UBawo wethu uyalela uDavide ukuba ahlangule iKehila
UDavide wabuza kuBawo wethu kabini phambi kokuba ahlangule iKehila, waza wabuza kwakhona, weva ukuba umzi awawusindisayo uya kumnikela. UYonatan wamfumana entlango, wamomeleza. USawule wamngqinga ngasentabeni, wada umhlaselo wamaFilisti wamrhola wamka.
23 1Bamxelela uDavide, besithi: “Khangela, amaFilisti alwa neKehila, ephanga emasandeni.”
2UDavide wabuza kuBawo wethu, wathi: “Ndiye kuwahlasela na la maFilisti?” Waza uBawo wethu waphendula wathi: “Hamba, uwahlasele amaFilisti, uyihlangule iKehila.”
3Athi amadoda kaDavide: “Khangela, siyoyika apha kwaYuda; kobeka phi na ke ukuba siye eKehila ezintlwini zokulwa zamaFilisti!”
4Waphinda kwakhona uDavide wabuza kuBawo wethu, waza uBawo wethu wamphendula wathi: “Vuka, wehle usinge eKehila, kuba ndiza kuwanikela esandleni sakho amaFilisti.”
5UDavide namadoda akhe baya eKehila, balwa namaFilisti, bayithimba imfuyo yawo, bawabulala kakhulu, bayihlangula iKehila nabemi bayo.
6UAbhiyatare, unyana ka-Ahimeleki, wayesabele kuDavide eKehila; wafika ene-efodi esandleni sakhe.
7Waxelelwa uSawule ukuba uDavide useKehila, wathi: “UThixo umnikele esandleni sam uDavide; uzithiyele yena, kuba ungene emzini onamasango nemivalo.” 8USawule wawahlabela umkhosi amadoda onke ukuba aye emfazweni: ehla aye eKehila, angqinge uDavide namadoda akhe. 9UDavide waqonda ukuba uSawule umenzela ububi, wathi kuAbhiyatare umbingeleli: “Yisondeze apha i-efodi.” 10Wathi uDavide: “Bawo, Thixo kaSirayeli, umkhonzi wakho uvile ngokuqinisekileyo ukuba uSawule ufuna ukuza eKehila, awutshabalalise umzi ngenxa yam.
11Baya kundinikela na kuye abemi baseKehila? Uya kuhla na uSawule, njengoko umkhonzi wakho evileyo? Bawo, Thixo kaSirayeli, khawumxelele umkhonzi wakho.” Waza uBawo wethu wathi: “Uya kuhla.”
12Wabuza uDavide: “Baya kundinikela na, mna namadoda am, kuSawule abemi baseKehila?” Waza uBawo wethu wathi: “Baya kunikela.”
13Wesuka uDavide namadoda akhe angathi angamakhulu amathandathu, bemka eKehila, behambahamba besiya kwiindawo ngeendawo. Waxelelwa uSawule ukuba uDavide wasinda eKehila, akaba saphinda amsukele. 14UDavide wahlala ezimboniselweni zasentlango, kweleentaba lasentlango yaseZifi. USawule wayemfuna imihla yonke, kodwa uBawo wethu akamnikela esandleni sakhe. 15UDavide wayeseHoreshe entlango yaseZifi, wabona ukuba uSawule uphumile ukufuna umphefumlo wakhe. 16Wesuka uYonatan, unyana kaSawule, waya kuDavide eHoreshe, wasomeleza isandla sakhe kuBawo wethu. 17Wathi kuye: “Musa ukoyika, kuba isandla sikaSawule ubawo asiyi kukufumana. Uya kuba ngukumkani phezu koSirayeli, mna ndibe ngowesibini kuwe. Kananjalo noSawule ubawo uyakwazi oko.” 18Benza ke umnqophiso bobabini phambi koBawo wethu. UDavide wahlala eHoreshe; uYonatan waya endlwini yakhe.
19Benyuka ke abaseZifi, baya kuSawule eGibhela, bathi: “UDavide akazifihle na phakathi kwethu ezimboniselweni eHoreshe, endulini yeHakila engasezantsi kwenkangala? 20Kaloku, kumkani, yihla, uze uhle, xa uthanda; thina siya kumnikela esandleni sakho.”
21Waphendula uSawule: “Makanisikelele uBawo wethu, kuba nibe nemfesane kum. 22Hambani, nilungise ngokugqithisileyo; nazi apho anyathela khona, nokuba ngubani na ombonileyo khona; bandixelele ukuba uyakhalipha kakhulu. 23Nazi zonke iindawo azifihla kuzo, nize nindiphathele iindaba eziqinisekileyo. Ndohamba nani, kuthi ukuba usezweni, ndomfumana phakathi kwemizalwane yonke yakwaYuda.”
24Bemka ke, baya eZifi, bemandulela uSawule. Ke yena uDavide namadoda akhe babesentlango yaseMahon, eArabha engasezantsi kwenkangala. 25Besuka uSawule namadoda akhe, beza kumfuna; waza waxelelwa uDavide. Wehla waya elulwandleni, wahlala entlango yaseMahon. Weva uSawule, wamsukela uDavide entlango yaseMahon. 26USawule wahamba ngeli cala lentaba, uDavide namadoda akhe ngelinye icala. UDavide wayengxamile ukubaleka ebusweni bukaSawule, kanti uSawule namadoda akhe babengqinga uDavide namadoda akhe, befuna ukubabamba. 27Kwafika umthunywa kuSawule, esithi: “Khawuleza uze! AmaFilisti aphanga ezweni.” 28Wabuya ke uSawule ekumsukeleni uDavide, waya kuwa amaFilisti. Ngenxa yoko igama laloo ndawo kwathiwa yiSela-hamahlekoti. a a v28 ISela-hamahlekoti ithetha ukuthi “iliwa lokwahlukana” — indawo apho uSawule noDavide bahlukaniswa khona omnye komnye, xa ukuphanga kwamaFilisti kwamnyanzela uSawule ukuba ayeke ukumsukela. 29Wenyuka uDavide esuka apho, wahlala ezimboniselweni zase-Engedi.
