USamyela uzesa uSawula
1Kwakukhona indoda kwaBhenjamini, ibizo layo kunguKhitjhi; injingile. Uyise u-Abiyeli naboyisemkhulu aboTserori, uBhekhorathi, no-Afiyarhi bebamaBhenjamini. 2Gade anendodana okuthiwa nguSawula, isokana ebelihlamazana kunawo woke kwa-Israyeli begodu lidephile kunamanye.
3Nje-ke abodumbana bakaKhitjhi uyise kaSawula balahleka. UKhitjhi wathi kuSawula indodanakhe: “Thatha inceku eyodwa ukhambe nayo uyokuqala abodumbanabo.”
4Badundubala njalo badlula iintatjana zenarha yakwa-Efrayimu baqamula nemimango yeTjhalitjha, kodwana akhange babafunyane. Baqamula nemimango yeTjhalima, nalapho do. Baqamula nemimango yeJemina, nalapho godu akhange babafunyane. 5Kuthe lokha nabafika emmangweni weTsufi, uSawula wathi encekwinakhe agade akhamba nayo: “Namba sibuyele emuva, ubaba angahle alise ukucabanga ngabodumbana bese athome ukutshwenyeka ngathi.” 6Inceku yaphendula yathi kuye: “Qala, ngemzinapha kunomuntu kaZimu ohloniphekileko; nanyana yini ayitjhoko iyenzeka. Namba siye khona gadesi. Mhlambe angasitjela bona sifunele ngakuphi.”
7USawula wathi encekwinakhe: “Iye, singakhamba, kodwana sizomphani umuntu loyo? Ukudla ngemigodlaneni yethu kuyile. Asinanto esingayiphathela umuntu kaZimu. Kghani sinani?” 8Inceku yamphendula godu yathi: “Qala, ngiphethe isipaparwana sesiliva. Ngizasinikela umuntu kaZimu ukuze asitjele bona sifunele ngakuphi.” 9(Ekadeni kwa-Israyeli lokha umuntu nayokubuza kuZimu gade asithi: “Namba siye kumboni.” Ngombana lo okuthiwa mphorofidi namhlanje, endulo gade abizwa bona mboni.) 10USawula wathi encekwinakhe: “Kulungile, namba sikhambe.”
Bakhamba-ke baya edorobheni lapha gade kunomuntu kaZimu khona. 11Basakhuphuka intatjana leyo banqombe edorobheni, bahlangana nabantazana bayokukha amanzi, bababuza bathi: “Umboni ukhona na?” 12Bona babaphendula bathi: “Iye, ukhona. Niseenthendeni zakhe. Nange ningarhaba khona nje ningamfunyana, ususandukufika khona namhlanjesi ekhethwapha ngombana abantu banomhlatjelo esidulini. 13Nisangena nje edorobheni nizamfunyana angakenyukeli esidulini ukuyogoma. Abantu abazukuthoma ukugoma angakafiki ngombana ufanele abusise umhlabelo bese ngemva kwalokho abamenyiweko bagome-ke. Yenyukani khona nje ngombana nizamfunyana.”
14Benyukela edorobheni, bathi basangena nje, nango uSamyela anqombe ngakibo eza ngendlela elunge esidulini. 15Ufika nje uSawula uSomnini besele akwambule ngayizolo kwakhona kuSamyela ukuza kwakhe wathi: 16“Ngeenkhathezi kusasa ngizokuthumela umuntu obuya enarheni yakwaBhenjamini kuwapha. Umzese abe mbusi wabantu bami u-Israyeli ukuze abasindise esandleni samaFilista ngombana isililo sabo sifikile kimi, bona ngibatjheje.”
17Kuthe lokha uSamyela nabona uSawula, uSomnini wathi kuye: “Nangu-ke umuntu ebengikutjela ngaye, nguye ozakubusa abantu bami.” 18USawula wanqomba kuSamyela esangweni wabuza wathi: “Ngiyakubawa, angeze wangitjela bona indlu yomboni ikuphi na?” 19USamyela waphendula wathi: “Umboni ngimi. Yewenyuke phambi kwami uye esidulini ngombana namhlanjesi nizokugoma nami bese kuthi kusasa ekuseni nginiphekelele sele ngikutjele koke okusehliziywenakho. 20Nakubodumbana okusele kumalanga amathathu balahlekile, ungasatshwenyeka ngabo sebafunyenwe. Kanti umuntu ofunwa khulu kwa-Israyeli akusinguwe nendlu kayihlo na?” 21USawula waphendula wathi: “Angisuye umBhenjamini ophuma ekorweni encancani kwa-Israyeli na? Nomndeni wakwethu akusingomncancani kiyo yoke ikoro yakwaBhenjamini? Alo-ke, kubayini ukhulume nami njalo?”
22USamyela wangenisa uSawula nencekwakhe ngekumbeni wafese wabahlalisa ngaphambi kwabamenyiweko ebebangaba matjhumi amathathu. 23USamyela wathi kumpheki: “Letha isabelo senyama engikunikele sonesiya, ngitjho lesiya engithe usibekele eqadi.” 24Umpheki waguga isabelo somlenze esikhethekileko wasibeka phambi kwakaSawula. USamyela wathi: “Nakhu ebegade ubekelwe khona. Yewugome-ke ngombana gade kuvele kubekelwe wena, emnyanyeni lo kusukela ekuthomeni.”
Mhlokho uSawula wagoma noSamyela. 25Emva kobana sebehlile esidulini bangena emzini, uSamyela wakhuluma noSawula angaphezulu kwephahla.
26Bavuka ngamasa, uSamyela wabiza uSawula angaphezulu kwephahla, wathi: “Vuka ngikuphekelele ukhambe.”
Wavuka-ke uSawula baphuma bobabili noSamyela. 27Basakhamba behlela emaphelelweni wedorobho, uSamyela wathi kuSawula: “Tjela incekwakho bonyana ikhe isigadunge kancazana, kodwana wena jama kancani ngikutjele umlayezo ovela kuZimu.” Inceku yenza njalo.
