USawule namadodana akhe bayalwa namaFilisti; ukumbelwa kwabo
1AmaFilisti alwa noIsrayeli; abantu bakwaIsrayeli babaleka phambi kwamaFilisti, bawa begwaziwe entabeni yaseGilibowa.
2AmaFilisti axosha uSawule namadodana akhe; amaFilisti abulala oJonathani, noAbinadaba, noMaliki-Shuwa, amadodana kaSawule.
3Impi yaba-nzima kuSawule; abacibishelayo bamfica, wakhathazeka kakhulu ngenxa yabacibishelayo.
4USawule wayesethi odibini lwezikhali zakhe: Hosha inkemba yakho, ungigwaze ngayo, funa labo abangasokile bafike, bangigwaze, bangone. Kepha aluvumanga udibi lwezikhali zakhe, ngokuba lwesaba kakhulu. Ngalokho uSawule wayithatha inkemba, wawela phezu kwayo.
5Udibi lwezikhali zakhe selubonile ukuthi uSawule ufile, lwawela nalo phezu kwenkemba yalo, lwafa kanye naye.
6Wafa-ke uSawule namadodana akhe omathathu, nodibi lwakhe, nabo bonke abantu bakhe ngalolosuku kanyekanye.
7Lapho abantu bakwaIsrayeli ababengaphesheya kwesigodi nalabo ababengaphesheya kweJordani bebona ukuthi abantu bakwaIsrayeli babaleka nokuthi uSawule namadodana akhe bafile, bashiya imizi, babaleka; amaFilisti afika, ahlala kuyo.
8Kwathi ngangomuso, lapho amaFilisti efika ukuphanga ababuleweyo, afumana uSawule namadodana akhe omathathu bewile entabeni yaseGilibowa.
9Amnquma ikhanda, athatha izikhali zakhe, azithuma ezweni lamaFilisti nxazonke ukukumemezela endlini yezithombe zawo nakubantu.
10Azibeka izikhali zakhe endlini kaAshitaroti, abethela isidumbu sakhe ogangeni lwaseBeti-Shani.
11Sebezwile abakhé eJabeshi-Gileyadi lokho amaFilisti ayekwenzile kuSawule,
12kwasuka onke amadoda anamandla, ahamba ubusuku bonke, asithatha isidumbu sikaSawule, nezidumbu zamadodana akhe ogangeni lwaseBeti-Shani, afika eJabeshi, azishisa khona.
13Athatha amathambo abo, awembela phansi komtamariske* eJabeshi, azila ukudla izinsuku eziyisikhombisa.
