USomnini ulahla uSawula ekubeni yikosi
1USamyela wathi kuSawula: “Ngimi engithunywe nguSomnini bonyana ngikuzese, ngikubeke ube yikosi yabantu bakhe u-Israyeli; nje-ke lalela umlayezo uSomnini awutjhoko. 2Nakhu-ke okwatjhiwo nguSomnini uMninimandlawoke uthi, ‘Ngizokudula ama-Amalekhi ngombana aqaba indlela yama-Israyeli lokha naphuma eGibhide. 3Yewukhambe-ke, ufese usahlele ama-Amalekhi bewubhubhise koke okungekwawo. Ungawababaleli; ubulale kwandoda, kwamfazi, kwamntwana ngitjho namasana, iinkomo, kwamvu, kwakamela ngitjho nabodumbana bakhona.’ ”
4USawula wenza imbizo eThelayimi, wahlela abantu ngeengaba; kwakuziinkulungwana ezimakhulu amabili zamadoda wakwa-Israyeli nabantu abaziinkulungwana ezilitjhumi abavela kwaJuda. 5USawula waya edorobheni le-Amalekhi wabhaca ngedongeni wenza amaqhinga wokuwakhukhuthela. 6Wathi kumaKheni: “Khambani nisukele ama-Amalekhi la ukuze nangiwabhubhisako ningachaphazelwa ziingazi ngombana nina naba nomusa kiwo woke ama-Israyeli naphuma eGibhide.” AmaKheni aphuma-ke kuma-Amalekhi.
7USawula wasahlela ama-Amalekhi ukusukela eRhavila bekwaba seTjhuru; hlanu kweGibhide. 8Wabamba u-Agagi ikosi yama-Amalekhi wangambulala, kodwana boke abantu bakhe wababhubhisa ngesabula. 9Kodwana uSawula nebutho lakhe bambabalela u-Agagi kanye nezimvu neenkomo zekhethelo, kwathi keziqalekako bababalela amaqama anonileko, kwaba ngehle yodwa ifuyo. Koke lokhu azange bathande ukukubulala bakubhubhise, kodwana yoke imikgherana bayibhubhisa nya.
10Ilizwi lakaSomnini lafika kuSamyela lathi: 11“Ngiyazisola kobana ngambekelani uSawula njengekosi ngombana ungitlhanamele begodu azange aphethe ilizwi lami.” USamyela wakhathazeka; walila ubusuku boke bamhlokho phambi kwakaSomnini. 12Kusasa ngovivi uSamyela wavukela indlela, wayokubonana noSawula, kodwana wafumana igama lokuthi: “USawula uye eKaramela. Uzafese ajamise ilitje lakhe lesikhumbuzo kileyondawo bese wehlela enzasi eGiligali.”
13Kuthe lokha nabahlanganako, uSawula wathi kuSamyela: “USomnini akubusise! Ngiliphethile ilizwi lakaSomnini.” 14Kodwana uSamyela wathi: “Alo-ke kubayini ngizwa kulila izimvu? Iinkomezi zona zibongolelelani?” 15USawula wathi: “Madoda eze neenkomo zama-Amalekezi lapha, ababalele izimvu neenkomo ezinefutha kobanyana azokuhlabela uSomnini uZimakho, nokho okunengi sikubhubhisile.” 16USamyela wathi kuSawula: “Thula! Yithi ngikutjele bonyana uSomnini utheni kimi izolo ebusuku ngawe.” USawula wathi: “Yiza nazo.”
17USamyela wathi: “Angitjho bewuzinyaza; akusinjalo na? Nokho-ke ugcine uyihloko yeenkoro zakwa-Israyeli ngombana uSomnini wakubeka waba yikosi yakwa-Israyeli. 18USomnini wakuthuma wathi, ‘Khamba ufike ubhubhise zoke iinkhohlakali zama-Amalekhi, ulwe nazo uziqede nya.’ 19Kubayini ungazange ulalele ilizwi lakaSomnini? Kubayini wenze ubumbi phambi kwakaSomnini ngokuziphosa phezu kwepango?” 20USawula wathi: “Kodwana ngimlalele uSomnini. Ngiliphethile ilizwi lakhe, ngabhubhisa ama-Amalekhi nya bengeza no-Agagi ikosawo. 21Amadoda athatha izimvu neenkomo, akhetha ezinefutha ezilungele uZimu ukuze enzele uSomnini uZimakho umhlabelo eGiligali.” 22Kodwana uSamyela wathi:
“USomnini uthabiswa mihlabelo yokutjhiswa
neminikelo kunokuthobela ilizwi lakhe na?
Ukulalela kungcono kunemihlabelo,
begodu nokuyelela kungcono kunamafutha wamaqama.
23Yeke ukuhlubuka uSomnini
umuntu alalele ihlokwakhe le,
sekufana nokulalela abosomthwadlana
nanyana umphristi wabosingazimu.
Njengombana ulahle ilizwi lakaSomnini nje,
naye-ke ukulahlile ekubeni yikosi.”
24USawula wathi kuSamyela: “Maye mina ngonile. Nginyaze umyalo kaSomnini namezwakho. Ngesabe abantu, ngenza intandwabo. 25Nje-ke ngiyakurabhela, libalela isono sami ujike nami siyokuguqa phambi kwakaSomnini.” 26USamyela wamphendula wathi: “Angeze bengakhamba nawe. Unyaze ilizwi lakaSomnini, yeke noSomnini naye ukulahlile ekubeni yikosi phezu kwaka-Israyeli!” 27Kuthe lokha uSamyela nathi uyakhamba, uSawula wagugudlhela umphetho wephuraphurakhe beyadabuka. 28USamyela wathi kuye: “USomnini urharhule ubukhosi bakwa-Israyeli ezandleni zakho namhlanjesi, wabunikela umakhelwanakho ongcono kunawe. 29OngaTjhugulukiko ka-Israyeli akaleyi amala namkha atjhugulule umkhumbulwakhe ngombana akasinjengomuntu kobana angaloko atjhugulula umkhumbulwakhe.” 30USawula waphendula wathi: “Iye, kazi ngonile. Kodwana ngiyakubawa bonyana khese ungihloniphe eemphathimandleni zabantu bami naphambi ko-Israyeli, jika nami ukuze ngiyoguqa phambi kwakaSomnini uZimakho.” 31Ngambala uSamyela wabuyela emva noSawula; uSawula waguqa phambi kwakaSomnini.
32USamyela wathi: “Yenilethapha u-Agagi ikosi yama-Amalekhi leyo.” U-Agagi weza athwele ihloko adlumbana bonyana: “Nakumahlungu wokufa aphele kade.” 33USamyela wathi kuye:
“Njengombana isabulakho
yenza bonyana abafazi balobe abantwababo,
nonyoko-ke kuzakuba nguye
hlangana nabafazi oloba umntwanakhe namhlanjesi.”
USamyela wambulala u-Agagi phambi kwakaSomnini eGiligali.
34USamyela waya eRama, kodwana uSawula yena wakhuphukela kwakhe eGibeya. 35USamyela wabe wahlongakala angazange akhe abonane noSawula godu. USamyela wakhathazeka ngoSawula, noSomnini wazisola ngokubeka kwakhe uSawula bona abe yikosi phezu kwaka-Israyeli.
