UDavide uyeka ukumbulala umthanjiswa kaBawo wethu

USawule wangena kanye kuloo mqolomba apho wayezimele khona uDavide. Amadoda kaDavide athi sisipho eso; endaweni yoko wanqumla isondo lengubo yokwaleka, naloo nto yasihlaba isazela sakhe. Ngaphandle wabiza uSawule ngokuba nguyise, waza wayekela uBawo wethu ukuba agwebe phakathi kwabo.

Isahluko 24.

Emva kokuba uSawule ebuyile ekuwasukeleni amaFilisti, waxelelwa kwathiwa: “UDavide usentlango yase-Engedi.” USawule wathabatha amadoda angamawaka amathathu ahleliweyo kuwo onke amaSirayeli, waya kufuna uDavide namadoda akhe phambi kwamaWa eeBhokhwe zasendle. Wafika ezibayeni zempahla emfutshane ecaleni lendlela, apho kwakukho umqolomba. USawule wangena apho ukuba aye endle; uDavide namadoda akhe babehleli ngaphakathi emqolombeni. Amadoda kaDavide athi kuye: “Le yiyo imini awayithetha uBawo wethu xa wathi kuwe: ‘Yabona, ndinikela utshaba lwakho esandleni sakho, umenze ngoko uthanda ngako.’” Wesuka uDavide wasinqumla ngasese isondo lengubo yakhe yokwaleka kaSawule. Emva koko isazela sikaDavide samhlaba, ngenxa yokuba wayesinqumle isondo lengubo kaSawule. Wathi kumadoda akhe: “Makabe lee uBawo wethu ukuba ndiyenze le nto enkosini yam, umthanjiswa wakhe—ndisise isandla sam kuye, kuba ungumthanjiswa kaBawo wethu.” Ngala mazwi uDavide wawanqanda amadoda akhe, angamhlaseli uSawule. Waza uSawule waphuma emqolombeni, wahamba ngendlela yakhe. Wesuka uDavide, waphuma emqolombeni, wamemeza emva koSawule, wathi: “Nkosi yam, kumkani!” USawule wakhangela emva, waza uDavide wathoba ngobuso emhlabeni, waqubuda.

Wathi uDavide kuSawule: “Yini na ukuba uwaphulaphule amadoda athi: ‘Yabona, uDavide ufuna ukukwenzakalisa’? Namhlanje amehlo akho abonile indlela awakunikela ngayo esandleni sam uBawo wethu emqolombeni. Abanye bandikhuthaza ukuba ndikubulale, kodwa ndakusindisa, ndathi: ‘Andiyi kusa isandla sam enkosini yam—umthanjiswa kaBawo wethu.’ Bawo wam, bona—isondo lengubo yakho sisesandleni sam! Ndisinqumlile, kodwa andikubulalanga. Yazi ubone ukuba akukho bubi nakreqo esandleni sam. Andonanga kuwe, kanti wena uzingela umphefumlo wam ukuze uwuthabathe. UBawo wethu makagwebe phakathi kwam nawe, uBawo wethu andiphindezele kuwe—kodwa isandla sam asiyi kukuchukumisa. Njengoko utsho umzekeliso wamandulo: ‘Kwabangendawo kuvela ububi.’ Isandla sam asiyi kuba ngakuwe. Uphumele bani na ukumkani wamaSirayeli? Usukela bani na? Inja efileyo? Intakumba enye? UBawo wethu makagwebe phakathi kwam nawe, akubone, awubambe umba wam, andihlangule esandleni sakho.”

Kwathi, akugqiba uDavide ukuwathetha la mazwi kuSawule, wathi uSawule: “Lelakho na eli lizwi, nyana wam Davide?” waza waliphakamisa izwi lakhe, walila. Wathi kuDavide: “Ulilungisa kunam; wena undenzele okulungileyo, mna ndakwenzela okubi. Namhlanje ubonakalalisile okulungileyo owakwenza kum: uBawo wethu wandinikela esandleni sakho, kodwa akundibulalanga. Ukuba umntu uthe wafumana utshaba lwakhe, angayeka na ukuba luhambe ngaphandle kokwenzakala? UBawo wethu makakubuyisele okulungileyo ngenxa yoko undenzele namhlanje. Kaloku ndiyazi ukuba uya kuba ngukumkani, nobukumkani bamaSirayeli buya kuma buqine esandleni sakho. Ngoko ndifungele ngoBawo wethu: akuyi kuyinqamla imbewu yam emva kwam, nokucima igama lam endlwini kabawo.”

Wamfungela ke uDavide uSawule. USawule waya endlwini yakhe; uDavide namadoda akhe benyuka baya emboniselweni.