1 *UNdikhoyo wathi kuSamweli: “Koda kube nini uzingcungcuthekisa ngenxa kaSawule? Ndimkhiqile ekulawuleni amaSirayeli. Zalisa iqhaga lakho ngamafutha omnquma, uye eBhetelehem kwaJese, kuba ndityumbe omnye koonyana bakhe ukuba abe ngukumkani wamaSirayeli.”
2 Ubuze wenjenje uSamweli: “Ndingathini ukuya? Angandibulala uSawule ukuyiva kwakhe loo nto!”UNdikhoyo uthe kuSamweli: “Uze uqhube ithokazi lenkomo, uthi uye kwenza idini apho.
3 Uze ufike umeme uJese eze kwelo dini. Mna ke ndokuxelela into omawuyenze, ndikubonise nomntu omawumthambise abe ngukumkani.”
4 USamweli wenjenjeya ukusinga eBhetelehem, ethunywe nguNdikhoyo. Wahlangatyezwa ngamadoda amakhulu edolophu, egubha kukoyika. Ambuza esithi: “Ngaba uze ngoxolo?”
5 Uthe ukuphendula uSamweli: “Kunjalo kanye; ndize ngoxolo. Ndize kwenzela uNdikhoyo idini. Zihlambululeni, nize nani, sinyuse idini.” Waza uJese noonyana bakhe wabahlambulula, wabamema nabo ukuba beze edinini.
6 Bakuba bezile edinini apho, wathi uSamweli akubona uEliyabhi unyana kaJese, wathetha yedwa esithi: “Inene, nanku umthanjiswa kaNdikhoyo emi phambi kwakhe.”
7 Kodwa uNdikhoyo wathi kuSamweli: “Musa ukujonga ubunzwana bakhe nesithomo sakhe. Asinguye endimfunayo. Kaloku mna Ndikhoyo andijongi okujongwa ngabantu. Abantu bakhangela umfaneleko; mna Ndikhoyo ndikhangela ngaphakathi entliziyweni.”
8 UJese ubize omnye unyana wakhe, uAbhinadabhi, wamgqithisa phambi koSamweli. USamweli wathi: “Hayi bo, nalo akafunwa nguNdikhoyo!”
9 Kugqithiswe uShama, wathi uSamweli: “Naye lo akafunwa nguNdikhoyo.”
10 Bada bosixhenxe oonyana bakaJese bagqithiswa phambi koSamweli, yena emana esithi: “Hayi, akatyunjwanga nguNdikhoyo.”
11 USamweli ubuzile kuJese: “Akunanyana bambi na?”Uthe uJese: “Ewe, ukho untondo; phofu usendle; walusa iigusha.”USamweli wathi: “Makaye kubizwa.” Watsho esithi: “Asizi kutya ade afike.”
12 Ke uJese wathumela, waza waphuthunywa. Ebusweni ebekhangeleka esegazini, enamehlo abukhali, eyinzwana yomfo.UNdikhoyo ke wathi kuSamweli: “Nguye ke lowo, mthambise!”
13 Wathatha elo qhaga lamafutha omnquma wayeliphethe uSamweli, wathambisa ngawo uDavide, abakhuluwa bakhe bejongile. Ukusukela ngaloo mini uDavide wangenwa ngamandla nguMoya kaNdikhoyo. Emva koko ke uSamweli yena wabuyela eRama.
14 Ke kaloku uSawule washiywa nguMoya *kaNdikhoyo, waza waphathwa ngumoya okhohlakeleyo, uvunyelwe nguNdikhoyo.
15 Izicaka zakhe zathi kuye: “Uyabona, umoya ongalunganga ovunyelwe nguThixo uyakuthuthumbisa.
16 Ke, mhlekazi, yithi masikufunele umntu okwaziyo ukubetha uhadi; kuze kuthi xa ufikelwa ngulo moya mbi akudlalele uhadi, ubuye udlamke.”
17 Wathi uSawule: “Mfuneni loo mntu udlala kakuhle, nize naye kum.”
18 Sathi esinye isicaka: “UJese waseBhetelehem unonyana oyincutshe yengoma. Kanti ukwaligorha lomfana oziqhelileyo iimfazwe. Uliciko lokuthetha, ekwayinzwana, kwaye uNdikhoyo unaye.”
19 USawule wathumela izigidimi eBhetelehem kuJese, wathi: “Ndithumele unyana wakho uDavide owalusa iigusha.”
20 UJese ke wamthumela uDavide kwaSawule, eqhuba itakane lebhokhwe, kunye nedonki ekulayishwe kuyo izonka nemvaba yewayini.
21 Waya kufika kwaSawule uDavide, waba sisicaka apho. Wathandwa kakhulu nguSawule uDavide, wada wenziwa umfana wokuphatha izikrweqe zikakumkani.
22 Ke kaloku uSawule wathumela umyalezo kuJese othi: “Ndiyakholwa nguDavide. Selumyeka asebenze apha komkhulu.”
23 Ke uDavide waba soloko ethatha uhadi adlalele uSawule ingoma ngalo lonke ixesha afikelwa nguloo moya mbi uvunyelwe nguThixo, afumane isiqabu, adlamke uSawule, angabi sakhathazwa nguloo moya.