1 USamuweli 13

13 ¹USawule wayeneminyaka engamashumi amathathu ubudala ngesikhathi eba yinkosi, wabusa u-Israyeli iminyaka engamashumi amane nambili. ^a a v1 Izinombolo zaleli vesi zalahleka olimini lwesiHebheru, oluthi “USawule wayeneminyaka eyodwa ubudala… wabusa iminyaka emibili.” Izibalo ezilapha zilandela ukufundwa kwamaBhayibheli amaningi anamuhla. ²USawule wakhetha abayizinkulungwane ezintathu kwa-Israyeli: abayizinkulungwane ezimbili babenaye eMikimashi nasezintabeni zaseBhetheli, abayinkulungwane babenoJonathani eGibeya yakwaBhenjamini. Abaseleyo wababuyisela emakhaya, kwaba yilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe. ³UJonathani wachitha iviyo lamaFilisti eGeba, amaFilisti ezwa. USawule wabe esebetha icilongo kulo lonke izwe, wathi: “AmaHebheru mawezwe!” ⁴Wonke u-Israyeli wezwa ukuthi uSawule wayelichithile iviyo lamaFilisti, nokuthi u-Israyeli wayeseyinuko kumaFilisti. Ngakho abantu babuthana kuSawule eGiligali. ⁵AmaFilisti abuthana ukuba alwe no-Israyeli—izinqola zempi eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu, abamahhashi abayizinkulungwane eziyisithupha, namabutho ayengangenhlabathi yasogwini olwandle ngobuningi bawo angenakubalwa. Enyuka amisa amatende eMikimashi, empumalanga yeBhethi-aveni. ⁶Kwathi lapho amadoda akwa-Israyeli ebona ukuthi asenkingeni—abantu babecindezelwe kabi—acasha emihumeni, nasemahlathini, nasemadwaleni, nasemigodini, nasemaquleni. ^b b v6 Amaqula ayengamathangi angaphansi komhlaba aqoshwe edwaleni, akhelwe ukuqoqa nokugcina amanzi emvula. ⁷Amanye amaHebheru aze awela iJordani aya kwaGadi nakwaGileyadi. Kodwa uSawule wahlala eGiligali, bonke abantu bamlandela bethuthumela.

USawule Wenza Ngaphandle Kwezwi LikaBaba

⁸Walinda izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, isikhathi esasibekwe nguSamuweli; kodwa uSamuweli akafikanga eGiligali, abantu bahlakazeka bemuka kuye. ⁹USawule wathi: “Lethani kimi umnikelo wokushiswa neminikelo yokuthula.” Wase enikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa.

¹⁰Kwathi eseqeda ukunikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa, kwafika uSamuweli, uSawule waphuma ukuyomhlangabeza nokumbingelela. ¹¹USamuweli wambuza wathi: “Wenzeni na?” USawule waphendula: “Ngibone abantu behlakazeka bemuka kimi, awufikanga ngesikhathi esimisiwe, namaFilisti ayebuthene eMikimashi,

¹²ngacabanga ngathi, ‘AmaFilisti azokwehlela phezu kwami eGiligali, kanti angikawuceli umusa kaBaba wethu.’ Ngakho ngaziphoqa nganikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa.”

¹³“Wenze ngobuwula,” kusho uSamuweli kuSawule. “Awuwugcinanga umyalo owaphiwa wona nguBaba wakho. Ukube wawuwugcinile, uBaba wethu wayezawumisa umbuso wakho phezu kuka-Israyeli kuze kube phakade. ¹⁴Kodwa manje umbuso wakho ngeke ume. UBaba wethu uzifunele indoda evumelana nenhliziyo yakhe wayimisa ukuba ibe ngumbusi phezu kwabantu bakhe, ngoba awukugcinanga lokho akuyala ngakho.”

¹⁵USamuweli wasuka eGiligali wenyukela eGibeya kwaBhenjamini. USawule wababala abantu ababenaye—cishe amadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha.

U-Israyeli Usala Engenazikhali

¹⁶USawule, nendodana yakhe uJonathani, nabantu ababenabo bahlala eGeba kwaBhenjamini; amaFilisti amisa amatende eMikimashi. ¹⁷Kwaphuma abahlaseli ekamu lamaFilisti bengamaviyo amathathu. Elinye laphendukela ngaseOfra, ezweni laseShuwali; ¹⁸elinye laphendukela ngaseBhethi-horoni; elesithathu laphendukela ngasemngceleni obheke esiGodini saseSeboyimi, ngasehlane. ¹⁹Kwakungekho mkhandi wensimbi owawungatholakala kulo lonke u-Israyeli, ngokuba amaFilisti ayethe: “Funa amaHebheru enze izinkemba noma imikhonto.” ²⁰Ngakho wonke u-Israyeli wehlela kumaFilisti ukuyolola amakhuba, namapiki, namazembe, nezikela zabo. ²¹Inkokhelo yayicishe ibe yingxenye yesine ye-awunsi yesiliva ngokulola amakhuba, namapiki, namafologo, nacishe ibe yingxenye yesishiyagalombili ye-awunsi ngokulola amazembe nangokulola kabusha izinkandi. ^c c v21 Inkandi kwakuyinduku ende enesihloko sensimbi esicijile eyayisetshenziselwa ukuqhuba izinkomo ukuba zihambe. ²²Ngosuku lwempi kwakungatholakali nkemba namkhonto phakathi kwabo bonke abantu ababenoSawule noJonathani; kwaba nguSawule kuphela nendodana yakhe uJonathani ababenazo.

²³Iviyo lamaFilisti laphuma laya entubeni yaseMikimashi.