1 USamuweli 14

14 ¹Ngolunye usuku uJonathani indodana kaSawule wathi kumthwali wezikhali zakhe: "Woza, siwelele eqenjini lamaFilisti elingaphesheya kwethu," kodwa akatshelanga uyise. ²USawule wayehlezi onqenqemeni lweGibeya ngaphansi kwesihlahla sepomegranati eMigroni, enamadoda angaba ngama-600. ³U-Ahija indodana ka-Ahithubi, umfowabo ka-Ikhabodi, indodana kaFinehasi, indodana ka-Eli, umpristi kaBaba wethu eShilo, wayegqoke i-efodi. Amabutho ayengazi ukuthi uJonathani wayehambile. ^a a v3 I-efodi kwakuyingubo ekhethekile yobupristi eyayigqokwa lapho kubuzwa kuNkulunkulu ukuze kutholakale isiqondiso.

⁴Phakathi kwezindledlana uJonathani ayefuna ukuwelela kuzo ngakwiqembu lamaFilisti kwakumi iwa lamadwala ngakolunye uhlangothi kwami nelinye iwa lamadwala ngakolunye uhlangothi—elinye lalibizwa ngokuthi iBhozezi, elinye iSene. ⁵Elinye iwa lalimi enyakatho libheke eMikimashi, elinye liseningizimu libheke eGeba. ⁶UJonathani wathi kumthwali wezikhali zakhe: "Woza, siwelele kuleli qembu labangasokile. Mhlawumbe uBaba wethu uyakusenzela okuthile; akukho okumvimbayo ukuba asindise ngabaningi noma ngabambalwa."

⁷Umthwali wezikhali zakhe wathi: "Yenza konke okusenhliziyweni yakho. Hamba—nginawe, ngenhliziyo nangomphefumulo."

⁸UJonathani wathi: "Siyakuwelela kulawo madoda, siziveze kuwo. ⁹Uma ethi, 'Yimani size sifike kini,' siyakuma lapho singenyukeli kuwo. ¹⁰Kodwa uma ethi, 'Yenyukelani kithi,' siyakwenyuka, ngokuba uBaba wethu uwanikele esandleni sethu—lokho kuyisibonakaliso sethu."

¹¹Bobabili baziveza eqenjini lamaFilisti. "Bhekani," kwasho amaFilisti, "amaHebheru ayaphuma emigodini lapho ayecashe khona." ¹²Amadoda eqembu amemeza uJonathani nomthwali wezikhali zakhe athi: "Yenyukelani kithi, sinifundise isifundo." UJonathani wathi kumthwali wezikhali zakhe: "Khwela ngemva kwami, ngokuba uBaba wethu uwanikele esandleni sika-Israyeli."

¹³UJonathani wakhwela ngezandla nangezinyawo, umthwali wezikhali zakhe engemva kwakhe; amaFilisti awa phambi kukaJonathani, umthwali wezikhali zakhe ewabulala ngemva kwakhe. ¹⁴Kulokho kuhlasela kokuqala uJonathani nomthwali wezikhali zakhe babulala amadoda angaba ngamashumi amabili endaweni engaba yingxenye ye-akha.

¹⁵Ukwesaba kwehlela ekamu, nasendle, nakuwo wonke amabutho; iqembu nabahlaseli nabo bathuthumela, umhlaba wazamazama—ukwesaba okwaphuma kuBaba wethu. ¹⁶Abalindi bakaSawule eGibeya yakwaBhenjamini babuka—ibandla lamaFilisti laliqhumuka, lihlakazeka nxazonke. ¹⁷USawule wathi kumabutho akhe: "Balani nibheke ukuthi ubani ongekho." Sebebalile, bathola ukuthi uJonathani nomthwali wezikhali zakhe babengekho.

¹⁸USawule wathi ku-Ahija: "Letha lapha umphongolo kaBaba wethu," ngokuba ngaleso sikhathi umphongolo kaBaba wethu wawukwa-Israyeli. ¹⁹Kuthe uSawule esakhuluma nompristi, umsindo wekamu lamaFilisti wanda ngokwanda. Wathi kumpristi: "Buyisa isandla sakho."

²⁰USawule namabutho akhe baqoqana, bafika empini, bathola amaFilisti ephendulelene izinkemba zabo odwa ngesiyaluyalu esikhulu. ²¹AmaHebheru ayekade esekela amaFilisti, enyukele nawo ekamu, nawo aphenduka azihlanganisa nama-Israyeli ayenoSawule noJonathani. ²²Kwathi wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli ayecashe ezweni lezintaba lakwa-Efrayimi, esezwa ukuthi amaFilisti abalekile, nawo awaxosha eseduze empini. ²³Kanjalo uBaba wethu wamsindisa u-Israyeli ngalolo suku, impi yaqhubekela ngaphesheya kweBhethi-Aveni.

Isifungo sikaSawule Esinamawala Senza u-Israyeli Buthakathaka

²⁴Amabutho akwa-Israyeli ayesecindezelekile ngalolo suku, ngokuba uSawule wayewafungisile wathi: "Uqalekisiwe lowo odla ukudla kungakahlwi, ngingakaziphindiseli ezitheni zami." Akekho emabuthweni owezwa ukudla.

²⁵Onke amabutho angena ehlathini, kwakukhona uju emhlabathini. ²⁶Lapho engena ehlathini, uju lwalugeleza, nokho akekho owaphakamisela isandla sakhe emlonyeni, ngokuba amabutho ayesaba isifungo. ²⁷Kodwa uJonathani wayengezwanga ukuthi uyise wayewafungise amabutho, ngakho welula isihloko sendondolo yakhe, wayigxumeka ekhekhebeni loju, wabeka isandla sakhe emlonyeni, amehlo akhe akhanya. ²⁸Elinye ibutho lathi: "Uyihlo wawafungisa amabutho wathi, 'Uqalekisiwe lowo odla ukudla namuhla'—ngakho amadoda asekhathele."

²⁹UJonathani wathi: "Ubaba ulihluphile izwe. Bhekani ukuthi amehlo ami akhanya kanjani ngokunambitha kancane kwaloluju. ³⁰Bekuyoba ngcono kangakanani ukube amabutho ayedle ngokukhululeka namuhla empangweni yezitha zabo! Ukwehlulwa kwamaFilisti akubanga kukhulu." ³¹Ngalolo suku bawabulala amaFilisti kusukela eMikimashi kuze kufike e-Ayiloni, amabutho ayesekhathele nya. ³²Amabutho aphuthuma empangweni, athatha izimvu, nezinkomo, namankonyane, akubulalela emhlabathini, adla inyama inegazi. ³³Othile watshela uSawule: "Amabutho ayona kuBaba wethu, edla inyama iselokhu inegazi." Wathi: "Nephule ukwethembeka. Giqelani lapha kimi itshe elikhulu."

³⁴Wayesethi: "Hlakazekani phakathi kwamabutho niwatshele: yilowo nalowo akalethe kimi inkunzi yakhe noma imvu yakhe, ayihlabe lapha, ayidle—ningoni kuBaba wethu ngokudla inyama inegazi." Ngakho ngalobo busuku yilowo nalowo waletha inkunzi yakhe, wayihlabela khona.

³⁵USawule wamakhela uBaba wethu i-altare—kwakuyi-altare lakhe lokuqala kuye. ³⁶USawule wathi: "Asehle silandele amaFilisti ngalobu busuku, siwaphange kuze kuse, singashiyi noyedwa ophilayo." Baphendula: "Yenza lokho okubonakala kukuhle kuwe." Kodwa umpristi wathi: "Asisondele kuBaba wethu lapha."

³⁷Ngakho uSawule wabuza kuBaba wethu: "Ngehle ngilandele amaFilisti na? Uyakuwanikela esandleni sika-Israyeli na?" Kodwa akamphendulanga ngalolo suku. ³⁸USawule wathi: "Sondelani lapha, nonke baholi bamabutho, sithole ukuthi lesi sono senzeke kanjani namuhla. ³⁹Kuphila kukaBaba wethu osindisa u-Israyeli—noma icala likuJonathani indodana yami, uyakufa nokufa." Kodwa akekho phakathi kwabantu owamphendula. ⁴⁰Wathi kuwo wonke u-Israyeli: "Nina mani ngakolunye uhlangothi; uJonathani indodana yami nami sibe ngakolunye." Abantu bathi kuSawule: "Yenza lokho obona kukuhle."

⁴¹USawule wakhuleka wathi: "Baba wethu, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kungani ungayiphendulanga inceku yakho namuhla na? Uma leli cala likimi noma kuJonathani indodana yami, Baba wethu, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, phendula nge-Urimi; kodwa uma likubantu bakho u-Israyeli, phendula ngeThumimi." Inkatho yawela phezu kukaJonathani noSawule; amabutho akhululwa. ^b b v41 I-Urimi neThumimi kwakuyizinto ezingcwele ezazigcinwa e-efodini lompristi, zisetshenziselwa ukufuna impendulo kaNkulunkulu ngenkatho.

⁴²USawule wathi: "Phonsani inkatho phakathi kwami noJonathani indodana yami." Inkatho yawela phezu kukaJonathani.

⁴³USawule wathi kuJonathani: "Ngitshele ukuthi wenzeni." Waphendula: "Nganambitha nje uju oluncane esihlokweni sendondolo yami. Manje kumelwe ngife."

⁴⁴USawule wathi: "UBaba wethu makenze kanjalo kimi, kwengezwe nokunye, uma ungafi nokufa, Jonathani."

⁴⁵Amabutho athi kuSawule: "Kumelwe afe uJonathani—owanqoba lokhu kunqoba okukhulu ku-Israyeli na? Akunakwenzeka! Kuphila kukaBaba wethu, akukho nanwele olulodwa lwekhanda lakhe oluyakuwela emhlabathini, ngokuba usebenze namuhla ngosizo lukaBaba wethu." Kanjalo amsindisa uJonathani, akafa. ⁴⁶USawule wayeseyeka ukuxosha amaFilisti, amaFilisti abuyela ezweni lawo.

Izimpi Zikasawule Nomndeni Wakhe

⁴⁷Lapho uSawule esethathe ubukhosi phezu kuka-Israyeli, walwa nazo zonke izitha zakhe nxazonke: uMowabi, nama-Amoni, no-Edomi, namakhosi aseZoba, namaFilisti. Nomaphi lapho ephendukela khona, wawanqoba. ⁴⁸Walwa ngesibindi, wawabulala ama-Amaleki, wamsindisa u-Israyeli kulabo ababemhlasela. ⁴⁹Amadodana kaSawule: uJonathani, no-Ishvi, noMalikishuwa. Amadodakazi akhe amabili: uMerabi izibulo, noMikhali omncane. ⁵⁰Umkakhe: u-Ahinowama, indodakazi ka-Ahimahazi. Umholi webutho lakhe: u-Abhineri indodana kaNeri, umalume kaSawule, ⁵¹ngokuba uKishi, uyise kaSawule, noNeri, uyise ka-Abhineri, babengamadodana ka-Abiyeli.

⁵²Impi namaFilisti yayinzima zonke izinsuku zikaSawule; kungenjalo nje ebona indoda enamandla noma enesibindi, wayeyithatha ukuba ngeyakhe.