1 USamuweli 9

9 ¹Kwakukhona indoda yakwaBhenjamini egama layo lalinguKhishi, indodana ka-Abiyeli, indodana kaZerori, indodana kaBhekorathi, indodana ka-Afiya, umBhenjamini, indoda enothile nenesithunzi. ²Wayenendodana egama layo lalinguSawule, insizwa enhle—kwakungekho mu-Israyeli omuhle kunaye; kusukela emahlombe kuya phezulu wayemude kunabo bonke.

³Izimbongolo zikaKhishi, uyise kaSawule, zalahleka, ngakho uKhishi wathi endodaneni yakhe uSawule: “Thatha omunye wezinceku uhambe naye niyofuna izimbongolo.” ⁴Wadabula izwe lezintaba lakwa-Efrayimi nezwe laseShalisha, kodwa abazitholanga. Badabula izwe laseShali, kodwa izimbongolo zazingekho lapho. Wadabula izwe lakwaBhenjamini, kodwa nokho abazitholanga.

⁵Bathi sebefike ezweni laseZufi, uSawule wathi encekwini eyayinaye: “Woza, asibuyele emuva, funa ubaba ayeke ukukhathazeka ngezimbongolo, aqale ukukhathazeka ngathi.”

⁶Kodwa inceku yathi: “Bheka, kulo muzi kukhona umuntu kaBaba wethu, ohlonishwayo; konke akushoyo kugcwaliseka ngempela. Asiye khona manje; mhlawumbe angasitshela indlela esingayithatha.”

⁷USawule wathi encekwini yakhe: “Kodwa uma siya, singamphatheleni lo muntu? Isinkwa esasisemigodleni yethu siphelile, futhi asikho isipho somuntu kaBaba wethu. Yini esinayo?”

⁸Inceku yaphinda yaphendula uSawule yathi: “Bheka, nginohlamvu olulodwa oluncane lwesiliva. Ngizolunika umuntu kaBaba wethu ukuze asitshele indlela yethu.” ⁹(Endulo kwa-Israyeli, wonke umuntu owayeya kobuza kuBaba wethu wayethi: “Asiye kumboni,” ngokuba umprofethi wanamuhla wayebizwa ngokuthi umboni ngaleso sikhathi.).

¹⁰USawule waphendula wathi: “Kulungile. Asihambe.” Ngakho baya emzini okwakukhona kuwo umuntu kaBaba wethu. ¹¹Bathi besakhuphuka iqele beya emzini, bahlangana namantombazane ayephuma eyokukha amanzi, bawabuza: “Ukhona lapha umboni?”

¹²Athi: “Ukhona. Ungaphambi kwenu nje. Sheshani, ufike emzini namuhla ngoba abantu banomhlatshelo endaweni ephakeme. ¹³Nithi ningena nje emzini nizomthola ngaphambi kokuba enyukele endaweni ephakeme ukuyokudla. Abantu abayikudla aze afike, ngokuba kumele abusise umhlatshelo; kuyobe sekudla izimenywa. Khuphukani manje—nizomthola masinyane.”

¹⁴Bakhuphukela emzini. Bathi bengena, uSamuweli weza ebhekene nabo, enyukela endaweni ephakeme.

¹⁵Ngosuku olwandulela ukufika kukaSawule, uBaba wethu wayekwambulile lokhu kuSamuweli:

¹⁶“Cishe ngalesi sikhathi kusasa ngizothumela kuwe indoda evela ezweni lakwaBhenjamini. Uzoyigcoba ibe ngumholi phezu kwabantu bami u-Israyeli; iyokhulula abantu bami esandleni samaFilisti, ngokuba ngibabonile abantu bami, nokukhala kwabo kufinyelele kimi.”

¹⁷Lapho uSamuweli ebona uSawule, uBaba wethu wathi kuye: “Nansi indoda engakhuluma ngayo; lona uyobusa abantu bami.”

¹⁸USawule wasondela kuSamuweli esangweni wathi: “Ake ungitshele ukuthi ikuphi indlu yomboni.”

¹⁹USamuweli waphendula wathi: “Mina ngingumboni. Khuphuka ungandulele uye endaweni ephakeme. Namuhla uzodla nami; ekuseni ngizokumukisa ngikutshele konke okusenhliziyweni yakho. ²⁰Izimbongolo ozilahlekelwe yizo ezinsukwini ezintathu ezedlule sezitholakele, ngakho ungakhathazeki ngazo. Ngubani ongumnikazi wakho konke okuligugu kwa-Israyeli, uma kungesiwe kanye nayo yonke indlu kayihlo?”

²¹USawule waphendula wathi: “Angimina yini umBhenjamini, ovela esizweni esincane kunazo zonke kwa-Israyeli, nomndeni wami ophansi kunayo yonke imindeni yakwaBhenjamini? Usho ngani lokhu kimi?”

²²USamuweli wangenisa uSawule nenceku yakhe endlini enkulu, wabahlalisa esihlokweni sezimenywa—ezazicishe zibe ngamashumi amathathu. ²³USamuweli wathi kumpheki: “Letha isabelo engakunika sona, leso engathi ubekele sona eceleni.” ²⁴Umpheki waphakamisa umlenze nalokho okwakukuwo wakubeka phambi kukaSawule. USamuweli wathi: “Nanku okwakugcinelwe wena. Yidla, ngokuba kwakubekelwe wena ngenxa yalesi sikhathi, kusukela ngamema lezi zimenywa.” Ngakho uSawule wadla noSamuweli ngalolo suku.

²⁵Behla endaweni ephakeme bangena emzini, uSamuweli wakhuluma noSawule ophahleni. ²⁶Bavuka ekuseni kakhulu, kwathi emadabukakusa uSamuweli wamemeza uSawule ophahleni wathi: “Vuka, ngizokumukisa.” USawule wavuka, baphuma bobabili, yena noSamuweli, baya emgwaqweni kanyekanye. ²⁷Bathi besehla beya ethileni lomuzi, uSamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Thuma inceku iqhubekele phambili”—yahamba—“kodwa wena yima isikhashana, ukuze ngikutshele izwi likaBaba wethu.”