UDavide Uthandwa NguJonathani, Uzondwa NguSawule
1Kwathi eseqedile ukukhuluma noSawule, inhliziyo kaJonathani yanamathela enhliziyweni kaDavide. UJonathani wamthanda njengoba ezithanda yena. 2USawule wamthatha ngalolo suku uDavide, akabe esamvumela ukuba abuyele endlini kayise. 3UJonathani noDavide benza isivumelwano, ngokuba uJonathani wamthanda njengoba ezithanda yena. 4UJonathani wakhumula ingubo ayeyigqokile, wayinika uDavide, nezinye izembatho zakhe, inkemba yakhe, umnsalo wakhe nebhande lakhe.
5UDavide wayeya noma kuphi lapho uSawule ayemthuma khona, wayehlabana. USawule wambeka ukuba aphathe amabutho. UDavide wayemuhle emehlweni abantu bonke nasemehlweni ezinceku zikaSawule.
6Kwathi lapho befika, uDavide esebuya ekubulaleni umFilisti, abesifazane baphuma emizini yonke kwa-Israyeli, behlabelela besina, beyohlangabeza uSawule, inkosi, ngezigubhu, nangokhehlegume, bethokoza. 7Abesifazane bahlabelela bedlalisela, bethi:
“USawule ubulele izinkulungwane zakhe,
kodwa uDavide izinkulungwane zakhe ezilishumi.”
8USawule wathukuthela kakhulu, laba libi lelo lizwi emehlweni akhe, wathi: “Banike uDavide izinkulungwane ezilishumi, kodwa mina banginike izinkulungwane nje; osekumsalele ngumbuso kuphela.”
9USawule wamqaphelisisa uDavide kusukela kulolo lusuku.
10Kwathi ngangomuso umoya omubi owawuvela kuNkulunkulu wehlela kuSawule, waphrofetha ephakathi endlini. UDavide wayeshaya ihabhu ngesandla sakhe izinsuku ngezinsuku. USawule wayephatha umkhonto ngesandla sakhe. 11USawule waciba umkhonto, wathi: “Ngiyakumphisela odongeni uDavide.”
Kepha uDavide wagwija kwaze kwaba kabili phambi kwakhe.
12USawule wamesaba uDavide, ngoba uSimakade wayenaye, kodwa esesukile kuye. 13USawule wamqhelisa kuye, wayesembeka ukuba abe ngumkhuzi wempi yakhe yenkulungwane; ehola abantu, ephuma engena nabo. 14UDavide waba nempumelelo kuzo zonke izindlela zakhe; uSimakade wayenaye. 15USawule ebona ukuthi uDavide unempumelelo, wamesaba. 16Kepha wonke u-Israyeli noJuda bamthanda uDavide, ngokuba wayebahola, engena ephuma nabo.
UDavide Uba Ngumkhwenyana Wenkosi
17USawule wathi kuDavide: “Bheka, indodakazi yami endala, uMerabi, ngizokuganisela yona, ibe ngumkakho. Wena yiba yiqhawe lami nje kuphela, ulwe izimpi zikaSimakade.”
Ngokuba uSawule wathi: “Makungabi yisandla sami esimenzakalisayo, kodwa makube yisandla samaFilisti.”
18UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Ngingubani nje mina, kuyini ukuphila kwami, nomndeni kababa uyini kwa-Israyeli ukuba ngingaba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, na?”
19Kwathi lapho kufika isikhathi sokuthi uMerabi, indodakazi kaSawule, agane uDavide, uSawule uyise, wamganisela u-Adriyeli waseMehola, waba ngumkakhe.
20UMikhali, indodakazi kaSawule, wayemthanda uDavide. Abantu bamtshela uSawule, kwaba kuhle lokho kuye wavumelana nakho. 21Wayesethi uSawule: “Ngiyakumganisela yena abe lugibe kuye, ukuze isandla samaFilisti simenzakalise.”
Ngalokho uSawule wathi kuDavide: “Uyakuba ngumkhwenyana ngokwesibili namuhla.”
22USawule wayaleza ezincekwini zakhe, wathi: “Khulumani noDavide ngasese, nithi: ‘Uyabona, inkosi yenamile ngawe, nazo zonke izinceku zayo ziyakuthanda, ngakho-ke yiba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi.’ ”
23Izinceku zikaSawule zakhuluma lawo mazwi ezindlebeni zikaDavide. UDavide wathi: “Kuyinto elula yini emehlweni enu ukuba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, lokhu ngingumuntu ompofu nodelelekileyo na?”
24Izinceku zikaSawule zamtshela, zathi: “Ukhulume kanjalo-ke uDavide.”
25USawule wathi: “Niyakusho kanje kuDavide, nithi: ‘Inkosi ayifuni lobolo, ifuna kuphela amajwabu ayikhulu amaFilisti ukuba kuphindiselwe ezitheni zenkosi.’ ”
USawule wayecabanga ukuthi uDavide uzobulawa ngamaFilisti.
26Izinceku zakhe zambikela uDavide lawo mazwi, kwaba kuhle emehlweni kaDavide ukuba abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, kepha izinsuku zazingakapheleli. 27UDavide nabantu bakhe basuka baya kumaFilisti, babulala angama-200. UDavide waletha amajwabu awo; bawayisa enkosini ephelele ukuba abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. USawule wayesemganisela uMikhali, indodakazi yakhe, waba ngumkakhe.
28USawule wakubona lokho, wazi ukuthi uSimakade unoDavide. UMikhali, indodakazi kaSawule, wamthanda uDavide. 29Kwakhula kakhulu kuSawule ukumesaba uDavide. USawule wayeyisitha sikaDavide sonke isikhathi.
30Kwakuthi njalo lapho kuhlasela abakhuzi bempi yamaFilisti, uDavide wayehlabana ngokudlulele kunazo zonke izinceku zikaSawule; igama lakhe laduma kakhulu.
