USawula ulinga ukubulala uDavida
1Kwafika umbiko kuDavida wathi: “Qala, amaFilista asahlela iKeyila aphanga nezelelo.” 2UDavida wabuza kuSomnini wathi: “Ngiwasahlele amaFilista lawo na?” USomnini wamphendula wathi: “Khamba, usahlele amaFilista usindise iKeyila.” 3Kodwana abantu bakaDavida bathi kuye: “Qala sisengozini kwaJudapha, kangangani-ke nakube sizakuya eKeyila siyokusahlela ibutho lamaFilista?”
4Godu uDavida wabuza kuSomnini, uSomnini wamphendula wathi: “Yehlela eKeyila ngombana ngizowanikela esandleni sakho amaFilista.” 5Yeke uDavida nabantu bakhe baya eKeyila, basahlela amaFilista bawabhubhisa ngokurhayila okukhulu, bebathumba nefuywabo, wasindisa abantu beKeyila.
6-9USawula wabikelwa bona uDavida wehlele eKeyila, yeke wacabanga wathi: “UZimu umkhaphele esandleni sami ngombana uziphekelele yena ngokungena emzini ngamasango anesiqabo.” USawula wazisa woke amabuthwakhe bona ehlele eKeyila kusahlelwe uDavida nabantu bakhe. Kwathi bona uDavida ezwe ukuthi uSawula useqhingeni lokumsahlela, wathi ku-Abiyatari umphristi: “Letha i-efodi lapha.” U-Abiyatari umsa ka-Arhimeleki gade ehle ne-efodi lokha nabalekela kuDavida eKeyila.
10UDavida wathandaza wathi: “Maye Somnini, Zimu ka-Israyeli! Incekwakho izwile kwamambala bona uSawula uluka iqhinga lokuza eKeyila bona arhayile umuzi ngebanga lami. 11Izakhamuzi zeKeyila zizangikhaphela kuye na? USawula uzokwehla njengombana incekwakho izwile na? Awu Somnini, Zimu ka-Israyeli, phendula incekwakho!” USomnini wathi: “Uzokuza uSawula.” 12Godu uDavida wabuza wathi: “Ingabe izakhamuzi zeKeyila zizongikhaphela nabantu bami kuSawula na?” USomnini wathi: “Bazokukhaphela.”
13Yeke uDavida nabantu abangaba makhulu asithandathu ngesibalo, basuka eKeyila bakhamba indawo ngeendawo. Lokha uSawula nakezwa bona uDavida usukile eKeyila, akhange asaya khona. 14UDavida wahlala eendaweni eziphephileko zommango neentatjaneni zerhalawumba leZifu. USawula ubemzuma ilanga nelanga, kodwana uZimu akhange amnikele ezandleni zakhe. 15UDavida walemuka bona uSawula uphumele ukumbulala.
Lokha uDavida aseRhoretjha erhalawumbeni leZifu, 16uJonathani umsa kaSawula weza kuye bona amsekele aqine amandla kuZimu. 17Wathi: “Ungesabi Davida, ubaba, uSawula, angeze asibeka isandla phezu kwakho. Uzokuba yikosi phezu kwaka-Israyeli; mina ngibe ngaphasi kwakho. Ngitjho nobaba uSawula uyakwazi lokho.” 18Benza isivumelwano bobabili phambi kwakaSomnini. UJonathani wagoduka, kodwana uDavida wasala eRhoretjha. 19AmaZifu akhuphukela kuSawula eGibeya afese athi: “Angithi nguDavida obhace hlangana nathi ngeendaweni eziphephileko zeRhoretjha? Uphezu kweentatjana zeRhakila, ngesewula yerhalawumba leJetjhimoni? 20Nje-ke kosi, yehla nanyana nini nakukuhle kuwe, kuzakuba ngithi esimnikela ekosini.” 21USawula waphendula wathi: “USomnini anibusise ngokutshwenyeka kwenu ngami. 22Buyelani emuva, niqinisekise bonyana nifunyana bona uDavida ukhambelaphi begodu ngubani ovane ambone lapho. Ngitjelwe bona unamaqhinga khulu. 23Qinisekisani bona nazi zoke iindawo abhaca kizo bese niyabuya nizongitjela indaba enetlha. Ngizabe ngikhamba nani nakube usendaweni leyo, ngimthungathe hlangana nemindeni yoke yakwaJuda.” 24Baphuma-ke babuyela eZifu. USawula wabalandela muva.
UDavida nabantu bakhe bebaserhalawumbeni leMawoni, emrhobeni we-Araba engesewula yerhalawumba leJetjhimoni. 25USawula nabantu bakhe bathoma ukuphenya, kwathi lokha uDavida atjelwako ngalokho wehla, wahlala emadwaleni erhalawumbeni leMawoni. Lokha uSawula ezwa lokho, wehlela ngerhalawumbeni leMawoni alandelela uDavida. 26USawula gade agega ngehlangothini elinye lamadwala, uDavida nabantu bakhe angakelinye ihlangothi, arhabile bona agadunge uSawula. Kwathi lokha uSawula nebutho lakhe sele babandamele bona babambe uDavida nabantu bakhe, 27kwafika isithunywa kuSawula sathi: “Yewize masinyana! AmaFilista athelekela inarha.” 28Yeke uSawula walisa ukulandelela uDavida, wajika bona ayokuqalana namaFilista. Kungebangelo babiza indawo leyo ngokuthi, Lidwala Lokwahlukanisa. 29UDavida wasuka lapho wayokubhaca eentabeni ze-Eni-Gedi.
