Eyokuqala KaSamuweli

31 AmaFilisti ayelwa no-Israyeli. + Amadoda akwa-Israyeli awabalekela amaFilisti, amaningi abulawa eNtabeni iGilibowa. + 2 AmaFilisti amhlala ezithendeni uSawule namadodana akhe, abulala uJonathani, + u-Abhinadaba noMaliki-shuwa, amadodana kaSawule. + 3 Impi yaba nzima kuSawule, abacibisheli bamthola futhi bamlimaza kabi. + 4 Ngemva kwalokho uSawule wathi esikhonzini esiphatha izikhali zakhe: “Hosha inkemba yakho ungigwaze ngayo, ukuze laba bantu abangasokile + bangafiki bangigwaze bangiphathe ngesihluku.”* Kodwa isikhonzi esiphatha izikhali zakhe asivumanga, ngoba sasesaba kakhulu. Ngakho uSawule wathatha inkemba wawela phezu kwayo. + 5 Lapho isikhonzi esiphatha izikhali zakhe sibona ukuthi uSawule usefile, + naso sawela phezu kwenkemba yaso safa. 6 Ngakho uSawule, amadodana akhe amathathu, isikhonzi esiphatha izikhali zakhe nazo zonke izinceku zakhe, bafa bonke ngalolo suku. + 7 Lapho abantu bakwa-Israyeli ababesesigodini* nababeseJordani bebona ukuthi amadoda akwa-Israyeli abalekile nokuthi uSawule namadodana akhe bafile, bashiya amadolobha abo babaleka; + ngemva kwalokho kwafika amaFilisti ahlala kuwo.

8 Ngakusasa, lapho amaFilisti eza ezohlubula ababulewe, athola uSawule namadodana akhe amathathu bedindilizile eNtabeni iGilibowa. + 9 Ngakho amnquma ikhanda, amhlubula izembatho zakhe zempi, athumela umyalezo kulo lonke izwe lamaFilisti ukuze lezi zindaba azimemezele + ezindlini* zezithixo zawo + nakubantu. 10 Ngemva kwalokho abeka izembatho zakhe zempi endlini yemifanekiso ka-Ashitoreti, abethela isidumbu sakhe odongeni lwaseBheti-shani. + 11 Lapho abantu baseJabeshi-gileyadi + bezwa ngalokho amaFilisti ayekwenze kuSawule, 12 wonke amaqhawe asuka ahamba ubusuku bonke afike asethula isidumbu sikaSawule nezidumbu zamadodana akhe odongeni lwaseBheti-shani. Abuyela nazo eJabeshi afike azishisa khona. 13 Ngemva kwalokho athatha amathambo abo + awangcwaba ngaphansi kwesihlahla somthamariske eJabeshi, + azila ukudla izinsuku eziyisikhombisa.