1 USamuweli 18

18 ¹Kwathi uDavide eseqedile ukukhuluma noSawule, umphefumulo kaJonathani waboshelwa kowukaDavide, uJonathani wamthanda njengomphefumulo wakhe. ²Kusukela ngalolo suku uSawule wamgcina uDavide naye, engamvumeli ukuba abuyele endlini kayise. ³UJonathani wayesenza isivumelwano noDavide, ngokuba wayemthanda njengomphefumulo wakhe. ⁴UJonathani wakhumula ingubo yakhe wayinika uDavide, kanye nengubo yakhe yangaphansi, inkemba yakhe, umnsalo, nebhande.

⁵UDavide waphumelela kuyo yonke indawo uSawule amthuma kuyo, ngakho uSawule wambeka phezu kwamabutho, lokhu kwabathokozisa bonke abantu kanye nezinceku zikaSawule.

⁶Ekubuyeni kwabo, lapho uDavide ebuya ekubulaleni umFilisti, abesifazane abavela kuyo yonke imizi yakwa-Israyeli baphuma ukuyohlangabeza iNkosi uSawule, behlabelela, begida, bethokoza, benezigubhu nezinsimbi zokubethwa. ⁷Lapho bejabula, abesifazane bahlabelelelana bathi: “USawule ubulele izinkulungwane zakhe, uDavide izinkulungwane zakhe ezingamashumi.”

⁸USawule wavutha ngolaka; leli zwi lamcasula kakhulu. Wathi: “UDavide bambalela izinkulungwane ezingamashumi, mina izinkulungwane kuphela. Usasele nani ngaphandle kombuso?” ⁹Kusukela ngalolo suku uSawule waqhubeka ebheka uDavide ngeso lomona. ¹⁰Ngakusasa umoya omubi ovela kuBaba wethu wehlela phezu kukaSawule ngamandla; wakhuluma njengohlanya phakathi endlini yakhe, kuyilapho uDavide eshaya ihabhu, njengoba enza imihla ngemihla. USawule wayephethe umkhonto wakhe esandleni sakhe. ¹¹Waphonsa umkhonto, ecabanga ethi: “Ngizombethela uDavide odongeni.” Kodwa uDavide wamgwema kabili. ¹²USawule wamesaba uDavide, ngokuba uBaba wethu wayenaye kodwa wayesukile kuSawule. ¹³Ngakho uSawule wamsusa uDavide ebusweni bakhe, wambeka waba umholi wenkulungwane, uDavide wahola abantu ekuphumeni nasekubuyeni empini. ¹⁴UDavide waphumelela kuzo zonke izindlela zakhe, ngokuba uBaba wethu wayenaye. ¹⁵Lapho uSawule ebona ukuthi uDavide uphumelela kangakanani, wamesaba kakhulu. ¹⁶Kodwa wonke u-Israyeli noJuda bamthanda uDavide, ngokuba wayebahola ekuphumeni nasekubuyeni empini.

UDavide Uzuza uMikhali Ngaphezu Kwamacebo KaSawule

¹⁷USawule wathi kuDavide: “Nansi indodakazi yami endala uMerabi. Ngizokunika yona ibe umkakho—kuphela yiba yiqhawe kimi ulwe izimpi zikaBaba wethu.” Ngokuba uSawule wayecabanga ethi: “Isandla sami ngeke simelane naye; makube yisandla samaFilisti esimelana naye.”

¹⁸UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Ngingubani mina, luyini usendo lwami, umndeni kababa kwa-Israyeli, ukuba ngibe umkhwenyana wenkosi?” ¹⁹Kodwa ngesikhathi uMerabi, indodakazi kaSawule, ezonikwa uDavide, wanikwa u-Adriyeli umMeholati waba umkakhe.

²⁰UMikhali, indodakazi kaSawule, wayemthanda uDavide. Lapho uSawule ezwa lokhu, kwamthokozisa. ²¹USawule wacabanga ethi: “Ngizomnika yena abe ngumgibe, ukuze isandla samaFilisti simshaye.” Ngakho uSawule wathi kuDavide: “Namuhla unethuba lesibili lokuba umkhwenyana wami.”

²²USawule wayala izinceku zakhe wathi: “Tshelani uDavide ngasese nithi: ‘Inkosi iyakuthanda, nezinceku zayo zonke ziyakuthanda. Manje yiba umkhwenyana wayo.’”

²³Izinceku zikaSawule zawakhuluma la mazwi kuDavide. UDavide wathi: “Niyacabanga ukuthi kuyinto encane ukuba umkhwenyana wenkosi? Mina ngimpofu ngingabalulekile.”

²⁴Izinceku zikaSawule zambikela zathi: “Nanku uDavide akushilo.”

²⁵USawule wathi: “Tshelani uDavide nithi: ‘Inkosi ayifuni lobolo, kodwa amajwabu ayikhulu amaFilisti kuphela—ukuphindisela ezitheni zenkosi.’” Wayehlose ukuba uDavide awe ngezandla zamaFilisti. ^a a v25 Ukwethula amajwabu ezitha njengobufakazi bokubulala kwakuwumkhuba owaziwayo wokuqoqa izinkomba zokunqoba eKhanani lasendulo nasemasikweni akhelene nalo. ²⁶Izinceku zakhe zakutshela uDavide lokhu; wajabula ukuba umkhwenyana wenkosi. Isikhathi esigcwele singakadluli, ²⁷UDavide namadoda akhe baphuma, babulala amaFilisti angamakhulu amabili, baletha amajwabu awo enkosini, abalwa aphelela ukuze abe umkhwenyana wayo. Ngakho uSawule wamnika indodakazi yakhe uMikhali yaba umkakhe. ²⁸Lapho uSawule ebona futhi azi ukuthi uBaba wethu wayenaye uDavide, nokuthi uMikhali indodakazi yakhe wayemthanda, ²⁹USawule wamesaba nakakhulu uDavide, waba yisitha sikaDavide zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakhe.

³⁰Izinduna zamaFilisti zaziqhubeka ziphuma ziya empini, futhi njalo uDavide waphumelela kunazo zonke izikhulu zikaSawule, ngakho igama lakhe lahlonishwa kakhulu.