1 Zafika kuDavide iindaba ezithi: “AmaFilistiya ayihlasele idolophu iKehila; aphanga ingqolowa apho ibhulelwa khona.”
2 UDavide wabuza *kuNdikhoyo wathi: “Mandiwahlasele na amaFilistiya?”UNdikhoyo wathi: “Yiya kuwahlasela, ubahlangule abantu baseKehila.”
3 Amadoda kaDavide wona avakala esithi: “Singathi sihleli sisoyika kakade apha kwaJuda, sibuye siye kuhlasela umkhosi wamaFilistiya eKehila?”
4 Emva koko ke uDavide wabuza kuNdikhoyo kwakhona ukuba angaya kuwahlasela na amaFilistiya. Waphendula wathi uNdikhoyo: “Wahlasele amaFilistiya eKehila, kuba ndiza kuwanikela ezandleni zakho.”
5 UDavide wanduluka kunye namadoda akhe, baya kuwahlasela amaFilistiya. Babulala amaFilistiya amaninzi, bathimba nemihlambi yawo. Waba ke uyihlangule njalo loo dolophu uDavide.
6 Ekubalekeleni kwakhe kuDavide eKehila uAbhiyatare unyana ka-Ahimeleki wafika esiphethe *isidanga.
7 Zafika kuSawule iindaba zokuba uDavide waya eKehila. Wavakala esithi: “Unikelwe nguThixo kum uDavide lo. Uzikhonkxile ngokwakhe ngokuya kungena kwidolophu enamasango atshixwayo.”
8 Watsho eqokelela umkhosi wakhe wonke uSawule, ukuba aye kuvingcela uDavide namadoda akhe apho eKehila.
9 Zafika kuDavide iindaba zokuba uSawule uceba ukwenza ububi kuye, waza wathi kuAbhiyatare: “Yiza nesidanga.”
10 Ubuze *kuNdikhoyo ke uDavide wenjenje: “Ndikhoyo, Thixo kaSirayeli, ndiva kusithiwa ngenene uSawule uzimisele ukuza kuyihlasela ayitshabalalise iKehila ngenxa yam.
11 Ndixelele, mna sicaka sakho, ndiyakubongoza, ngaba angandinikezela kuSawule amadoda amakhulu alapha? Ngaba ngenene uSawule uza kuza njengoko amarhe esitsho?”UNdikhoyo waphendula wathi: “Uza kuza.”
12 “Amadoda amakhulu aseKehila ngaba aza kusinikela kuSawule?” ubuzile uDavide.“Ewe, aza kuninikela,” kutsho uNdikhoyo.
13 Wanduluka kwangoko ke eKehila uDavide kunye namadoda akhe amalunga namakhulu amathandathu, behamba behlala. Akabanga saya eKehila uSawule akuva ukuba uDavide ubalekile wemka apho.
14 UDavide waya kuhlala kwiindawo ezinqabileyo entlango nakweleentaba zentlango eyiZifi. Wathi rhoqo uSawule ukufuna uDavide, kodwa *uNdikhoyo akamnikelanga ezandleni zakhe.
15 Kwathi uDavide eseHoreshe kuloo ntlango iyiZifi weva ukuba uSawule uphumele ukumbulala.
16 Kwafika uJonatan apho, eze kumkhuthaza ngaye uThixo.
17 Wathi kuDavide uJonatan: “Musa ukoyika, Davide; ubawo uSawule akasoze abe nako ukusa isandla kuwe. Nguwe oza kuba ngukumkani kwaSirayeli; mna ndiza kuba sisandla sakho. Úyayazi naye loo nto ubawo uSawule.”
18 Baphinda banqophisana phambi koNdikhoyo. Emva koko wagoduka uJonatan, uDavide yena wasala apho eHoreshe.
19 Kwesuka amaZifi, aya eGibheya, eye kuxelela uSawule esithi: “Nanko uDavide ezímele kwelakowethu kwinduli iHakila eyenye yeendawo ezinqabileyo ezikummandla waseHoreshe ezantsi kweYeshimoni.
20 Ke ngoko, mhlekazi, nanini wakuthanda, yiza – siya kumnikela ezandleni zikakumkani.”
21 Wathi kuwo uSawule: “Nindincedile; ubenga uNdikhoyo anganithamsanqela ngenxa yokundikhathalela kwenu.
22 Godukani ke, niphinde nikhangelise kakuhle apho akhoyo, nimazi naloo mntu umbonileyo. Kuthiwa uDavide ulumkile.
23 Ziqapheleni kakuhle iindawo ahlala kuzo, nibuye nindazise ke. Emva koko ke ndiya kuhamba kunye nani. Ukuba uselapho ndiya kumkhangela kulo lonke, ndimfune ndide ndimfumane, nokuba kungade kufuneke ndityhutyha-tyhutyhe onke amawaka akwaJuda.”
24 Basuka ke abo bantu, bamandulela uSawule ukuya eZifi. Ngoku uDavide namadoda akhe babekwintili ekwintlango iMawoni, kumazantsi elakwaJuda, ezantsi kweYeshimoni.
25 USawule wanduluka ukuya kufuna uDavide. Kodwa yena uDavide wayixelelwa loo nto, wemka waya kuhlala kwingxondorha yenduli eyayikuloo ntlango iMawoni. Uthe akuyiva loo nto uSawule, waya kwintlango iMawoni, esekhondweni likaDavide.
26 USawule nomkhosi wakhe noDavide namadoda akhe bohlulwa yiloo nduli, omnye ekwelinye icala, omnye ekwelinye, ooDavide bezama ukubaleka umkhosi kaSawule owawuselubarhangqile ukubabamba.
27 Kanye ngelo thuba kwafika isigidimi kuSawule, size nodaba oluthi: “Khawuleza uze, kuba amaFilistiya ayaliphanga ilizwe lakowethu.”
28 Wajika kwangoko uSawule, waya kuqubisana namaFilistiya. Loo nduli yathiywa igama elithi yiSela-hamalekoti.
29 Wemka apho uDavide, waya ezindaweni ezinqabileyo zase-Engedi, wafika wazímela apho.