Ukuhlaselwa kweTsikelage Kuthinjwe Iintsapho

UDavide ubuyela ekhaya eTsikelage, umzi utshisiwe nemizi yonke ithinjiwe, amadoda akhe ethetha ngokumxuluba ngamatye; kodwa uzomeleza kuBawo wethu. Ikhoboka laseYiputa eliphela yindlala limkhokelela kula matutu. Yonke into iyahlangulwa, aza amadoda atyhafileyo asala ngasemva abelana ngokulinganayo.

Isahluko 30.

UDavide namadoda akhe bafika eTsikelage ngomhla wesithathu; ke ama-Amaleki ayelingenele elasezantsi neTsikelage, ayihlasela ayitshisa, athimba abafazi nabantu bonke ababelapho, abancinane nabakhulu; akabulala mntu, kodwa abaqhuba emka nabo, ahamba indlela yawo. UDavide namadoda akhe bafika kuloo mzi, usuke watshiswa ngomlilo—abafazi babo, noonyana babo, neentombi zabo bathinjiwe. UDavide nabantu ababenaye baliphakamisa izwi labo, balila, bada baphelelwa ngamandla okulila. Nabafazi bakaDavide bobabini bathinjwa, uAhinowam waseYizereli, noAbhigali, umhlolokazi kaNabhali waseKarmele. Wabandezeleka kakhulu uDavide—abantu bethetha ngokumxuluba ngamatye, elowo ekrakra ngenxa yoonyana bakhe neentombi zakhe—kodwa wazomeleza kuBawo wethu.

UDavide wathi kuAbhiyatare umbingeleli, unyana ka-Ahimeleki: “Khawundiphathele iefodi.” UAbhiyatare wayiphathela uDavide iefodi.

UDavide wabuza kuBawo wethu, wathi: “Ndiwasukele na la matutu? Ndiya kuwafumana na?” Wathi: “Wasukele. Uya kuwafumana nyhani, uhlangule bonke abantu.”

Wahamba ke uDavide enamadoda akhe amakhulu amathandathu, bafika emlanjaneni oyiBhesore, apho abanye basala khona. UDavide wasukela enamadoda amakhulu amane; amakhulu amabini asala, etyhafile kakhulu angenakuwela umlanjana oyiBhesore. Bafumana umYiputa endle, bamsa kuDavide, bamnika isonka namanzi. Bamnika iqhekeza lesicumba samakhiwane nezicumba zambini zeerasintyisi. Wadla, aza abuya amandla akhe—ebengadlanga sonka, engaselanga manzi iimini ezintathu nobusuku obuthathu. UDavide wabuza wathi: “Ungokabani na wena? Uvela phi na?” Wathi: “Ndiyindodana engumYiputa, isicaka somAmaleki. Inkosi yam yandishiya kukho iintsuku ezintathu—ndigula.

Sibe singenele elasezantsi lamaKerete, nelizwe lakwaYuda, nelasezantsi likaKalebhi, sayitshisa iTsikelage ngomlilo.”

UDavide wathi kuye: “Ungandihlisela na kula matutu?” Wathi: “Funga kum ngoThixo ukuba ungandibulali, ungandinikeli enkosini yam, ndikuhlisele kuwo.”

UmYiputa wamhlisela uDavide, nanko ke ethe saa phezu kwelizwe, esidla, esela, esenza umbhiyozo ngenxa yamaxhoba amaninzi awathimbayo ezweni lamaFilisti nelakwaYuda. UDavide wawaxabela, kuthabathela ekuhlweni kwada kwaba ngokuhlwa kwengomso; akusindanga namnye kuwo, ngaphandle kwamadodana amakhulu amane akhwela emaesileni abaleka. UDavide wazibuyisa zonke izinto awayezithabathile ama-Amaleki, wabahlangula nabafazi bakhe bobabini. Akwasweleka nto—encinane, nenkulu, noonyana, neentombi, namaxhoba, nantoni na ebethatyathiwe—zonke wazibuyisa uDavide. UDavide wayithabatha yonke impahla emfutshane neenkomo; amadoda akhe ayiqhuba phambi kwaleyo mfuyo, esithi: “Ngamaxhoba kaDavide la.”

UDavide wafika kula madoda amakhulu amabini ebetyhafile angaba nako ukumlandela, ebeshiywe emlanjaneni oyiBhesore. Baphuma ukuza kukhawulela uDavide nabantu ababenaye; wabakhawulela wababuza ukuphila kwabo. Kodwa onke amadoda akhohlakeleyo nangamatshijolo phakathi kwabo babelandela uDavide athi: “Njengokuba bengahambanga nathi, asiyi kubanika nto kumaxhoba esiwabuyisileyo—ngaphandle komkakhe nabantwana bakhe elowo, ukuba abaqhube bemke.”

Kodwa uDavide wathi: “Ningenjenjalo, bazalwana bam, ngezinto esizinikwe nguBawo wethu. Yena usigcinile, wawanikela esandleni sethu amatutu abesihlasela. Ngubani na onganiphulaphula ngale nto? Kuba isabelo salowo uphuma umkhosi siya kulingana nesalowo uhleli nempahla.” Kususela kuloo mhla wasendleleni, uDavide wakwenza oku kwaba ngummiselo nesiko kwaSirayeli, kwada kwaba namhlanje.

Wakufika uDavide eTsikelage, wathumela kumaxhoba kumadoda amakhulu akwaYuda, izihlobo zakhe, esithi: “Nanko umnikelo kuni wamaxhoba eentshaba zikaBawo wethu.” Wathumela kwabaseBhetele, nakwabaseRamoti yelasezantsi, nakwabaseYatire; nakwabaseArohere, nakwabaseSifemoti, nakwabase-Eshtemowa; nakwabaseRakali, nakwimizi yamaYerameli, neyamaKeni; nakwabaseHorma, nakwabaseBhore-Ashan, nakwabaseAtaki; nakwabaseHebron nakuzo zonke iindawo apho uDavide namadoda akhe babebhadula khona.