1 USamuweli 24

24 ¹Esebuyile uSawule ekuxosheni amaFilisti, watshelwa kwathiwa: “UDavide use-ehlane lase-Eni-Gedi.” ²USawule wathatha amadoda akhethiweyo angu-3 000 kulo lonke u-Israyeli, ukuba afune uDavide namadoda akhe phambi kwamaDwala Ezimbuzi Zasendle. ³Wafika ezibayeni zezimvu eceleni kwendlela, lapho kwakukhona khona umhume. USawule wangena ukuba aye ngasese; uDavide namadoda akhe babehlezi ekujuleni komhume. ⁴Amadoda kaDavide athi kuye: “Yilolu usuku uBaba wethu abekusho mhla ethi kuwe: ‘Nginikela isitha sakho esandleni sakho ukuze wenze kuso njengokuthanda kwakho.’” UDavide wasukuma, wasika ngokunyenya umphetho wengubo kaSawule. ⁵Emva kwalokho unembeza kaDavide wamshaya, ngokuba wayesike umphetho wengubo kaSawule. ⁶Wathi emadodeni akhe: “UBaba wethu makavimbele ukuba ngenze lokhu enkosini yami, ogcotshiweyo wakhe—ukuphakamisa isandla sami kuye, ngokuba ungogcotshiweyo kaBaba wethu.” ⁷Ngala mazwi uDavide wawanqanda amadoda akhe ukuba angamhlaseli uSawule. USawule waphuma emhumeni, wahamba indlela yakhe. ⁸UDavide wasukuma, waphuma emhumeni, wamemeza emva kukaSawule, wathi: “Nkosi yami, wena nkosi!” USawule wabheka emuva, uDavide wakhothamisa ubuso bakhe phansi.

⁹UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Ulalelelani amadoda athi: ‘Bheka, uDavide ufuna ukukulimaza’? ¹⁰Namuhla amehlo akho abonile ukuthi uBaba wethu ukunikele kanjani esandleni sami emhumeni. Abanye bangincenga ukuba ngikubulale, kodwa ngakuyeka, ngathi: ‘Angiyikuphakamisa isandla sami enkosini yami—ogcotshiweyo kaBaba wethu.’ ¹¹Bheka, baba—umphetho wengubo yakho usesandleni sami! Ngiwusikile kodwa angikubulalanga. Yazi ubone ukuthi akukho bubi nokuvukela esandleni sami. Angonanga kuwe, kodwa uzingela umphefumulo wami ukuze uwuthathe. ¹²UBaba wethu makahlulele phakathi kwami nawe, uBaba wethu angiphindiselele kuwe—kodwa isandla sami ngeke sikuthinte. ¹³Njengokuba isaga sakudala sisho: ‘Kwababi kuphuma ububi.’ Isandla sami ngeke sibe kuwe. ¹⁴Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli iphumele bani? Uxosha bani? Inja efile? Izeze elilodwa? ¹⁵UBaba wethu makahlulele phakathi kwami nawe, akubone, amele icala lami, angikhulule esandleni sakho.”

¹⁶Kwathi uDavide eseqedile ukusho lokhu kuSawule, uSawule wathi: “Yilona yini izwi lakho, ndodana yami Davide?” wakhala kakhulu. ¹⁷Wathi kuDavide: “Ulungile kunami; wena ungenzele okuhle, mina ngakwenzela okubi. ¹⁸Namuhla ubonakalisile okuhle ongenzele kona: uBaba wethu ungibeke esandleni sakho, kodwa awungibulalanga. ¹⁹Uma umuntu ethola isitha sakhe, angasiyeka yini sihambe singalimele? UBaba wethu makakuvuze kahle ngalokho ongenzele kona namuhla. ²⁰Manje ngiyazi ukuthi impela uzoba yinkosi, nombuso wakwa-Israyeli uzoma uqine esandleni sakho. ²¹Ngakho ngifungele ngoBaba wethu: ngeke uyinqume inzalo yami emva kwami, noma ulesule igama lami endlini kababa.”

²²UDavide wafunga kuSawule. USawule waya ekhaya; uDavide namadoda akhe benyukela enqabeni.