1 Samuweli 18:1-30
18 Kwathi lapho nje eqeda ukukhuluma noSawule, umphefumulo kaJonathani+ wanamathelana+ nomphefumulo kaDavide, uJonathani waqala ukumthanda njengoba ethanda umphefumulo wakhe.+
2 Khona-ke uSawule wamthatha ngalolo suku futhi akamvumelanga ukuba abuyele endlini kayise.+
3 UJonathani noDavide benza isivumelwano,+ ngenxa yokuthi wayemthanda njengoba ethanda umphefumulo wakhe.+
4 Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJonathani wahlubula ijazi elingenamikhono ayelembethe walinika uDavide, kanye nezingubo zakhe, ngisho nenkemba yakhe nomnsalo wakhe nebhande lakhe.
5 UDavide waphuma. Nomaphi lapho uSawule ayemthuma khona wayenza ngokuhlakanipha,+ kangangokuthi uSawule wambeka phezu kwamadoda empi;+ futhi kwabonakala kukuhle emehlweni abo bonke abantu nasemehlweni ezinceku zikaSawule.
6 Kwathi lapho befika, lapho uDavide ebuya kobulala amaFilisti, abesifazane baphuma kuyo yonke imizi yakwa-Israyeli ngengoma+ nangemidanso ukuze bahlangabeze uSawule inkosi, ngamathamborini,+ ngokujabula+ nangemiqangala entamboningi.
7 Abesifazane ababesina babelokhu besabela bethi:
“USawule ubulele izinkulungwane zakhe,UDavide yena amashumi ezinkulungwane zakhe.”+
8 USawule wathukuthela+ kakhulu, futhi leli zwi laba libi kakhulu emehlweni akhe, kangangokuthi wathi: “Baniké uDavide amashumi ezinkulungwane, kodwa mina banginiké izinkulungwane, sekusele ubukhosi kuphela ukuba bamnike bona!”+
9 USawule wayesembheka ngokumdlinzekela njalo uDavide kusukela ngalolo suku kuqhubeke.+
10 Kwathi ngosuku olulandelayo+ umoya omubi kaNkulunkulu wasebenza phezu kukaSawule,+ waziphatha njengomprofethi+ endlini, ngesikhathi uDavide edlala umculo ngesandla sakhe,+ njengasezinsukwini zangaphambili; kwakukhona umkhonto esandleni+ sikaSawule.
11 USawule wawujikijela umkhonto+ wathi: “Ngizomhlanganisa nodonga uDavide!”+ kodwa uDavide wagwija phambi kwakhe, kabili.+
12 USawule wamesaba+ uDavide ngoba uJehova wabonakala enaye,+ kodwa wayemukile kuSawule.+
13 Ngenxa yalokho uSawule wamsusa kuye+ wammisa ukuba abe yinduna yakhe yenkulungwane; wayephuma engena njalo phambi kwabantu.+
14 UDavide wayenza ngokuhlakanipha+ njalo kuzo zonke izindlela zakhe, futhi uJehova wayenaye.+
15 USawule wayelokhu ebona ukuthi wayenza ngokuhlakanipha okukhulu,+ kangangokuthi wamesaba.
16 Wonke u-Israyeli noJuda babemthanda uDavide, ngoba wayephuma futhi engena phambi kwabo.
17 Ekugcineni uSawule wathi kuDavide: “Nansi indodakazi yami endala uMerabi.+ Ngizokuganisela yona ibe ngumkakho.+ Kuphela zibonakalise kimi uyiqhawe ulwe izimpi zikaJehova.”+ Kepha uSawule wayezitshela ukuthi: “Makungabi isandla sami esiba phezu kwakhe, kodwa makube isandla samaFilisti esiba phezu kwakhe.”+
18 UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Ngingubani mina futhi zingobani izihlobo zami, umndeni kababa, kwa-Israyeli, ukuba ngibe umkhwenyana wenkosi?”+
19 Nokho, ngesikhathi sokuba uMerabi indodakazi kaSawule aganiselwe uDavide, wayeseganiselwe u-Adriyeli+ waseMehola.+
20 Manje uMikhali+ indodakazi kaSawule wayemthanda uDavide, kwabikwa kuSawule, yathandeka le ndaba kuye.
21 Ngakho uSawule wathi: “Ngizomnika yena ukuze asebenze njengogibe kuye,+ futhi isandla samaFilisti sibe phezu kwakhe.” Ngakho uSawule wathi kuDavide: “Uzokwakha nami ubuhlobo bomshado namuhla ngoyedwa walaba besifazane ababili.”
22 Ngaphezu kwalokho, uSawule wayala izinceku zakhe wathi: “Khulumani noDavide ngasese, nithi, ‘Bheka! Inkosi iyajabula ngawe, futhi zonke izinceku zayo ziyakuthanda. Manje yakha ubuhlobo bomshado nenkosi.’”
23 Izinceku zikaSawule zakhuluma la mazwi ezindlebeni zikaDavide, kodwa uDavide wathi: “Ingabe kuyinto elula emehlweni enu ukwakha ubuhlobo bomshado nenkosi, ngibe ngingumuntu onokuncane+ nothathwa kalula?”+
24 Khona-ke izinceku zikaSawule zambikela, zithi: “UDavide ukhulumé amazwi anjengalawa.”
25 Khona-ke uSawule wathi: “Yilokhu enizokusho kuDavide, ‘Inkosi ayijabuleli ilobolo,+ kodwa ijabulela amajwabu+ amaFilisti ayikhulu, ukuze iziphindiselele+ ezitheni zenkosi.’” Kodwa uSawule yena, wayecebe ukuba uDavide awe ngesandla samaFilisti.
26 Ngakho izinceku zakhe zawabika la mazwi kuDavide, futhi le ndaba yokwakha ubuhlobo bomshado+ nenkosi, yathandeka kuDavide, futhi izinsuku zazingakapheli.
27 Ngakho uDavide wasuka yena kanye namadoda ayekanye naye bahamba babulala+ phakathi kwamaFilisti amadoda angamakhulu amabili, uDavide weza elethe amajwabu+ awo wawanika inkosi eyisibalo esiphelele, ukuze akhe ubuhlobo bomshado nenkosi. USawule yena wamganisela uMikhali indodakazi yakhe.+
28 USawule wabona futhi wazi ukuthi uJehova wayenoDavide.+ UMikhali yena, indodakazi kaSawule, wayemthanda.+
29 USawule waphinda futhi wazizwa enokwesaba okukhulu ngenxa kaDavide, uSawule waba yisitha sikaDavide njalo.+
30 Izikhulu+ zamaFilisti zaziphuma, futhi kwakuthi njalo lapho bephuma uDavide enze ngokuhlakanipha+ kunazo zonke izinceku zikaSawule; igama lakhe laba yigugu kakhulu.+
