1 AmaZifi ahambela kuSawule eGibheya, athi: “Nanko uDavide ezímele kulaa nduli iHakila ekumaphethelo entlango yelakwaJuda.”
2 Unduluke kwangoko uSawule wenjenjeya, ehamba namawaka amathathu amadoda akhethiweyo kwaSirayeli, ukuya kukhangela uDavide kuloo ntlango yaseZifi.
3 Wafika wamisa ikampu ngasendleleni kuloo nduli iHakila. Wayesesentlango uDavide lo gama kufika uSawule. Uthe ke akubona ukuba nanko uSawule emlandela,
4 wathumela iintlola, ziye kuqonda ukuba ngaba wayelapho ngenene na uSawule.
5 UDavide usuke kwangoko wayijongisisa loo ndawo wayemise kuyo uSawule. Wayibona indawo apho uSawule noAbhinere, unyana kaNere, umphathi-mkhosi kaSawule, babelalisa kuyo. USawule wayelala phakathi ekampini, engqongwe ngumkhosi wakhe.
6 Emva koko uDavide ubhekise kuAhimeleki umHeti, nakuAbhishayi umntakwabo-Jowabi (onina yayinguZeruya) wenjenje: “Ngubani phakathi kwenu ofuna ukuya nam kulaa kampu kaSawule?”“Ndim oza kuhamba nawe,” uvakele esitsho uAbhishayi.
7 Ngobusuku bangaloo mini ke uDavide kunye noAbhishayi baya kungena ekampini kaSawule, elele ubuthongo phakathi ekampini, umkhonto wakhe ugxunyekwe phantsi ngasentloko. Amajoni noAbhinere babelele obentlombe bemngqongile.
8 Kwesi sithuba uAbhishayi uthe kuDavide: “Utshaba lwakho ulunikezele esandleni sakho namhlanje uThixo! Ndiyeke ndimgwaze ndimhlabanisele ngomkhonto. Andiyi kuphinda kabini!”
9 Uphendule wathi uDavide: “Uze ungambulali! Ngubani ongamsa isandla umthanjiswa *kaNdikhoyo aze abe msulwa?
10 Inene, ekho nje uNdikhoyo,” waqhuba watsho uDavide, “nguNdikhoyo ngokwakhe oya kumbetha, nokuba kungokufika kwemini yakhe yokufa, nokuba kungokubulawa kwakhe edabini.
11 Ngenxa kaNdikhoyo mna mandingaze ndimse isandla umthanjiswa kaNdikhoyo. Thatha laa mkhonto wakhe, nalaa ngqayi yakhe yamanzi ingasentlokweni yakhe, sihambe.”
12 Bawuthatha ke loo mkhonto naloo ngqayi zazisentla koSawule, bemka nazo ooDavide noAbhishayi. Akukho bani owababonayo, nabani owakuvayo okwakuqhubeka, nabani owaphaphamayo; bonke babelel' obentlombe, kuba kaloku uNdikhoyo wabahlisela obunzulu obu ubuthongo xa bebonke.
13 Wasuka apho wawela intlambo uDavide, waya kuthi qingqi ngaphesheya endulini ethe qelele, wafika
14 wamemeza ekhwaza umkhosi kaSawule noAbhinere, esithi: “Wa, Abhinere! Khawuphendule, mfondini!”“Ngaba ngubani na lo ufundekela ukumkani?” NguAbhinere lowo utshoyo.
15 Kuphendule kwauDavide, wenjenje: “Andibi kanene, Abhinere, nguwe intshatsheli emfazweni? Ukhona na omnye olingana nawe kwaSirayeli? Ngani ke ungamkhuseli umhlekazi ikumkani yakho? Ngoku ndithethayo kungene umntu apho emkhosini wenu, eze kubulala ukumkani.
16 Imbi le nto uyenzileyo, Abhinere! Ekho nje uNdikhoyo, ndithi nimelwe kukufa nonke, kuba noyisakele kukukhusela ukumkani wenu, umthanjiswa kaNdikhoyo! Khawukhangele: uphi umkhonto kakumkani? Iphi yona ingqayi yakhe, le ibisentla kwakhe?”
17 Waliva ilizwi ukuba lelikaDavide uSawule. Uvakele esithi: “Ngaba nguwe lowo, Davide, nyana wam?”“Ewe, ndim, mhlekazi,” kuphendule uDavide.
18 Watsho eqhuba esithi: “Khawutsho, mhlekazi, usandizungula ngantoni kangaka! Ndenzeni, mhlekazi? Liyintoni ityala lam kuwe?
19 Mhlekazi, nkosi yam, khawuphulaphule amazwi omkhonzi wakho! Ukuba nguNdikhoyo okuxhokonkxileyo ngakum angáxoliswa ngumnikelo. Phofu ukuba ngabantu, mabahlelwe sisiqalekiso sikaNdikhoyo. Kaloku bandiphephethe ndatsho ndabhacela ngaphandle komhlaba olilifa lethu esilinikwe nguNdikhoyo, besithi: ‘Deda, uye kunqula *thixo bambi!’
20 Mhlekazi, igazi lam malingaphalali ezizweni kude noNdikhoyo! Inene, ukumkani wakwaSirayeli uphumele ukuzingela intakumba enye, exela ubani osukela isakhwatsha ezintabeni.”
21 Uphendule wenjenje uSawule: “Ndonile; buyel' ekhaya, Davide nyana wam! Andisobe ndikuse sandla konke, ngokuba namhlanje ubomi bam bube lixabiso kuwe. Ngenene ndenze ubudenge ndaphazama gqitha!”
22 Waphendula uDavide wathi: “Umkhonto wakho nguwo lo, mhlekazi. Thumela omnye wabafana bakho eze kuwuthatha.
23 NguNdikhoyo ongumvuzi wabenza okulungileyo kwanâbo bathembekileyo. Wena ebekubeke esandleni sam namhlanje uNdikhoyo, kambe ke mna andikusanga sandla, kuba ungukumkani othanjiswe nguye.
24 Njengoko ndibuxabisileyo ubomi bakho namhlanje, ubenga uNdikhoyo abuxabise nobam, andihlangule kuzo zonke iimbandezelo.”
25 USawule wathi kuDavide: “Wanga ungathamsanqeleka, nyana wam Davide. Uya kuya usomelela ngokomelela, ude ube ngotshatsheleyo.”Emva koko ke uDavide wahamba indlela yakhe, yena uSawule wagoduka.