1 Ngamhla uthile uJonatan unyana kaSawule wavakala esithi kumfana omphathela izikrweqe: “Masikhe siwelele ngaphesheya phaya kulaa kampana yamaFilistiya.” Phofu akayithethanga kuyise le nto uJonatan.
2 USawule wayemise eMigron, phantsi komthi werharnati, kude kufuphi naseGibheya. Umkhosi wakhe wawungamadoda amalunga namakhulu amathandathu.
3 *Isidanga sasiphathwa ngumbingeleli uAhiya unyana ka-Ahitubhi, umntakwabo-Ikabhodi, oonyana bakaPineyasi, abazukulwana bakaEli owayengumbingeleli *kaNdikhoyo eShilo. Akazanga akuqaphele ukumka kukaJonatan nkqu namadoda omkhosi kaSawule.
4 Kuloo ngxingwa yaseMikimashe, le wayeza kuphumelela kuyo uJonatan xa awelela kwikampana yamaFilistiya, kwakukho amawa amabini, eziingqajolo, ephahle loo ngxingwa. Kwakusithiwa nguBhozeze elinye ukubizwa kwalo, elinye kusithiwa nguSene.
5 Elinye lalikwicala langasentla, lijonge eMikimashe, elinye lingasezantsi, lijonge eGebha.
6 Ubuye wathi uJonatan kuloo mfana umphathela izikrweqe: “Masiwelele kulaa kampana yeziya ntlanga zingalukiyo. Mhlawumbi angakwicala lethu uNdikhoyo. Akukho nto inokumthintela uNdikhoyo ukuba angahlanguli, nditsho nokuba sibaninzi, nokuba simbalwa.”
7 “Yenza ngokubona kwakho. Mna ndikwelo ulithethayo, naliphi na,” utshilo umfana.
8 “Kulungile ke,” kutsho uJonatan. “Masiwele siye kuwo amaFilistiya, aze asibone.
9 Xa athe: ‘Yimani side size kuni,’ siya kuma kuloo ndawo sikuyo, singayi kuwo.
10 Kodwa ke xa athe: ‘Nyukani nize kuthi,’ siya kunyuka, kuba lowo ngumqondiso wokuba uNdikhoyo uwanikele esandleni sethu.”
11 Baziveza ke kwikampana yamaFilistiya, aza wona akubabona athi: “Tyhini, nangaya amaSirayeli ephuma kulaa mihadi ebezimele kuyo!”
12 Atsho akhweba uJonatan kunye nalaa mfana umphathela izikrweqe, esithi: “Yizan' apha, sinifundise isifundo!”Uthe uJonatan kuloo mfana: “Ndilandele sinyuke; uNdikhoyo uwanikele esandleni samaSirayeli.”
13 UJonatan wenyuka iliwa ekhasa, elandelwa nguloo mfana, baya kuphumela. Wawahlasela amaFilistiya uJonatan, kujuba ugodo nje, umfana egqibezela awileyo.
14 Kolu hlaselo lokuqala kwabulawa malunga namashumi amabini kwindawo engangomhlathi ubukhulu bayo.
15 Wadideka luloyiko wonke umkhosi wamaFilistiya, nditsho lowo usekampini, nalowo usemathafeni, nalowo ukwiikampana, nalowo ukumahlelo ahlaselayo. Bacela kwabasicatyana, watsho wanyikima umhlaba. Yayingumsebenzi kaThixo ke lo.
16 Amadoda omkhosi kaSawule awayegade eGibheya kummandla wakwaBhenjamin, abona kuphithizela, amaFilistiya ethwangazela, ebaleka.
17 Kweso sithuba uSawule ubhekise kumadoda esithi: “Khanibale amadoda akhoyo, nikhangele ukuba ngawaphi na angekhoyo.” Kwakwenziwa njalo kwacaca ukuba nguJonatan nomfana omphathela izikrweqe abangekhoyo.
18 USawule ubize umbingeleli uAbhiya, esithi: “Yiza netyesi kaThixo.” (Ngelo xesha yayikho kunye namaSirayeli.)
19 Lo gama uSawule esathetha nombingeleli, saya sikhula sona isiphithi-phithi phaya kwikampu yamaFilistiya. Waselesithi ke uSawule kumbingeleli: “Khawuyeke!”
20 Waza uSawule wawuhlanganisa umkhosi wakhe, bawahlasela amaFilistiya. Kwakusisiphithi-phithi, amaFilistiya ethe thwanga, esilwa odwa.
21 Amanye amaHebhere awayengakwicala lamaFilistiya, awayefudula ehlala nawo ekampini yawo, ajika angenela ngakuSawule noJonatan.
22 Amanye awayebhacele kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim, athi akuva ukuba amaFilistiya ayaswantsuliswa, abuya angenela, asukelisa.
23 Idabi laya kutsho ngaphaya kweBhetaven. UNdikhoyo wayemhlangula uSirayeli ngaloo mini.
24 Ngaloo mini amaSirayeli ayesengxakini. Kaloku uSawule wenza isifungo esibophelela abantu, wathi: “Inene, ndithi nabani na namhlanje okhe wasa nantoni na phantsi kwempumlo ndingeka-ziphindezeli kwiintshaba zam uqalekisiwe.” Ngoko ke akuzange kubekho mntu utyayo ngaloo mini.
25 Umkhosi wonke waya kufika kwindawo enehlathi. Apho ehlathini babubuninzi ubusi.
26 Bakungena ehlathini babona ubusi butsitsa, kodwa akubangakho bani ukhongozelayo atye; kaloku bonke babesoyika isiqalekiso sikaSawule.
27 UJonatan yena wayengasivanga isifungo sikayise esibophelela abantu. Wahlaba ngentonga awayeyiphethe enqatheni lobusi, yabuya imanzi, wafaka emlonyeni, kwatsho kwee qabu kwangoko.
28 Elinye ijoni lathi: “Uyihlo uwubophelele wonke umkhosi ngesifungo esingqongqo, esithi: ‘Uqalekisiwe nabani na oya kuthi atye namhlanje.’ Yiloo nto amadoda ephelelwe ngamandla nje.”
29 UJonatan akuyiva loo nto, wathi: “Ubawo ulifake enkathazweni ilizwe! Ndiziva ndidlamkile ngoku, ndakuba ndikhe ndangcamla intwana yobusi.
30 Ngekukuhle kakhulu ukuba amawethu la ebeyekiwe akutya okuya kutya kuthinjwe kwiintshaba zethu. AmaFilistiya afileyo nge-engaphezulu koku.”
31 Ngaloo mhla emva kokuba amaSirayeli ewatyakatyile amaFilistiya ukusuka eMikimashe kuse eAyalon, aziva ephelile kukudinwa.
32 Asuka awatsibela amaxhoba, abamba iigusha, iinkomo, namathole, azixhela kwalapho, ayitya loo nyama isenegazi.
33 Kwabakho abaya kuxelela uSawule, besithi: “Mhlekazi, nangaya amadoda esenza isono kuNdikhoyo ngokutya inyama enegazi.”“Nikreqile!” wavakala esitsho uSawule. “Makuqengqwe ilitye elikhulu, liziswe apha,
34 niye phaya kulawa madoda, nithi ndithi makeze nezo nkomo neegusha zawo, azixhele apha, azitye, angenzi sono kuNdikhoyo ngokutya inyama enegazi.” Beza nazo ke ezo nkomo, bazixhela apho ngokuhlwa kwaloo mini.
35 USawule ke wamakhela iqonga uNdikhoyo. Wayeqala ukwenza oko.
36 Wavakala esithi kumadoda omkhosi wakhe uSawule: “Masiwahlasele amaFilistiya ngobu busuku, siwahluthe amaxhoba kude kuvele umsobomvu, siwabulale onke.”Aphendula amadoda athi: “Qhuba ngokubona kwakho, mhlekazi.”Kuselapho kunqande umbingeleli, wathi: “Masive kuThixo kuqala.”
37 USawule wabuza kuThixo esithi: “Ndingawahlasela kusini na amaFilistiya? Xa siwahlasele, uya kuwanikela esandleni sethu na?” Kodwa ngaloo mini akaphendulanga uThixo.
38 Kwesi sithuba uSawule ubhekise kwiingqwayi-ngqwayi zomkhosi, wathi: “Sondelani nonke, niphande ukuba sono sini na esenziwe kuNdikhoyo namhlanje.
39 Ndifunga uNdikhoyo ophilayo, lo ungumhlanguli kaSirayeli, ukuba loo mntu wenze lo monakalo uya kufa, nditsho nokuba nguJonatan unyana wam.” Kwathi nzwanga!
40 Uthe uSawule kumkhosi wakhe uphela: “Kulungile ke, yimani kweliya cala nonke; mna noJonatan siza kuma kweli.”“Yenza ngokubona kwakho, mhlekazi,” yatsho impendulo.
41 USawule ke wabhekisa kuNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli, wathi: “Nceda undinike impendulo enyanisekileyo.”Kwafika impendulo, isalatha ityala kuJonatan kunye noSawule, umkhosi wona ungenatyala.
42 Uqhube wenjenje uSawule: “Yalatha onetyala phakathi kwam nonyana wam uJonatan.” Kwalathwa uJonatan.
43 Ubuze uJonatan uSawule esithi: “Ndixelele, wenze sono sini?”UJonatan uphendule wathi: “Ndingcamle nje intwana yobusi ngomva wentonga yam. Ngaba mandifele loo nto?”
44 USawule uthe: “UThixo aze andigwebe mna lo ukuba andikubulali wena.”
45 Basuka abantu bathi: “NguJonatan lo uza kubulawa? Asinguye lo uzisele uSirayeli uloyiso olungaka? Unotshe! Sifunga uThixo ophilayo, akayi kuthiwa cha nto. Kuyo yonke into abeyenza namhlanje ubencedwa nguThixo.” Baba ke abantu bayamsindisa ekufeni uJonatan ngaloo ndlela.
46 Akabanga sawasukela amaFilistiya emva koko uSawule, asuka abuyela elizweni lawo.
47 USawule ekubeni engene ezintanjeni zokulawula, wazilwa iintshaba zamaSirayeli kwiindawo ngeendawo. Walwa namaMowabhi, ama-Amon, kunye namaEdom, kwakunye neekumkani zaseZobha, namaFilistiya. Wayetshatshela konke apho aya khona edabini.
48 Wayesilwa ngokukhalipha, wachitha nkqu nama-Amaleki. Wawahlangula amaSirayeli ekuhlaselweni ziintshaba zawo.
49 Nanga amagama oonyana bakaSawule: nguJonatan, noIshvi, kunye noMalkishuwa. Ezintombini enkulu yayinguMerabhi, encinci inguMikali.
50 Igama lomkakhe yayinguAyinowam, intombi ka-Ahimazi. Umkhosi wakhe wawuphantsi komntakwabo uAbhinere, unyana kaNere uyisekazi.
51 UKishe uyise kaSawule kunye noNere uyise ka-Abhinere babengoonyana baka-Abhiyeli.
52 Wahlala esilwa ngamandla namaFilistiya uSawule bonke ubomi bakhe. Wayedla ngokufaka emkhosini wakhe yonke indoda eyomeleleyo nelikhalipha.