1 Akuba nonyaka ukuya kwiminyaka emibini elawula kwaSirayeli
2 uSawule wakhetha amawaka amathathu amadoda akwaSirayeli. Amawaka amabini asala naye eMikimashe naseBhetele kweleentaba. Elinye iwaka walithumela eGibheya kummandla wakwaBhenjamin kunye noJonatan. Amanye amadoda wathi makagoduke.
3 UJonatan wahlasela ikampana yamaFilistiya eyayiseGebha. Yaduma kwelamaFilistiya into yokuba amaSirayeli avus' umnyele. USawule wathumela izigidimi ukuba zihambe zibeth' izigodlo kulo lonke, zithi: “Bekan' iindlebe, maHebhere!”
4 Weva ke uSirayeli ephela, kusithiwa: “USawule uyihlasele ikampana yamaFilistiya, asuka amaSirayeli aba lizothe kumaFilistiya.” Amadoda akwaSirayeli abizelwa kuSawule eGiligali.
5 AmaFilistiya aqokelela umkhosi wokulwa namaSirayeli. Yaba ngamashumi amathathu amawaka eenqwelo zokulwa, namawaka amathandathu amadoda akhwele kuzo, nenyambalala yamajoni. Enjenjeya ukuya kumisa ikampu yawo eMikimashe ngasempumalanga yeBhetaven.
6 Athi amadoda akwaSirayeli akubona ukuba mbi kwemeko yawo, nokuxinwa komkhosi wawo, asuka aya kuziqhusheka emiqolombeni nasezihlahleni, ezixhotyeni zamawa, emihadini, nasemaquleni.
7 Amanye amaHebhere awelela ngaphesheya kweJordan kwimimandla yakwaGadi naseGiliyadi.Wasala eGiligali yena uSawule, esankwantya luloyiko amadoda awayesele naye.
8 Walinda iintsuku zasixhenxe, njengoko wayeyalelwe nguSamweli. Akafika yena uSamweli eGiligali. Amadoda kaSawule aya echithakala,
9 waza ke wathi: “Sondezani kum izinto zokwenza amadini atshiswayo namadini obudlelane.” Zithe zakusiwa, wanikela idini elitshiswayo.
10 Kuthe kanye xa agqibezelayo, wagaleleka uSamweli. USawule waya kumhlangabeza, ethakazela.
11 Wasuka uSamweli wabuza wathi: “Yintoni le uyenzileyo, Sawule?”Uphendule ngelithi uSawule: “Hayi, ndithe ndakubona amadoda echithakala, nawe ungafiki ngexesha obuthe uya kufika ngalo, namaFilistiya eqokelelana eMikimashe,
12 ndaqonda ukuba la maFilistiya ngahle asihlasele apha eGiligali singekabhekisi *kuNdikhoyo. Ndeva ndinyanzelekile ke ukuba ndinikele idini elitshiswayo kuNdikhoyo.”
13 “Wenze ubudenge ke khona!” kutsho uSamweli. “Uwutyeshele umyalelo kaNdikhoyo uThixo wakho. Ukuba ubumthobele uNdikhoyo ubukumkani bakho kwaSirayeli bebuya kuma bumi.
14 Kodwa ke ngoku luza kunqamka ulawulo lwakho, kuba uwutyeshele kaloku umyalelo kaNdikhoyo. UNdikhoyo uzityumbele enye indoda esenyongweni yakhe ukuba ibalawule abantu bakhe.”
15 USamweli wesuka eGiligali waya eGibheya kummandla wakwaBhenjamin. USawule wawabala amadoda asele naye, wafumana ukuba amalunga namakhulu amathandathu.
16 USawule nonyana wakhe uJonatan kunye nomkhosi wabo babemise eGebha kummandla wamaBhenjamin. Wona amaFilistiya amisa eMikimashe.
17 Umkhosi wamaFilistiya wakhupha amahlelo amathathu. Elinye ihlelo laphuma laya ngaseOfra kummandla waseShuwali,
18 elinye laya ngaseBhete-horon, elesithathu labheka kwimida ejongene nentili iZebhoyim ngasentlango.
19 KwaSirayeli kwakungekho bakhandi, kuba amaFilistiya athi: “AmaHebhere osuka enze amakrele nemikhonto.”
20 Kwakufuneka amaSirayeli aye kumaFilistiya xa afuna ukulolelwa amakhuba namagaba, amazembe kunye neerhengqa zawo.
21 Kwakuhlawulwa iqhosha lemali ngokulola izembe nangokulungisa incula, abe mabini xa kulolwa isikali sekhuba okanye kubazwa iimviko.
22 Ke ngoko ngomhla wedabi kwakungekho nanye indoda kwaSirayeli eyayinekrele okanye umkhonto, ngaphandle nje kukaSawule nonyana wakhe uJonatan.
23 AmaFilistiya athumela igqiza lomkhosi wawo ukuya kuvala ingxingwa yaseMikimashe.