1 USamuweli 19

19 ¹USawule wakhuluma nendodana yakhe uJonathani kanye nazo zonke izinceku zakhe mayelana nokubulala uDavide. Kodwa uJonathani, indodana kaSawule, wayethokoza kakhulu ngoDavide. ²UJonathani watshela uDavide wathi: “USawule ubaba ufuna ukukubulala, ngakho qaphela ekuseni—hlala ucashile ungabonakali. ³Mina ngizophuma, ngime eceleni kukababa ensimini lapho ukhona, ngikhulume nobaba ngawe—bese ngikutshela noma yini engiyitholayo.”

⁴UJonathani wakhuluma kahle ngoDavide kuyise uSawule, wathi kuye: “Inkosi mayingoni enceku yayo uDavide, ngokuba akonanga kuwe. Kunalokho, izenzo zakhe bezizinhle kakhulu kuwe. ⁵Wafaka ukuphila kwakhe engozini ukuze abulale umFilisti, uBaba wethu wenza ukunqoba okukhulu ku-Israyeli wonke. Wakubona lokho wathokoza. Ungonelani igazi elingenacala, ubulale uDavide ngaphandle kwesizathu?”

⁶USawule walalela uJonathani, wafunga wathi: “Kuphila kukaBaba wethu, uDavide ngeke abulawe.”

⁷UJonathani wabiza uDavide, wamtshela konke lokhu, wayesemletha kuSawule, uDavide wamkhonza njengakuqala.

⁸Kwaqubuka impi futhi. UDavide waphuma, walwa namaFilisti, wawashaya ngokushaya okukhulu, abaleka phambi kwakhe.

⁹Kodwa umoya omubi ovela kuBaba wethu wehlela phezu kukaSawule ngenkathi ehlezi endlini yakhe, ephethe umkhonto, uDavide eshaya ihabhu. ¹⁰USawule wazama ukubethela uDavide odongeni ngomkhonto wakhe, kodwa uDavide wagwema, umkhonto washaya odongeni. UDavide wabaleka, wasinda ngalobo busuku. ¹¹USawule wathuma amadoda ukuba aqaphe indlu kaDavide, ambulale ngovivi. UMikhali, umkaDavide, wamxwayisa wathi: “Uma ungabaleki namuhla ebusuku, uzobe usufile ekuseni.” ¹²Ngakho uMikhali wamehlisa uDavide ngewindi, wabaleka wasinda. ¹³UMikhali wathatha isithombe sasekhaya, wasibeka embhedeni, wafaka ingubo yoboya bembuzi ngasekhanda laso, wasimboza ngendwangu. ¹⁴Kwathi uSawule esethume izithunywa ukuba zibambe uDavide, uMikhali wathi: “Uyagula.”

¹⁵USawule wabuye wathuma izithunywa ukuba zibone uDavide, wathi: “Mletheni kimi esembhedeni, ukuze ngimbulale.” ¹⁶Kwathi izithunywa zingena, isithombe sasekhaya sasisembhedeni, ingubo yoboya bembuzi ingasekhanda laso.

¹⁷USawule wathi kuMikhali: “Ungikhohliseleni kanje wavumela isitha sami ukuba sisinde?” UMikhali wathi kuSawule: “Yena wathi kimi, ‘Ngivumele ngihambe, ngikubulalelani?’”

¹⁸UDavide wabaleka wasinda, wafika kuSamuweli eRama, wamtshela konke uSawule ayekwenzile kuye. Base behamba noSamuweli bayohlala eNayoti. ¹⁹USawule watshelwa kwathiwa: “UDavide useNayoti eRama.” ²⁰USawule wathuma izithunywa ukuba zibambe uDavide. Kodwa zithi zibona iqembu labaprofethi beprofetha, uSamuweli emi njengomholi wabo, uMoya kaBaba wethu wehlela phezu kwezithunywa zikaSawule, nazo zaprofetha. ²¹USawule watshelwa; wathuma ezinye izithunywa, nazo zaprofetha. USawule waphinda wathuma izithunywa okwesithathu, nazo zaprofetha. ²²Ekugcineni uSawule ngokwakhe waya eRama, wafika emthonjeni omkhulu eSeku. Wabuza wathi: “Baphi oSamuweli noDavide?” Omunye wathi: “BaseNayoti eRama.”

²³Waya eNayoti eRama, kodwa uMoya kaBaba wethu wehlela naphezu kwakhe, wahamba eprofetha, waze wafika eNayoti eRama. ²⁴Naye wakhumula izingubo zakhe, waprofetha phambi kukaSamuweli, walala enqunu lonke lolo suku nalobo busuku. Ngakho abantu bathi: “Ingabe noSawule uphakathi kwabaprofethi na?”