphosa+ kuDavida azitjela ukuthi, ‘Ngizomhlanganisa neboda!’ Kodwana uDavida waphunyurha kabili. 12 Yeke uSawula wamsaba uDavida ngombana uJehova bekanaye+ kodwana besekamtjhiyile uSawula.+ 13 Ngalokho uSawula wamsusa phambi kwakhe begodu wambeka bona abe yinduna yekulungwana, uDavida bekarhola ibutho nakuyiwa epini.+ 14 UDavida waragela phambili aphumelela+ kikho koke akwenzako begodu uJehova bekanaye.+ 15 Kwathi uSawula nakabona ukuthi uDavida uphumelela khulu, wamsaba. 16 Kodwana uDavida bekathandwa ngu-Israyeli woke noJuda ngombana bekabarhola emajimenabo.

17 Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, uSawula wathi kuDavida: “Nasi indodakazami ekulu uMerabi.+ Ngizokunikela yona bona ibe mkakho.+ Nanyana kunjalo, kufuze uragele phambili ungisebenzela ngesibindi begodu ulwa izipi zakaJehova.”+ USawula wenza lokho ngombana azitjela ukuthi: ‘Akungabi ngimi ombeka isandla. Kodwana akarhayilwe sisandla samaFilista.’+ 18 UDavida waphendula uSawula wathi: “Bengingubani mina begodu zibobani iinhlobo zami, umndeni kababa kwa-Israyeli, bona ngingaba mkhwenyana wekosi?”+ 19 Kodwana kwathi nakufika isikhathi sokobana indodakazi kaSawula uMerabi inikelwe uDavida, besele inikelwe u-Adriyeli+ umMerhola bona ibe mkakhe.

20 Nje-ke indodakazi kaSawula uMikali+ beyimthanda uDavida begodu lokho kwabikelwa uSawula, kwamthabisa ukuzwa lokho. 21 Nje-ke uSawula wathi: “Ngizomnikela yena bona abe sisifu kuye ukwenzela bona amaFilista ambulale.”+ Ngalokho uSawula wathi kuDavida ihlandla lesibili: “Yiba mkhwenyanami namhlanjesi.” 22 Godu uSawula wayala iinsebenzi zakhe wathi: “Khulumani noDavida ngemsitheleni nithi, ‘Qala! Ikosi iyakuthanda neensebenzi zayo zoke ziyakuthanda. Nje-ke yiba mkhwenyana wekosi.’” 23 Kwathi iinsebenzi zakaSawula nazitjela uDavida izintwezi, uDavida wathi: “Kghani nicabanga ukuthi kulula ngami ukuba mkhwenyana wekosi njengombana ngikhwahlile begodu ngingakahlonipheki?”+ 24 Yeke iinceku zakaSawula zambikela zathi: “Naka amezwi kaDavida.”

25 Yeke uSawula wathi: “Nakhu enizokutjho kuDavida, ‘Ikosi ayifuni elinye ilobolo+ ngaphandle kwamajwabu wamaFilista ali-100,+ bona izibuyiselele emanabeni wekosi.’” Lelo bekuliriyadlhana lakaSawula lokubulalisa uDavida ngamaFilista. 26 Nje-ke iinsebenzi zabikela uDavida amezwi la, kwamthabisa uDavida ukuba mkhwenyana wekosi.+ Ngaphambi kobana kufike isikhathi esibekiweko, 27 uDavida wakhamba nebutho lakhe begodu warhayila amadoda wamaFilista ama-200, waletha isibalo esipheleleko samajwabu wabo ekosini bona abe mkhwenyana wekosi. Ngalokho uSawula wanikela uDavida indodakazakhe uMikali bona ibe mkakhe.+ 28 USawula walemuka ukuthi uJehova bekanoDavida+ nokuthi indodakazakhe uMikali+ iyamthanda. 29 Lokho kwenza uSawula wasaba uDavida ukudlula phambilini, uSawula waba linaba lakaDavida ukuphila kwakhe koke.+

30 Amakhosana wamaFilista bewaphuma aye epini kodwana qobe nawaphumako uDavida bekaphumelela ukudlula zoke ezinye iinsebenzi zakaSawula;+ igama lakhe belihlonitjhwa khulu.+