1 USamuweli 30

30 ¹Ngosuku lwesithathu uDavida namadoda akhe bafika eZiklagi; ama-Amaleki ayehlasele iNegevi neZiklagi, ayihlasela ayishisa, ²athumba abesifazane nabo bonke ababelapho, abancane nabadala; akabulalanga muntu, kodwa abaqhuba ahamba indlela yawo. ³UDavida namadoda akhe bafika emzini, usushiswe ngomlilo—abafazi, amadodana, namadodakazi kuthunjiwe. ⁴UDavida nabantu bakhe baphakamisa amazwi abo bakhala baze baphelelwa amandla okukhala. ⁵Abafazi bobabili bakaDavida nabo bathunjwa, u-Ahinowama waseJizreyeli no-Abigayili, umfelokazi kaNabali waseKarmeli. ⁶UDavida wayekhathazeke kakhulu—abantu bakhuluma ngokumkhanda ngamatshe, ngulowo nalowo ekhathazekile ngamadodana namadodakazi akhe—kodwa waziqinisa kuBaba wethu.

⁷UDavida wathi ku-Abhiyathari umpristi, indodana ka-Ahimeleki: “Ngilethele i-efodi.” U-Abhiyathari wayiletha i-efodi kuDavida.

⁸UDavida wabuza kuBaba wethu, wathi: “Ngingabaxosha yini laba abahlaseli? Ngingabafica yini?” Wathi: “Baxoshe. Impela uyakubafica ubasindise bonke.”

⁹Ngakho uDavida namadoda akhe angamakhulu ayisithupha bafika esigodini saseBhesori, lapho abanye basala khona. ¹⁰UDavida waxosha namadoda angamakhulu amane; angamakhulu amabili asala, ekhathele kakhulu ukuba angawela isigodi saseBhesori. ¹¹Bafumana umGibhithe emasimini, bamletha kuDavida, bamnika isinkwa namanzi. ¹²Bamnika ucezu lwekhekhe lamakhiwane namahlukuzo amabili amagilebhisi omisiwe. Wadla, amandla akhe abuya—wayengadlanga sinkwa noma amanzi izinsuku ezintathu nobusuku obuthathu. ¹³UDavida wabuza, wathi: “Ungokabani? Uvelaphi?” Wathi: “Ngingumfana waseGibhithe, isigqila sendoda yama-Amaleki. Inkosi yami yangishiya ezinsukwini ezintathu ezedlule—ngangigula.

¹⁴Sahlasela iNegevi yamaKhereti, nendawo yakwaJuda, neNegevi kaKalebi, sayishisa ngomlilo iZiklagi.”

¹⁵UDavida wabuza, wathi: “Ungangehlisela yini kuleli viyo labahlaseli?” Wathi: “Funga kimi ngoNkulunkulu ukuthi ngeke ungibulale noma unginikele enkosini yami, ngizakuletha kubo.”

¹⁶UmGibhithe wamehlisa uDavida, nampo, besabalele kulo lonke izwe, bedla, bephuza, bedumisa ngempango enkulu ababeyithathe ezweni lamaFilisti nelakwaJuda. ¹⁷UDavida wababulala kusukela entathakusa kwaze kwaba kusihlwa langakusasa; kwaphunyuka kuphela amajaha angamakhulu amane agibela amakamela abaleka. ¹⁸UDavida wakubuyisa konke ama-Amaleki ayekuthathile, wabasindisa abafazi bakhe bobabili. ¹⁹Akusweleki lutho—okuncane, okukhulu, amadodana, amadodakazi, impango, noma yini enye eyathathwa—konke uDavida wakubuyisa. ²⁰UDavida wathatha yonke imihlambi yezimvu neyezinkomo; amadoda akhe ayiqhuba phambi kwezinye izinkomo, ethi: “Lena yimpango kaDavida.”

²¹UDavida wafika kula madoda angamakhulu amabili ayekhathele kakhulu ukuba amlandele, ayesele esigodini saseBhesori. Baphuma ukuhlangabeza uDavida nabantu bakhe; wababingelela lapho esondela. ²²Kodwa wonke amadoda ababi nangasizi lutho ababelandela uDavida athi: “Njengoba bengahambanga nathi, ngeke sibanike lutho empangweni esiyibuyisile—kuphela umfazi wendoda nganye nabantwana bayo, baqhutshwe bahambe.”

²³Kodwa uDavida wathi: “Ningenzi kanjalo, bafowethu, ngalokho uBaba wethu asinike khona. Wasilonda wanikela esandleni sethu abahlaseli abeza kithi. ²⁴Ngubani ongalalela nina kulokhu? Ohamba impi nosala nezimpahla babelana ngokulinganayo.” ²⁵Kusukela ngalolo suku kuqhubeke, uDavida wakwenza kwaba yisimiso nomthetho kwa-Israyeli, okusekhona kuze kube namuhla.

²⁶UDavida esefike eZiklagi, wathumela okunye kwempango emadodeni amadala akwaJuda, abangani bakhe, ethi: “Nansi isipho senu esivela empangweni yezitha zikaBaba wethu.” ²⁷Wakuthumela kulabo abaseBhetheli, nabaseRamoti yaseNegevi, nabaseJatiri; ²⁸nakulabo abase-Aroweri, naseSifimoti, nase-Eshitemowa; ²⁹nakulabo abaseRakali, nasemizini yamaJerameli neyamaKheni; ³⁰nakulabo abaseHorma, naseBori-ashani, nase-Athaki; ³¹nakulabo abaseHebroni nakuzo zonke izindawo uDavida namadoda akhe ababezulazula kuzo.