1 USamuweli 26

26 ¹AmaZifi afika kuSawule eGibeya, athi: “UDavide akacashile yini egqumeni laseHakhila, elibhekene neJeshimoni?” ²USawule wehlela ehlane laseZifi enamadoda akhethiweyo angu-3 000 akwa-Israyeli, eyofuna uDavide khona. ³USawule wamisa egqumeni laseHakhila, elibhekene neJeshimoni eceleni komgwaqo, kanti uDavide wayehlala ehlane. UDavide wabona ukuthi uSawule wayemlandele ehlane, ⁴wathuma izinhloli, wezwa ukuthi uSawule wayefike ngempela. ⁵UDavide waya endaweni lapho uSawule ayemise khona, wabona lapho uSawule ayelele khona no-Abhineri indodana kaNeri, induna yempi yakhe. USawule wayelele phakathi kwekamu, amabutho emhaqile. ⁶UDavide wabuza u-Ahimeleki umHeti no-Abhishayi indodana kaSeruya, umfowabo kaJowabe, wathi: “Ngubani ozakwehla nami siye ekamu likaSawule?” U-Abhishayi wathi: “Ngizakwehla nawe.”

⁷UDavide no-Abhishayi bafika emabuthweni ebusuku. USawule wayelele ubuthongo ekamu, umkhonto wakhe ugxunyekwe emhlabathini ngasekhanda lakhe, u-Abhineri namabutho bemhaqile. ⁸U-Abhishayi wathi kuDavide: “UBaba wethu usenikele isitha sakho esandleni sakho namuhla. Ngakho ake ngimgwaze ngimbhekise phansi ngomkhonto owodwa—akudingeki okwesibili.”

⁹Kodwa uDavide wathi ku-Abhishayi: “Ungambulali! Ngubani ongaphakamisa isandla kogcotshiweyo kaBaba wethu angabi necala?” ¹⁰UDavide wathi: “Kuphila kukaBaba wethu, uBaba wethu uyakumshaya, noma kufike usuku lwakhe afe, noma aye empini abhujiswe. ¹¹Makube kude lami, phambi kukaBaba wethu, ukuphakamisa isandla sami kogcotshiweyo kaBaba wethu. Manje thatha umkhonto osekhanda lakhe nesigubhu samanzi, sihambe.”

¹²UDavide wathatha umkhonto nesigubhu samanzi ngasekhanda likaSawule; bahamba. Akekho owababonayo, akekho owaziyo, futhi akekho ovukayo, ngokuba ubuthongo obunzima obuvela kuBaba wethu babuwele phezu kwabo bonke.

¹³UDavide wayesewela, wema esiqongweni segquma esikude, kunesikhala esikhulu phakathi kwabo. ¹⁴Wamemeza amabutho no-Abhineri indodana kaNeri, wathi: “Awuphenduli yini, Abhineri?” U-Abhineri waphendula: “Ungubani wena, omemeza inkosi?”

¹⁵UDavide wathi ku-Abhineri: “Awuyena yini indoda? Ngubani onjengawe kwa-Israyeli? Kungani ungayilindanga inkosi yakho? Omunye umuntu ufike ukuzobhubhisa inkosi, umhlekazi wakho. ¹⁶Wenze okungalunganga. Kuphila kukaBaba wethu, nina nonke nifanele ukufa ngokuba ningayilindanga inkosi yenu, ogcotshiweyo kaBaba wethu. Manje bheka—uphi umkhonto wenkosi nesigubhu samanzi obekwa ngasekhanda layo?”

¹⁷USawule walazi izwi likaDavide, wathi: “Yizwi lakho lelo yini, ndodana yami Davide?” UDavide wathi: “Yizwi lami, nkosi yami.”

¹⁸Wathi: “Kungani inkosi yami ixosha inceku yayo? Ngenzeni, yikuphi okubi esandleni sami? ¹⁹Inkosi yami mayizwe amazwi enceku yayo: uma uBaba wethu ekuvusele ukuba umelane nami, makamukele umnikelo; kodwa uma kungabantu abakwenzile lokhu, mabaqalekiswe phambi kwakhe—ngokuba namuhla bangixoshile esabelweni sami sefa lakhe, bethi: ‘Hamba, uyokhonza abanye onkulunkulu.’ ²⁰Igazi lami malingaweli emhlabathini, kude nobukhona bukaBaba wethu—inkosi yakwa-Israyeli iphumele ukuzingela intwala eyodwa, njengoxosha ithendele ezintabeni.”

²¹USawule wathi: “Ngonile. Buya, Davide ndodana yami. Angisayikuphinda ngikulimaze, ngokuba ukuphila kwami bekuyigugu emehlweni akho namuhla. Ngenze ubuwula, ngaphosisa kakhulu.”

²²UDavide waphendula wathi: “Nangu umkhonto wenkosi. Make kufike enye insizwa iwulande. ²³UBaba wethu uyavuza wonke umuntu ngokulunga kwakhe nangokwethembeka kwakhe. Namuhla ukunikele esandleni sami, kodwa angivumanga ukuphakamisa isandla sami kogcotshiweyo wakhe. ²⁴Njengoba ngikuphathe njengegugu ukuphila kwakho namuhla, uBaba wethu makakuphathe njengegugu ukuphila kwami, angikhulule kukho konke ukuhlupheka.”

²⁵USawule wathi kuDavide: “Ubusisiwe wena, ndodana yami Davide—uyakwenza izinto ezinkulu, ngokuqinisekile unqobe.” UDavide wahamba indlela yakhe; uSawule wabuyela ekhaya.