Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
30 Xa uDavide namadoda akhe bafikayo eTsikelage+ ngemini yesithathu, ama-Amaleki+ ayelihlasele elasemzantsi* neTsikelage, yaye iTsikelage ayeyitshisile. 2 Ayethimbe abafazi+ nabo bonke abanye abantu ababelapho, ukususela koyena mncinci ukuya koyena mkhulu. Akazange abulale mntu, kodwa ahamba nabo. 3 UDavide namadoda akhe bafika isixeko sitshisiwe, abafazi, oonyana neentombi zabo bethinjiwe. 4 Basothula isikhalo, bada baphelelwa ngamandla okulila. 5 Bobabini abafazi bakaDavide babethinjiwe, uAhinowam waseYizereli noAbhigali umhlolokazi kaNabhali umKarmele.+ 6 Waba nexhala kakhulu uDavide, kuba la madoda ayeceba ukumbetha ngamatye. Ayebuhlungu gqitha kukulahlekelwa ngoonyana neentombi zawo. Kodwa uDavide wazomeleza ngoYehova uThixo wakhe.+
7 Wathi uDavide kuAbhiyatare+ umbingeleli, unyana ka-Ahimeleki: “Ndicela uze ne-efodi.”+ UAbhiyatare weza ne-efodi kuDavide. 8 UDavide wabuza kuYehova,+ esithi: “Ndiwaleqe na la majoni angabaphangi? Ndiza kuwafumana na?” Wathi yena: “Waleqe, kuba uza kuwafumana nakanjani, yaye uza kusindisa bonke abantu nayo yonke into.”+
9 Wakhawuleza uDavide wangena endleleni kunye namadoda ayi-600.+ Bahamba bayokufika eNtlanjeni YaseBhesore, yaye amanye amadoda ashiyeka khona. 10 UDavide waqhubeka nohambo lwakhe kunye namadoda ayi-400, kodwa wona ayi-200 ashiyeka kuba ayedinwe kakhulu ukuba angawela iNtlambo YaseBhesore.+
11 Bafumana indoda engumYiputa endle, bayisa kuDavide. Bayinika ukutya, amanzi, 12 iqhekeza lesonka samafiya* nezonka ezimbini zeerasintyisi. Emva kokuba ityile, yaba namandla,* kuba kwakudlule iintsuku ezintathu nobusuku obuthathu ingatyanga okanye isele manzi. 13 UDavide wayibuza wathi: “Ungokabani, yaye uvela phi?” Yona yathi: “Ndisisicaka esingumYiputa, ikhoboka lendoda engumAmaleki, kodwa inkosi yam indishiyile kuba ndiye ndagula kwezi ntsuku zintathu zidluleyo. 14 Siye sahlasela umzantsi welizwe lamaKereti,*+ nelizwe lakwaYuda nomzantsi welizwe lakwaKalebhi,*+ yona iTsikelage sayitshisa ngomlilo.” 15 Wathi ke uDavide kuyo: “Ungandisa kula majoni angabaphangi?” Yaphendula yathi: “Ukuba uyandifungela ngoThixo ukuba awuzukundibulala, ibe awuzukundinikezela kwinkosi yam, ndiza kukusa kuwo.”
16 Ngoko yamsa kwiindawo awayehleli kuzo, esitya, esela yaye ebhiyoza ngenxa yezinto ezininzi awayezoxuthe elizweni lamaFilisti nakwilizwe lakwaYuda. 17 UDavide wawaxabela ukususela ekuseni kwada kwangokuhlwa. Akukho ndoda yasindayo+ ngaphandle kwamadoda ayi-400 awakhwela iinkamela abaleka. 18 Wayifumana uDavide yonke into eyayithathwe ngama-Amaleki,+ waza wasindisa nabafazi bakhe ababini. 19 Akukho nanye into eyalahlekayo, ukususela kweyona incinci ukuyokutsho kweyona inkulu. Babafumana oonyana neentombi zabo nezinto ezazithathiwe.+ UDavide wazifumana zonke izinto awayezithathile la majoni. 20 Wayithatha yonke imihlambi yeegusha neyeenkomo, baza bayiqhuba phambi kweyabo imfuyo. Bathi: “YekaDavide ke le.”
21 UDavide wafika kula madoda ayi-200 awayengazange ahambe naye aza ahlala ngaseNtlanjeni YaseBhesore kuba ediniwe.+ Aphuma ehlangabeza uDavide nabantu ababekunye naye. Akusondela kuwo, wawabuza ukuba anjani na. 22 Kodwa onke amadoda angalunganga nangoongantweni kula ayehambe noDavide athi: “Asizukubanika kwanto kwezi sibuye nazo. Mabathathe abafazi babo noonyana babo bahambe, kuba khange bahambe nathi.” 23 Kodwa uDavide wathi: “Sanukuyenza loo nto bantakwethu ngezinto esizinikwe nguYehova. Uye wasikhusela waza wawanikela esandleni sethu amajoni angabaphangi ebesihlasele.+ 24 Ngubani onokuvumelana nani kule nto? Umntu obeyile emfazweni uza kufumana into efanayo nalowo obeshiyeke nempahla.+ Bonke baza kwabelana.”+ 25 Ukususela ngaloo mini, uDavide wayenza umthetho loo nto kwaSirayeli de kube namhlanje.
26 Ukufika kukaDavide eTsikelage, wathumela ezinye zezinto awayezithimbile kubadala bakwaYuda ababengabahlobo bakhe, esithi: “Nasi isipho* senu endisixuthe kwiintshaba zikaYehova.” 27 Wasithumela kwabo baseBheteli,+ kwabo baseRamoti yaseNegebhi,* kwabo baseYatire,+ 28 kwabo baseArohere, kwabo baseSifemoti, kwabo base-Eshtemowa,+ 29 kwabo baseRakali, kwabo bakwizixeko zamaYerameli,+ kwabo bakwizixeko zamaKeni,+ 30 kwabo baseHorma,+ kwabo baseBhorashan, kwabo baseAtaki, 31 kwabo baseHebron+ nakuzo zonke iindawo uDavide namadoda akhe ababedla ngokuya kuzo.