Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
18 Kwathi nje lapho uDavide eqeda ukukhuluma noSawule, uJonathani + noDavide baba abangani abakhulu, uJonathani waqala ukumthanda njengoba ezithanda yena. + 2 Kusukela ngalolo suku, uSawule wamthatha uDavide, akamvumelanga ukuba abuyele emzini kayise. + 3 UJonathani noDavide benza isivumelwano, + ngenxa yokuthi wayemthanda njengoba ezithanda yena. + 4 UJonathani wakhumula ijazi elingenamikhono ayelembethe walinika uDavide, kanye nezingubo zakhe, inkemba yakhe, umnsalo wakhe kanye nebhande lakhe. 5 UDavide waqala ukuphuma imikhankaso yempi. Wayephumelela *+ nomaphi lapho uSawule ayemthuma khona. Ngakho uSawule wamenza induna yebutho, + lokhu kwabajabulisa bonke abantu nezinceku zikaSawule.
6 Kwakuthi lapho uDavide nabanye bebuya ukuyobulala amaFilisti, kuphume abesifazane kuwo wonke amadolobha akwa-Israyeli becula, + bedansa bezohlangabeza iNkosi uSawule, beshaya amathamborini, + bejabula beshaya neziginci. 7 Abesifazane ababehalalisela ukunqoba babecula bethi:
“USawule ubulele izinkulungwane zakhe,
UDavide yena ubulele amashumi ezinkulungwane zakhe.” +
8 USawule wathukuthela kakhulu, + nale ngoma ayimjabulisanga ngoba wathi: “Banike uDavide amashumi ezinkulungwane, kodwa mina banginike izinkulungwane. Ukuphela kwento esele ukuba bamnike yona, ubukhosi!” + 9 Kusukela ngalolo suku kuqhubeke, uSawule wayengasamethembi uDavide.
10 Ngosuku olulandelayo uSawule wahlaselwa umoya omubi + ovela kuNkulunkulu, waqala ukwenza izinto eziyinqaba* endlini, ngesikhathi uDavide edlala umculo ngehabhu + njengenhlalayenza. USawule wayephethe umkhonto ngesandla, + 11 wawujikijela umkhonto + ethi enhliziyweni yakhe: ‘Ngizomhlanganisa nodonga uDavide!’ Kodwa uDavide waphunyuka izikhathi ezimbili. 12 Ngemva kwalokho, uSawule wayesemesaba uDavide ngoba uJehova wayenaye, + kodwa esemshiyile uSawule. + 13 Ngakho uSawule wamsusa kuye wamenza induna yenkulungwane, uDavide wayehola ibutho uma liya empini. *+ 14 UDavide waqhubeka ephumelela *+ kukho konke ayekwenza, noJehova wayenaye. + 15 Lapho uSawule ebona ukuthi wayephumelela kakhulu, wamesaba. 16 Kodwa wonke u-Israyeli noJuda babemthanda uDavide, ngoba wayebahola emikhankasweni yabo yempi.
17 Kamuva uSawule wathi kuDavide: “Nansi indodakazi yami endala uMerabi. + Ngizokunika yona ibe ngumkakho. + Wena nje kufanele uqhubeke ungikhonza ngesibindi, ulwe izimpi zikaJehova.” + Ngoba uSawule wayezitshela ukuthi: ‘Makungabi isandla sami esimelana naye. Makube isandla samaFilisti esimbulalayo.’ + 18 UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Ngingubani mina futhi zingobani izihlobo zami, umndeni kababa kwa-Israyeli, ukuba ngibe umkhwenyana wenkosi?” + 19 Nokho, lapho kufika isikhathi sokuba uMerabi indodakazi kaSawule anikwe uDavide, wayeseganiselwe u-Adriyeli + waseMehola.
20 UMikhali indodakazi kaSawule + wayemthanda uDavide, kwabikwa kuSawule, yamjabulisa le ndaba. 21 Ngakho uSawule wathi: “Ngizomnika yena, abe ugibe kuye ukuze amaFilisti ambulale.” + Ngakho uSawule wathi kuDavide okwesibili: “Namuhla uzoba umkhwenyana wami.” 22 Ngaphezu kwalokho, uSawule wayala izinceku zakhe wathi: “Khulumani noDavide ngasese, nithi, ‘Bheka! Inkosi iyakuthanda, nazo zonke izinceku zayo ziyakuthanda. Ngakho shada nendodakazi yenkosi.’ ” 23 Lapho izinceku zikaSawule zitshela uDavide lezi zinto, uDavide wathi: “Ingabe kuyinto encane kini ukuba ngishade nendodakazi yenkosi ngibe ngingumuntu ompofu nodelelekile?” + 24 Izinceku zikaSawule zambikela, zathi: “Yilawa amazwi uDavide awashilo.”
25 USawule waphendula wathi: “Yilokhu okufanele nikusho kuDavide, ‘Inkosi ayifune lobolo + ngaphandle kwamajwabu + amaFilisti angu-100, ukuze uphindiselele inkosi ezitheni zayo.’ ” Kodwa uSawule wayeceba ukuba uDavide afe ngesandla samaFilisti. 26 Ngakho izinceku zakhe zawabika la mazwi kuDavide, le ndaba yokushada nendodakazi yenkosi yathandeka kuDavide. + Singakafiki isikhathi esibekiwe, 27 uDavide wahamba namadoda ayekanye naye babulala amaFilisti angu-200, uDavide wawaletha wonke lawo majwabu enkosini ukuze ashade nendodakazi yenkosi. Ngakho uSawule wamganisela uMikhali indodakazi yakhe. + 28 USawule wabona ukuthi uJehova wayenoDavide + nokuthi indodakazi yakhe uMikhali iyamthanda. + 29 Lokhu kwenza uSawule wamesaba nakakhulu uDavide, uSawule waba yisitha sikaDavide ukuphila kwakhe konke. +
30 Izikhulu zamaFilisti zaziphuma ziye empini kodwa kwakuthi njalo lapho ziphuma, uDavide aphumelele* ukuzedlula zonke izinceku zikaSawule; + igama lakhe lalihlonishwa kakhulu. +