UDavide NoSawule Basemgedeni E-Eni Gedi
1Kwathi lapho uSawule esebuyile ukuxosha amaFilisti, kwabikwa kuye ukuthi: “Bheka, uDavide usehlane e-Eni Gedi.”
2USawule wathatha abantu abayizi-3 000 ababekhethwe phakathi kwawo wonke u-Israyeli, wahamba nabo, bayofuna uDavide nabantu bakhe emaDwaleni amaGogo.
3Wafika ezibayeni zezimvu ezaziseceleni kwendlela, kwakukhona umgede lapho; uSawule waphambukela khona ukuba ayozembesa izinyawo. UDavide nabantu bakhe babehlezi emuva phakathi emgedeni. 4Abantu bakaDavide bathi kuye: “Bheka, nantu usuku uSimakade akhuluma ngalo kuwe, ethi: ‘Uyabona-ke, ngiyakunikela isitha sakho esandleni sakho, wenze okubona kukuhle kuwe.’ ”
Wayesesuka uDavide, wasika ngasese umphetho wengubo kaSawule.
5Emveni kwalokho uDavide wazisola enhliziyweni yakhe, ngoba wayesike umphetho wengubo kaSawule. 6Wayesethi kubantu bakhe: “Akufanele neze, Simakade ukuba ngenze into enjengale enkosini yami, ogcotshiweyo kaSimakade, ngimbulale, ngokuba ungogcotshiweyo kaSimakade.”
7UDavide wabathiya abantu bakhe ngalawo mazwi, akaze abavumela ukuba bamvukele uSawule. USawule wasuka emgedeni, waqhubeka nohambo.
8UDavide naye wasuka kamuva, waphuma emgedeni, wammemeza uSawule, wathi: “Nkosi yami, nkosi!”
USawule wabheka emuva, uDavide wakhothama wathi mbo ngobuso, wakhuleka. 9UDavide wayesethi kuSawule: “Uwalaleleleni amazwi abekhulunywa ngabantu abathi: ‘Bheka, uDavide ufuna ukukulimaza’? 10Uyabona-ke, namuhla uzibonele ngawakho amehlo ukuthi uSimakade ubekunikele esandleni sami emgedeni. Abanye bathe mangikubulale, kepha ngakuhawukela, ngathi: ‘Angisoze ngiyibulale inkosi yami, ngokuba ingogcotshiweyo kaSimakade.’ 11Futhi-ke baba, awubheke nanku umphetho wengubo yakho esandleni sami ngokuba ngiwusikile, angikubulalanga. Yazi, ubone ukuthi akukho nhloso embi kimi ngawe; angikonanga ngalutho, kodwa nguwe ozingela impilo yami ukuze ungibulale. 12USimakade makehlulele phakathi kwami nawe; uSimakade angiphindiselele kuwe, kodwa isandla sami asiyukuba phezu kwakho. 13Kunjengesaga sasendulo esithi: ‘Kwababi kuvela ububi,’ yingakho-ke nje isandla sami singeke sikubulale.
14“Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli iphumele ukulandela bani na? Uxosha bani? Ukuhubha inja efileyo, intwakumba eyodwa nje. 15USimakade makabe ngumehluleli, ehlulele phakathi kwami nawe, abheke, angimele, angikhulule esandleni sakho.”
16Kwathi uDavide eseqedile ukukhuluma lawo mazwi kuSawule, uSawule wathi: “Ngabe yizwi lakho leli, ndodana yami, Davide, na?”
USawule wadazuluka, wakhala. 17Wayesethi kuDavide: “Ulungile kunami, ngokuba wena ungiphindisele ngokuhle, kepha mina ngikuphindisele ngokubi. 18Namuhla ukuveze obala ukuthi ungenzele okuhle kanjani, ngokuba uSimakade unginikele esandleni sakho, kodwa wena awungibulalanga. 19Ngubani owake wathi esesifumene isitha sakhe, wasiyeka sahamba siphephile na? USimakade makakuphindisele ngokuhle ngalokhu okwenze kimi namuhla. 20Ngakho-ke bheka, ngiyazi, ngiqinisekile ukuthi uyakuba yinkosi, nokuthi umbuso ka-Israyeli uyakuqiniswa esandleni sakho. 21Ngakho-ke funga kimi ngoSimakade ukuthi awuyukulubhubhisa uzalo lwami, futhi awuyukulesula igama lami endlini kababa.”
22UDavide wafunga kuSawule. USawule wayesehamba, kodwa uDavide nabantu bakhe bakhuphukela enqabeni.
