Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
20 UDavide wabaleka eNayoti eRama. Nokho, weza kuJonathani wafike wathi: “Ngenzeni? + Liyini icala lami, ngone ngani kubaba wakho njengoba efuna ukungibulala?”* 2 UJonathani wathi kuye: “Yinto engacabangeki leyo! + Ngeke ufe. Ubaba ngeke enze lutho engangitshelanga, kungaba yinto encane noma enkulu. Yini nje engenza ubaba angifihlele le ndaba? Ngeke kwenzeke lokho.” 3 Kodwa uDavide wafunga wathi: “Ubaba wakho uyazi ukuthi uyangithanda, + ngakho uzothi enhliziyweni yakhe, ‘UJonathani makangayazi le ndaba ngoba uzophatheka kabi.’ Kodwa ngempela, lokhu engikusho kuwe naphambi kukaJehova kuyiqiniso, ngingafa noma nini!” +
4 UJonathani wayesethi kuDavide: “Noma yini oyishoyo, ngizoyenza.” 5 UDavide wathi kuJonathani: “Kusasa kwethwasa inyanga, + manje bekufanele ngihlale nenkosi ekudleni; kodwa kumele ungidedele ngihambe, ngizocasha esigangeni kuze kube usuku lwesithathu kusihlwa. 6 Uma kwenzeka ubaba wakho ebona ukuthi angikho, kumele uthi, ‘UDavide ucele ukuba ngimvumele aphuthume edolobheni lakubo eBhetlehema, + ngoba kunomhlatshelo womndeni wonke waminyaka yonke khona.’ + 7 Uma ethi, ‘Kulungile,’ kusho ukuthula encekwini yakho. Kodwa uma ethukuthela, nakanjani kusho ukuthi uhlose ukungenza isilo sengubo. 8 Yibonise uthando oluqotho inceku yakho, + ngoba wenze isivumelwano nenceku yakho phambi kukaJehova. + Kodwa uma nginecala, + ngibulale wena. Kungani kufanele unginikele kubaba wakho?”
9 UJonathani wathi: “Ungayicabangi nakuyicabanga into enjalo! Uma ngithola ukuthi ubaba uhlose ukukubulala, nakanjani ngizokutshela.” + 10 UDavide wathi kuJonathani: “Ubani ozongitshela uma ubaba wakho ekuphendula ngokhahlo?” 11 UJonathani wathi kuDavide: “Woza sihambe siye esigangeni.” Ngakho bobabili bahamba baya esigangeni. 12 UJonathani wathi kuDavide: “UJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli makabe ufakazi wokuthi kusasa noma phambi kwakusasa ngizombuza ubaba. Uma engahlose bubi ngawe,* ngizothumela izwi ngikutshele. 13 Kodwa uma ubaba ehlose ukukubulala, kwangathi uJehova angangijezisa kanzima* uma ngingakutsheli bese ngikudedela uhambe ngokuthula. Kwangathi uJehova angaba nawe, + njengoba nje aba nobaba. + 14 Ngeke yini wena ungibonise uthando oluqotho lukaJehova lapho ngisaphila ngisho nalapho sengifile? + 15 Ungayeki ukuyibonisa uthando oluqotho indlu yami + ngisho nalapho uJehova esusa zonke izitha zikaDavide emhlabeni.” 16 Ngakho uJonathani wenza isivumelwano nendlu kaDavide, wathi: “UJehova uzozahlulela izitha zikaDavide.” 17 Ngakho uJonathani waphinde wathi uDavide akafunge ukuthi uyamthanda, ngoba uJonathani wayemthanda njengoba ayezithanda yena. +
18 UJonathani wayesethi kuye: “Kusasa kwethwasa inyanga; + kuzobonakala ukuthi awukho, ngoba isihlalo sakho sizobe singenamuntu. 19 Ngosuku olulandela olwakusasa kuzocaca ngisho nakakhulu ukuthi awukho, kumele uze kule ndawo owawucashe kuyo ngaloluya suku,* uhlale lapha eduze kwaleli tshe. 20 Ngizobe sengicibishela imicibisholo emithathu eceleni kwalo, njengokungathi kukhona engikucibayo. 21 Lapho ngithumela isikhonzi, ngizothi, ‘Hamba uyofuna imicibisholo.’ Uma ngithi esikhonzini, ‘Bheka! Imicibisholo inganeno, yithathe,’ kuyosho ukuthi ungabuya, ngoba ngimfunge uJehova, lokho kuyobe kusho ukuthula ngawe nokuthi awukho engozini. 22 Kodwa uma ngithi kumfana, ‘Bheka! Imicibisholo ingaphambi kwakho,’ kufanele uhambe, ngoba uJehova ufuna ukuba uhambe. 23 Ngokuqondene nesithembiso esisenzile, + mina nawe, kwangathi uJehova angaba phakathi kwethu kuze kube phakade.” +
24 Ngakho uDavide wacasha esigangeni. Lapho kwethwasa inyanga, inkosi yahlala esihlalweni sayo ukuze idle. + 25 Inkosi yayihlezi esihlalweni sayo esingasodongeni njengokujwayelekile. UJonathani wayehlezi maqondana nayo, u-Abhineri + ehlezi eceleni kukaSawule, kodwa indawo kaDavide ingenamuntu. 26 USawule akashongo lutho ngalolo suku, ngoba wayezitshela ukuthi: ‘Kukhona okwenzekile okumenza angahlanzeki. + Impela kumele ukuba akahlanzekile.’ 27 Ngosuku olungemva kolokwethwasa kwenyanga, ngosuku lwesibili, indawo kaDavide yayilokhu ingenamuntu. Kulokhu uSawule wathi kuJonathani indodana yakhe: “Kungani indodana kaJese + ingezanga ukuzodla izolo nanamuhla?” 28 UJonathani wathi kuSawule: “UDavide ungicele ukuba ngimvumele aye eBhetlehema. + 29 Uthe, ‘Ngicela ungivumele ngihambe, ngoba sinomhlatshelo womndeni edolobheni, ngumfowethu ongibizile. Ngakho, uma ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, ngicela ungivumele ngithi shelele ngiyobona abafowethu.’ Yingakho engezanga etafuleni lenkosi.” 30 USawule wamthukuthelela kakhulu uJonathani, wathi kuye: “Wena ndodana edlubulundayo, ucabanga ukuthi angazi yini ukuthi ukhetha indodana kaJese, okuzolethela wena nonyoko* ihlazo? 31 Uma nje indodana kaJese isaphila kulo mhlaba, ubukhosi bakho ngeke buqhubeke. + Ngakho manje thumela umuntu ukuba amlande amlethe lapha kimi, ngoba kumele afe.” *+
32 Nokho, uJonathani wathi kuSawule uyise: “Kungani kufanele abulawe? + Wenzeni?” 33 USawule wamjikijela ngomkhonto ezama ukumgwaza, + ngenxa yalokho uJonathani wazi ukuthi uyise wayezimisele ukumbulala uDavide. + 34 UJonathani wasukuma ngokushesha etafuleni ethukuthele engqangqa, akakudlanga ukudla ngosuku lwesibili ngemva kokwethwasa kwenyanga, ngoba wayephatheke kabi ngendaba kaDavide, + nangokuthi uyise uqobo wayemlulazile.
35 Ekuseni uJonathani waphuma waya esigangeni ukuze ayohlangana noDavide, ehamba nesikhonzi esisesincane. + 36 Wathi esikhonzini sakhe: “Ngicela ugijime uyothatha le micibisholo engiyicibishelayo.” Isikhonzi sagijima, uJonathani wacibishela umcibisholo wadlulela ngale kwaso. 37 Lapho isikhonzi sifika endaweni uJonathani ayeyicibishele kuyo, uJonathani wamemeza isikhonzi wathi: “Umcibisholo ungaphambi kwakho!” 38 UJonathani wamemeza isikhonzi wathi: “Phuthuma! Thatha imicibisholo ngokushesha! Ungami!” Isikhonzi sikaJonathani sayicosha imicibisholo sase sibuyela enkosini yaso. 39 Isikhonzi sasingazi lutho ngale ndaba; nguJonathani noDavide kuphela ababazi ukuthi lokhu okwakwenzeka kusho ukuthini. 40 Ngemva kwalokho uJonathani wanika isikhonzi sakhe izikhali zakhe, wathi kuso: “Hamba nazo uziyise edolobheni.”
41 Lapho isikhonzi sesihambile, uDavide wavumbuka ngaseningizimu endaweni eseduze. Waguqa ngamadolo wakhothama kathathu, baqabulana bakhalelana, kodwa nguDavide owakhala kakhulu. 42 UJonathani wathi kuDavide: “Hamba ngokuthula, njengoba sobabili sifungile + egameni likaJehova, sathi, ‘Kwangathi uJehova angaba phakathi kwami nawe naphakathi kwenzalo* yami nenzalo* yakho kuze kube phakade.’ ” +
Ngemva kwalokho uDavide wasuka wahamba, uJonathani wabuyela edolobheni.