Eyokuqala KaSamuweli

17 AmaFilisti + aqoqa amabutho* awo ukuze aye empini. Abuthana eSoko + lakwaJuda, amisa amatende awo phakathi kweSoko ne-Azeka, + e-Efesi-damimi. + 2 USawule namadoda akwa-Israyeli baqoqana bamisa amatende eSigodini Sase-Elahi, *+ balungela ukulwa namaFilisti. 3 AmaFilisti ayesentabeni engakolunye uhlangothi, nama-Israyeli esentabeni engakolunye uhlangothi, behlukaniswe yisigodi.

4 Kwaphuma ingqwele ebuthweni lamaFilisti; igama layo kunguGoliyati, + ingeyaseGati, + ubude bayo bungamamitha angaba ngu-2,9. 5 Ekhanda yayifake isigqoko sokuzivikela sethusi, igqoke ijazi lokuzivikela elinezingcwecwe ezilakanyene. Isisindo sejazi lethusi + sasingamashekeli angu-5 000.* 6 Yayifake izivikelo zemilenze zethusi, kukhona nengcula + yethusi phakathi kwamahlombe ayo. 7 Umphini womkhonto wayo kwakungathi ugodo lohlaka lokweluka indwangu, + isihloko somkhonto sensimbi singamashekeli angu-600;* owayeyiphathele ihawu wayehamba phambi kwayo. 8 Yama yamemeza ibutho lakwa-Israyeli + yathi kulo: “Niphumeleni nazolungela impi? Angiyena yini mina umFilisti, nina anizona yini izinceku zikaSawule? Zikhetheleni indoda, yehle ize kimi. 9 Uma ilwa nami bese ingibulala, sizoba yizinceku zenu. Kodwa uma ngiyinqoba ngiyibulale, nizoba yizinceku zethu nisikhonze.” 10 Lo mFilisti wathi: “Ngiliphonsela inselele* ibutho lakwa-Israyeli + namuhla. Nginikeni indoda, silwe!”

11 Lapho uSawule no-Israyeli wonke bezwa la mazwi omFilisti, bashaywa uvalo, besaba kakhulu.

12 Manje uDavide wayeyindodana yomEfratha + waseBhetlehema + kwaJuda ogama lakhe kwakunguJese, + owayenamadodana angu-8. + Ezinsukwini zikaSawule uJese wayeseyikhehla. 13 Amadodana amathathu kaJese amadala ayehambe noSawule aya empini. + Amagama ala madodana akhe amathathu aya empini kwakungu-Eliyabe + izibulo, indodana yakhe yesibili kungu-Abhinadaba + eyesithathu kunguShamumaha. + 14 UDavide wayemncane kunabo bonke, + abathathu abadala balandela uSawule.

15 UDavide wayehamba ayokwelusa izimvu + zikayise eBhetlehema abuye aphindele kuSawule. 16 UmFilisti wayesondela njalo ekuseni nakusihlwa ezobaphonsela inselele kwaze kwaphela izinsuku ezingu-40.

17 UJese wathi kuDavide indodana yakhe: “Ngicela uthathe leli efa* lokudla okusanhlamvu okugazingiwe nalezi zinkwa eziyishumi, ukuphuthumise kubafowenu ekamu. 18 Thatha nalezi zigaxa zikashizi* eziyishumi ufike uzinike induna yenkulungwane; ufike ubheke nenhlalakahle yabafowenu, ubuye nento ewubufakazi bokuthi bayaphila.” 19 BabenoSawule kanye nawo wonke amanye amadoda akwa-Israyeli eSigodini Sase-Elahi, *+ belwa namaFilisti. +

20 Ngakho uDavide wavuka ekuseni kakhulu washiya izimvu zeluswe omunye; wathatha lezo zinto wahamba njengoba nje uJese ayemyalile. Lapho efika ekamu, ibutho laliphuma liya enkundleni yempi, lisho isiqubulo sempi. 21 U-Israyeli namaFilisti basondelana ukuze elinye ibutho libhekane nelinye. 22 Ngokushesha uDavide washiya umthwalo ayewuphethe kumuntu owayegada imithwalo wagijimela enkundleni yempi. Lapho efika, wabuza abafowabo ngenhlalakahle yabo. +

23 Esakhuluma nabo, kwaqhamuka ingqwele, egama layo kunguGoliyati + umFilisti waseGati. Yaphuma ebuthweni lamaFilisti, yasho amazwi ebilokhu iwasho ngaphambili, + uDavide wayizwa. 24 Lapho wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli eyibona le ndoda, ayibalekela ethuke kakhulu. + 25 Amadoda akwa-Israyeli ayekhuluma ethi: “Niyibonile le ndoda ephuma ebuthweni? Izophonsela u-Israyeli inselele. *+ Umuntu ozoyibulala, inkosi izomnika ingcebo enkulu, imnike indodakazi yayo, + ikhulule indlu kayise ekukhokheni intela nezinye izinto ama-Israyeli okufanele azinike inkosi.”

26 UDavide wathi emadodeni ayemi eduze kwakhe: “Uzotholani umuntu ozobulala lowaya mFilisti asuse ihlazo phezu kuka-Israyeli? Ngoba ungubani lo mFilisti ongasokile ukuba adelele* ibutho lempi likaNkulunkulu ophilayo?” + 27 Abantu bamtshela izinto ezazithenjiswe yinkosi base bethi: “Yilokhu okuzotholwa ngumuntu ombulalayo.” 28 Lapho u-Eliyabe + umfowabo omdala emuzwa ekhuluma nalawo madoda, wamthukuthelela uDavide, wathi: “Wehleleni? Uzishiye nobani leziya zimvu ezimbalwa ezisehlane? + Ngikwazi kahle ukugabadela kwakho nobubi benhliziyo yakho; wehlele ukuzobona impi nje kwaphela.” 29 UDavide wathi: “Sengenzeni manje? Bengimane ngibuza nje!” 30 Ngakho waphenduka wasuka kuye waya komunye wabuza umbuzo ofanayo, + nabantu bamnika impendulo efana neyasekuqaleni. +

31 Abathile bakuzwa lokho uDavide ayekushilo base bebikela uSawule. Ngakho wathi makalandwe. 32 UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Ungavumeli muntu ukuba aphele amandla ngenxa yalo mFilisti. Inceku yakho izohamba iyolwa naye.” + 33 Kodwa uSawule wathi kuDavide: “Awukwazi ukuyolwa nalo mFilisti, ngoba ungumfana nje, + yena ubelokhu eyisosha* kusukela ebusheni bakhe.” 34 UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Inceku yakho yaba umalusi wezimvu zikayise, kwaqhamuka ibhubesi + lathatha imvu emhlanjini. Ngesinye isikhathi kwaqhamuka ibhere lenza okufanayo. 35 Ngakulandela ngakubulala ngazophula emlonyeni wako. Lapho kungivukela ngakubamba ngoboya* ngakushaya ngakubulala. 36 Inceku yakho yabulala ibhubesi kanye nebhere, lo mFilisti ongasokile uzoba njengokunye kwako, ngoba udelele* ibutho lempi likaNkulunkulu ophilayo.” + 37 UDavide wanezela: “UJehova, owangikhulula ezidladleni zebhubesi nasebhereni, nguye ozongikhulula esandleni salo mFilisti.” + Lapho ezwa lokhu uSawule wathi kuDavide: “Hamba, kwangathi uJehova angaba nawe.”

38 USawule wagqokisa uDavide izingubo zakhe. Wamfaka isigqoko sokuzivikela sethusi, ngemva kwalokho wamgqokisa ijazi lokuzivikela. 39 UDavide wagaxa inkemba yakhe phezu kwezingubo zakhe wayesezama ukuhamba kodwa wehluleka, ngoba wayengazijwayele lezi zinto. UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Angikwazi ukuhamba ngigqoke lezi zinto, ngoba angizijwayele.” Ngakho uDavide wazikhumula. 40 Wabe esethatha induku yakhe, wazikhethela amatshe amahlanu abushelelezi emfudlaneni* wawafaka esikhwameni sakhe sabelusi, waphatha indwayimane + yakhe ngesandla. Ngemva kwalokho waqonda kumFilisti.

41 UmFilisti wayelokhu esondela kuDavide, umuntu ophethe ihawu lakhe ehamba phambi kwakhe. 42 Lapho umFilisti ebona uDavide, wameya ngoba wayengumfana nje obomvana, omuhle. + 43 Ngakho umFilisti wathi kuDavide: “Ngiyinja yini + ukuba uzolwa nami ngezinduku?” UmFilisti waqalekisa uDavide ngonkulunkulu bakhe. 44 UmFilisti wathi kuDavide: “Sondela nje, inyama yakho ngizoyinika izinyoni zamazulu nezilwane zasendle.”

45 UDavide wamphendula umFilisti wathi: “Wena uza kimi nenkemba nomkhonto nengcula, + kodwa mina ngiza kuwe ngegama likaJehova wamabutho, + uNkulunkulu webutho lempi yakwa-Israyeli, omdelelile. *+ 46 Namuhla uJehova uzokunikela esandleni sami, + ngizokubulala ngikunqume ikhanda; namuhla izidumbu zekamu lamaFilisti ngizozipha izinyoni zamazulu nezilo zasendle zomhlaba; abantu emhlabeni wonke bazokwazi ukuthi ukhona uNkulunkulu kwa-Israyeli. + 47 Bonke laba bantu abalapha* bazokwazi ukuthi uJehova akasindisi ngankemba nangamkhonto, + ngoba impi ingekaJehova, + uzoninikela nonke esandleni sethu.” +

48 UmFilisti wayelokhu esondela kancane kancane kuDavide, kodwa uDavide washesha wagijimela enkundleni yempi ukuze alwe nalo mFilisti. 49 UDavide wafaka isandla esikhwameni sakhe wakhipha itshe walijikijela ngendwayimane. Washaya umFilisti esiphongweni itshe langena lashona esiphongweni sakhe, wawa phansi ngobuso. + 50 Ngakho uDavide wamnqoba umFilisti ngendwayimane netshe; wamlahla phansi umFilisti wambulala, nakuba uDavide ayengaphethe nkemba. + 51 UDavide waqhubeka egijima wafike wama phezu komFilisti. Wayesebamba inkemba yomFilisti + wayihosha esikhwameni sayo wamnquma ngayo ikhanda ukuze aqiniseke ukuthi ufile. Lapho amaFilisti ebona ukuthi iqhawe lawo lifile, abaleka. +

52 Amadoda akwa-Israyeli nawakwaJuda amemeza awajaha amaFilisti kusukela esigodini + kuze kuyofika emasangweni ase-Ekroni, + ababefile kumaFilisti babedindilize emgwaqweni osuka eShaharayimi, + kuze kuyofika eGati nase-Ekroni. 53 Ngemva kokuba ama-Israyeli esebuyile ukuyojaha amaFilisti, aphanga amakamu awo.

54 Ngemva kwalokho, uDavide wathatha ikhanda lomFilisti waliletha eJerusalema, kodwa izikhali zomFilisti wazibeka etendeni lakhe. +

55 Ngesikhathi uSawule ebona uDavide ephuma eyolwa nomFilisti, wathi ku-Abhineri, + induna yebutho: “Uyindodana kabani lo mfana, + Abhineri?” U-Abhineri wathi: “Ngiyafunga phambi kwakho nkosi,* angazi!” 56 Inkosi yathi: “Ngitholele ukuthi leli bhungu liyindodana kabani.” 57 Ngakho, ngokushesha nje lapho uDavide esebuyile ekubulaleni umFilisti, + u-Abhineri wamthatha wamletha phambi kukaSawule ephethe ikhanda lomFilisti. 58 USawule wathi kuye: “Uyindodana kabani, mfana?” uDavide wathi: “Ngiyindodana yenceku yakho uJese + waseBhetlehema.” +