Eyokuqala KaSamuweli 13:1-23
13 USawule wayeneminyaka engu-. . .* ubudala lapho eba yinkosi + kwa-Israyeli. Ngemva kokubusa iminyaka emibili,
2 uSawule wakhetha amadoda angu-3 000 kwa-Israyeli; angu-2 000 ayekanye noSawule eMikimashi nasezintabeni zaseBhethele, angu-1 000 ekanye noJonathani + eGibheya + kwaBhenjamini. Bonke abanye abantu wathi abahambe, yilowo nalowo aye etendeni lakhe.
3 UJonathani wabulala iviyo lamaFilisti + elaliseGeba, + amaFilisti ezwa ngakho. USawule wayesethumela izithunywa kulo lonke elakwa-Israyeli ukuba zishaye uphondo + zibize amadoda akwa-Israyeli, zithi: “Wonke amaHebheru mawalalele!”
4 Wonke u-Israyeli wezwa ukuthi uSawule ubulale ibutho lamaFilisti, nokuthi amaFilisti aseyamzonda u-Israyeli. Ngakho abantu babizwa ukuba balandele uSawule baye eGiligali. +
5 AmaFilisti nawo aqoqana ukuze ayolwa no-Israyeli, enezinqola zempi ezingu-30 000, abagibeli bamahhashi abangu-6 000 namabutho ahamba ngezinyawo amaningi ngangesihlabathi esisogwini lolwandle; + akhuphuka afike amisa amatende eMikimashi empumalanga yeBheti-aveni. +
6 Amadoda akwa-Israyeli abona ukuthi asenkingeni ngoba kwakungawahambeli kahle; ngakho abantu bacasha emihumeni, + emigodini, emaweni, ezinqabeni ezingaphansi komhlaba nasemithonjeni.
7 Amanye amaHebheru aze awela ngisho neJordani aya ezweni lakwaGadi nakwaGileyadi. + Kodwa uSawule wayeseseGiligali, bonke abantu ababemlandela babethuthumela.
8 Wayelokhu elindile izinsuku eziyisikhombisa kwaze kwafika isikhathi uSamuweli ayesibekile, kodwa uSamuweli akafikanga eGiligali, nabantu base beqala ukuhlakazeka bemshiya.
9 Ekugcineni uSawule wathi: “Lethani lapha umhlatshelo oshiswayo nemihlatshelo ehlanganyelwayo.” Ngemva kwalokho wanikela umhlatshelo oshiswayo. +
10 Kodwa ngokushesha nje lapho eqeda ukunikela umhlatshelo oshiswayo, uSamuweli wafika. Ngakho uSawule waphuma wayomhlangabeza, wambingelela.
11 USamuweli wathi: “Yini le oyenzile?” USawule wathi: “Ngibone ukuthi abantu bayangishiya, + nokuthi nawe awufikanga ngesikhathi esibekiwe, futhi amaFilisti abeqoqana eMikimashi. +
12 Ngakho ngithe enhliziyweni yami, ‘Manje amaFilisti azokwehla azolwa nami eGiligali, kanti angikawuceli umusa kaJehova.’* Ngakho ngizizwe ngiphoqelekile ukunikela umhlatshelo oshiswayo.”
13 USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Wenze ngobuwula. Awuwulalelanga umyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho. + Ukube ubuwulalelile, uJehova ubeyowuqinisa unomphela umbuso wakho phezu kuka-Israyeli.
14 Kodwa manje umbuso wakho ngeke uhlale isikhathi eside. + UJehova uzozitholela umuntu ojabulisa inhliziyo yakhe, + uJehova uzommisa abe ngumholi wabantu bakhe, + ngoba awukugcinanga lokho uJehova akuyale ngakho.” +
15 Ngemva kwalokho uSamuweli wasuka eGiligali wakhuphukela eGibheya kwaBhenjamini, uSawule wabala abantu; labo ababengamshiyanga kwakungamadoda angaba ngu-600. +
16 USawule, uJonathani indodana yakhe kanye nabantu ababengabashiyanga babeseGeba + kwaBhenjamini, amaFilisti wona ayemise amatende eMikimashi. +
17 Ibutho labaphangi lalisuka ekamu lamaFilisti lingamaviyo amathathu. Iviyo lokuqala lalithatha umgwaqo oya e-Ofira, ezweni laseShuwali;
18 iviyo lesibili lalithatha umgwaqo oya eBheti-horoni; + kanti iviyo lesithathu lalithatha umgwaqo oya emngceleni obhekene nesigodi saseZeboyimi, ngasehlane.
19 Ngaleso sikhathi kwakungekho ngisho noyedwa umuntu osebenza ngensimbi kwa-Israyeli, ngoba amaFilisti ayethe: “Asifuni amaHebheru enze izinkemba noma imikhonto.”
20 Wonke ama-Israyeli kwakudingeka aye kumaFilisti ukuze alolelwe amageja, amagejambazo, izimbazo noma amasikela.
21 Ukulola amageja, amagejambazo, izimfologo, izimbazo nokulungisa izinkandi* zezinkabi kwakubiza ipimi.*
22 Lapho kuyiwa empini akukho muntu owayesuke enenkemba noma umkhonto kubantu ababekanye noSawule noJonathani; + uSawule noJonathani indodana yakhe kuphela abebenezikhali.
23 Iviyo* lamaFilisti laliphumile laya endaweni yokuwela emhosheni waseMikimashi. +
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Inombolo ayibhalwanga embhalweni wesiHebheru.
^ Noma, “angikabuthambisi ubuso bukaJehova.”
^ Induku efakwe insimbi ecijile phambili, okwakuqhutshwa ngayo izinkabi.
^ Isisindo sasendulo, esasicishe sibe yizingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zeshekeli.
^ Noma, “Amasosha.”
