UBawo wethu ukhokela uSawule aye kuSamuweli

USawule waya kukhangela amaesile alahlekileyo kayise, kodwa akawafumana, waza umkhonzi wacebisa ukuba babuze kwimboni yaloo mzi. USamuweli, ohlatyelwe kwangosuku olungaphambili nguBawo wethu, wayelinde enenxalenye yenyama ebekelwe bucala, ekwabonisa ukuba yonke into amaSirayeli ayixabisayo ngoku ixhomekeke kuSawule.

Isahluko 9.

Kwakukho indoda yakwaBhenjamin egama belinguKishe, unyana ka-Abhiyeli, kaTserore, kaBhekorati, ka-Afiya, umBhenjamin, indoda enobutyebi nesidima. Yayinonyana ogama belinguSawule, umfo omhle; kwakungekho mSirayeli mhle kunaye; ethabathela emagxeni anyuse wamde kubantu bonke.

Alahleka amaesile kaKishe, uyise kaSawule; wathi ke uKishe kunyana wakhe uSawule: “Thabatha omnye wabakhonzi uhambe naye, uye kukhangela amaesile.” Wacanda kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim, nakwilizwe laseShalisha, abawafumana; bacanda kwilizwe laseShahalim, kodwa amaesile ayengekho khona; wacanda kwilizwe lakwaBhenjamin, kodwa abawafumana.

Bakufika kwilizwe laseTsufi, wathi uSawule kumkhonzi obenaye: “Yiza sibuye, hleze ubawo angabi saxhalela amaesile, aqalise ukusixhalela thina.”

Kodwa umkhonzi wathi: “Khawubone, kulo mzi kukho indoda kaBawo wethu, indoda ehlonitshwayo; konke akuthethayo kwenzeka inene. Masiye khona ngoku; mhlawumbi angasixelela indlela esiya kuhamba ngayo.”

Wathi uSawule kumkhonzi wakhe: “Kodwa ukuba siyahamba, siya kuyiphathelani loo ndoda? Isonka esisezingxoweni zethu siphelile, akukho namnikelo wokunika indoda kaBawo wethu. Yintoni esinayo?”

Umkhonzi wabuya waphendula uSawule, wathi: “Khawubone, ndinesiqwenga semali yesilivere. Ndiya kuyinika indoda kaBawo wethu, ukuze isixelele indlela yethu.” (Kudala kwaSirayeli, umntu owayesiya kubuza kuBawo wethu wayesithi: “Masiye kwimboni,” kuba umprofeti wanamhlanje babesithi yimboni ngaloo mihla.).

Waphendula uSawule, wathi: “Kulungile, masiye.” Baya ke emzini apho yayikhona indoda kaBawo wethu. Bakubon’ ukuba benyuka intaba besiya emzini, baqubisana namankazana ayephuma eyokukha amanzi, baza bawabuza besithi: “Apha ikho na imboni?”

Athi wona: “Ikho. Nanko phambi kwenu. Khawulezani, ufike emzini namhlanje, kuba abantu banombingelelo esigangeni. Nothi kwangoko xa ningena emzini nimfumane, engekenyuki asinge esigangeni esiya kudla. Abantu abayi kudla ade afike, kuba umelwe kukusikelela umbingelelo; kwandule ke ukudla abamenyiweyo. Nyukani ngoku, nize nimfumane kwangoko.”

Benyuka ke baya emzini. Bakungena, nanko uSamuweli esiza kubo, esinga esigangeni.

Ke kaloku uBawo wethu wayemtyhilele uSamuweli oku ngemini engaphambi kokuba afike uSawule, esithi:

“Ngeli xa langomso ndiya kukuthumela indoda ephuma kwilizwe lakwaBhenjamin. Uze uyithambise ibe yinkokeli yabantu bam amaSirayeli; iya kubasindisa abantu bam esandleni samaFilisti, kuba ndibabonile abantu bam, isikhalo sabo sifikile kum.”

Uthe uSamuweli akumbona uSawule, uBawo wethu wathi kuye: “Nantsi indoda ebendithethe ngayo; yiyo le eya kulawula abantu bam.”

Wasondela uSawule kuSamuweli esangweni, wathi: “Khawundixelele apho ikhona indlu yemboni.”

Waphendula uSamuweli, wathi: “Ndim imboni. Nyuka undulele usinge esigangeni. Namhlanje uya kudla nam; kusasa ndiya kukundulula, ndikuxelele konke okusentliziyweni yakho. Amaesile owalahlekelwa ziintsuku ezintathu namhla, afunyenwe, ungawaxhaleli ke. Ngoku ngubani onako konke okunqwenelwa kwaSirayeli, ingengowakho na, nendlu yonke kayihlo?”

Waphendula uSawule, wathi: “AndingomBhenjamin na, ovela kwisizwe esincinane kunazo zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli, nomzalwane wam ngowona uphantsi kwimizalwane yonke yakwaBhenjamin? Yini na ukuba uthethe le nto kum?”

Wesuka ke uSamuweli wamthabatha uSawule nomkhonzi wakhe, wabangenisa ebhotweni, wabahlalisa entloko yabamenyiweyo, ababemalunga namashumi amathathu. Wathi uSamuweli kumpheki: “Zisa isabelo endasinika kuwe, eso ndathi uze usibeke bucala.” Umpheki waphakamisa umlenze noko kwakuphezu kwawo, wakubeka phambi koSawule. Wathi uSamuweli: “Nantsi into ebibekelwe wena. Yidla, kuba ibibekelwe wena ukuze ube nayo kweli xesha, kususela oko ndabamema aba bantu.” Wadla ke uSawule noSamuweli ngaloo mini.

Behla esigangeni, baya emzini, waza uSamuweli wathetha noSawule phezu kwendlu. Bavuka kusasa, kwathi xa kusayo uSamuweli wabiza uSawule ephezu kwendlu, wathi: “Vuka, ndikundulule.” Wavuka uSawule, baphuma bobabini, yena noSamuweli, baya esitratweni. Behla besinga esiphelweni somzi, wathi uSamuweli kuSawule: “Yithi umkhonzi ahambe phambi kwethu” — wahamba ke yena — “kodwa wena yima umzuzwana, ukuze ndikuxelele ilizwi likaBawo wethu.”