Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli 13:1-23
13 USawuli wayeleminyaka engu . . .* ngesikhathi esiba yinkosi+ futhi wabusa ko-Israyeli okweminyaka emibili.
2 USawuli wakhetha amadoda angu-3 000 ko-Israyeli. Angu-2 000 ayeloSawuli eMikhimashi lasezintabeni zaseBhetheli, angu-1 000 eloJonathani+ eGibheya+ yakoBhenjamini. USawuli wathi bonke abanye babuyele emizini yabo.
3 Ngemva kwalokho uJonathani wahlasela iqembu lamabutho amaFilisti+ elaliseGebha+ walinqoba, njalo amaFilisti akuzwa lokho. USawuli wathi akutshaywe uphondo+ kulo lonke elako-Israyeli kuthiwe: “MaHebheru zwanini!”
4 Bonke abantu bako-Israyeli bezwa ukuthi uSawuli uhlasele iqembu lebutho lamaFilisti walinqoba lokuthi ama-Filisti ayesebazonda kakhulu abako-Israyeli. Ngakho abantu babizwa ukuze balandele uSawuli eGiligali.+
5 AmaFilisti lawo abuthana ukuze alwe labako-Israyeli. Ayelezinqola zempi ezingu-30 000 labagadi bamabhiza abangu-6 000 kanye lamabutho amanengi angathi litshebetshebe ekhunjini lolwandle.+ AmaFilisti amisa inkamba yawo eMikhimashi empumalanga kweBhethi-aveni.+
6 Amadoda ako-Israyeli abona ukuthi ayesebunzimeni ngoba umumo wawumubi kakhulu. Yikho acatsha ezimbalwini,+ lasemilindini, lasemagodini, lasemadwaleni, lasemigodini yamanzi.
7 Amanye amaHebheru aze achapha umfula uJodani aya elizweni lakoGadi lelizweni leGiliyadi.+ USawuli yena wayelokhu eseGiligali njalo bonke abantu ababemlandela babeqhuqha ngenxa yokwesaba.
8 USawuli waqhubeka elindile eGiligali okwamalanga ayisikhombisa kwaze kwaba yisikhathi esasibekwe nguSamuyeli. Kodwa uSamuyeli wayelokhu engakafiki futhi abantu baqalisa ukumtshiya uSawuli.
9 Yikho uSawuli wacina esithi: “Lethani umhlatshelo wokutshiswa lemihlatshelo yobudlelwano.” Wasenikela umhlatshelo wokutshiswa.+
10 Wathi esanda kuqeda ukunikela umhlatshelo wokutshiswa, uSamuyeli wafika. Ngakho uSawuli wasuka wamhlangabeza njalo wambingelela.*
11 USamuyeli wambuza wathi: “Kuyini lokhu okwenzileyo?” USawuli waphendula wathi: “Ngibone abantu sebengitshiya+ futhi lawe awufikanga ngesikhathi esibekiweyo. AmaFilisti lawo abesebuthana eMikhimashi.+
12 Yikho ngizitshele ngathi, ‘Khathesi amaFilisti azabuya angihlasele eGiligali, mina ngingakaceli uJehova ukuthi angincedise.’ Bekungasela okunye engingakwenza ngaphandle kokuthi nginikele umhlatshelo wokutshiswa.”
13 Ngakho uSamuyeli wathi kuSawuli: “Wenze ubuthutha. Awuzange ulalele umlayo owuphiwe nguJehova uNkulunkulu wakho.+ Aluba ubuwulalele, uJehova ubezakwenza umbuso wakho uhlale kokuphela ko-Israyeli.
14 Kodwa khathesi umbuso wakho awusoze uhlale isikhathi eside.+ UJehova uzadinga umuntu othokozisa inhliziyo yakhe+ njalo uJehova uzambeka ukuthi abe ngumkhokheli wabantu bakhe,+ ngoba wena awuzange ulalele lokho uJehova akutshele khona.”+
15 Ngemva kwalokho uSamuyeli wasuka eGiligali waya eGibheya yakoBhenjamini. USawuli wabala abantu ababelokhu belaye, kwatholakala ukuthi kwakulamadoda angaba ngu-600.+
16 USawuli lendodana yakhe uJonathani labantu ababelabo babehlala eGebha+ yakoBhenjamini. AmaFilisti wona ayemise inkamba yawo eMikhimashi.+
17 Kwakulamaqembu amathathu amaFilisti ayephuma esiyahlasela. Elinye laliphuma ngomgwaqo we-Ofira lisiya elizweni leShuwali,
18 elinye liphume ngomgwaqo weBhethi-horoni.+ Elesithathu lona laliphuma ngomgwaqo owawuqonda emngceleni okhangelane lesigodi saseZebhoyimi lisiya enkangala.
19 Kwakungelamuntu owayengumkhandi wensimbi kulo lonke ilizwe lako-Israyeli ngoba amaFilisti ayethe: “Asifuni ukuthi amaHebheru akhande izinkemba lemikhonto.”
20 Yikho ama-Israyeli kwakumele aye kumaFilisti ukuze alolelwe amahloka, lamakhuba, lamamatoki* kanye lamasikela.
21 Umuntu wayebhadala iphimu* nxa efuna ukulolelwa ikhuba, imatoki, ihloka kumbe ifologwe elamazinyo amathathu loba nxa efuna ukulungisa izinciji.*
22 Ngelanga lokulwa akula ngitsho loyedwa ebantwini ababeloSawuli loJonathani+ owayelenkemba kumbe umkhonto. USawuli lendodana yakhe uJonathani yibo bodwa ababelezikhali.
23 Elinye iqembu lamaFilisti laliphumile laya endleleni eyayidlula esihotsheni seMikhimashi.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ Emibhalweni yesiHebheru kasitshelwa ukuthi wayeleminyaka emingaki.
^ NgesiHebheru, “wambusisa.”
^ Imatoki lithuluzi elilihloka nganxanye, nganxanye liyipiki.
^ Lesi yisilinganiso sakudala esasingaba ngamagremu esiliva angu-8.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
