1 Ngaloo mihla amaFilistiya ayeqokelele amabutho, eza kulwa namaSirayeli. Ukumkani uAkishe wabhekisa kuDavide wenjenje: “Uzuqonde mhlophe ukuba wena namadoda akho niza kulwela mna kule mfazwe!”
2 Uphendule wathi uDavide: “Uza kuzibonela ngokwakho, mhlekazi, oko angákwenzayo umkhonzi wakho.”Uphendule wathi ukumkani uAkishe: “Yiyo ke loo nto ndifuna ukuba ube ngumlindi wam osisigxina wena.”
3 Ngelo xesha uSamweli wayeselebhubhile, aza onke amaSirayeli amzilela, amngcwaba eRama kwisixeko sakhe. Ngaloo mihla uSawule wayebagxothe kwaSirayeli bonke abavumisa ngoonomathotholo kwakunye noosiyazi.
4 Amabutho amaFilistiya aqokelelana, aya kumisa eShunem. Ke yena uSawule wawaqokelela amaSirayeli, umkhosi wawumisa entabeni iGilibhowa.
5 Wankwantya uSawule akuwubona umkhosi wamaFilistiya,
6 wabuza *kuNdikhoyo ukuba angathini na. UNdikhoyo akamphendulanga; nditsho nangamaphupha, kwankqu *nangeeurim neethumim, ukanti *nangabashumayeli.
7 Ngenxa yaloo nto ke uSawule wathi kumaphakathi akhe: “Ndifuneleni umfazi ovumisa ngoonomathotholo, ukuze sithathe iintonga, siye kuye.”“Ukho lo kuthiwa use-Endore,” kutsho amaphakathi.
8 USawule wazenza mntu wumbi, wanxiba zambatho zimbi. Uthe ngorhatya wakhatshwa ngamaphakathi amabini, baya kuloo mfazi uvumisayo. Uthe akuba efikile kuloo mfazi uSawule, wabhekisa kuye wenjenje: “Khawubhekise kwabangasekhoyo, undibizele lo mntu ndiza kukuxelela igama lakhe.”
9 Suke loo mfazi wathi kuSawule: “Ngathi uyayazi nje into eyenziwe ngukumkani uSawule! Andithi nguye owaphelisa abavumisa ngoonomathotholo kwakunye noosiyazi kwaSirayeli? Kutheni ufuna ukundibambisa nje, ndibulawe?”
10 Wafunga uSawule wathi: “Ndiyafunga, ekho nje uNdikhoyo, akuyi kubekwa tyala wena ngenxa yale nto.”
11 “Ndikuvusele bani ke?” kutsho loo mfazi.“Ndivusele uSamweli,” kuphendula uSawule.
12 Kuthe akuvela uSamweli, wakhala ngamandla loo mfazi, wathi kuSawule: “Kutheni undikhohlisa nje? Inguwe nje ukumkani uSawule!”
13 “Musa ukuphaphazela,” watsho uSawule. “Ndixelele, ubona ntoni?”“Ndibona isiqu selemimoya siphuma emhlabeni,” kutsho loo mfazi uvumisayo.
14 “Injani inkangeleko yaso?” nguSawule lowo ubuzayo.“Ndibona kusiza ixhego, lambethe umnweba,” kutsho umfazi.USawule waqonda ukuba yayinguSamweli. Watsho waqubuda ngobuso emhlabeni ekhahlela.
15 Wenjenje ukubhekisa kukumkani uSawule uSamweli: “Kungani na undiphazamisa nje undivusa?”Uphendule wenjenje uSawule: “Ndisengxakini enkulu! AmaFilistiya ayandihlasela, yaye noThixo undishiyile. Akasathethi nam ngomshumayeli nangamaphupha. Ndikubizele ukuba undixelele into emandiyenze.”
16 Wathi uSamweli: “Yini na ukuba ubuze kum, uNdikhoyo ekushiyile nje, wakujikela?
17 Le nto yenzeke kuwe ngoku yile ebekade ekuxelela yona ngam uNdikhoyo. Uluhluthile esandleni sakho ulawulo, walunika ummelwane uDavide.
18 Kaloku wena wala ukumthobela uNdikhoyo: akwenzanga ngokwengqumbo yakhe evuthayo kuma-Amaleki. Yiyo ke loo nto akwenze le nto nje uNdikhoyo ngoku.
19 Uza kukunikela esandleni samaFilistiya wena kunye namaSirayeli ephela. Ngomso oku wena kunye noonyana bakho sobe sikunye, yaye uNdikhoyo loo mkhosi wamaSirayeli uza kuwunikela esandleni samaFilistiya.”
20 Ngoko nangoko wawa bhaxa emhlabeni uSawule, egubha ngenxa yamazwi kaSamweli. Wayeselephelelwe nangamandla, kuba wayengazange wasa nto emlonyeni imini nobusuku.
21 Waya kuye loo mfazi, wafika uSawule efile kukoyika, waza wathi: “Mhlekazi, umkhonzazana wakho ukuthobele. Ubomi bam ndibubeke esichengeni ndenza ngokomyalelo wakho.
22 Ngoku ke siphulaphule isicakazana sakho; mandikwenzele into etyiwayo, utye, ahlaziyeke amandla akho, uhambe indlela yakho.”
23 Wala uSawule, esithi: “Andiyi kusa nto emlonyeni!”Kambe ke amcenga amaphakathi kunye naloo mfazi. Ngenene woyisakala, wavuka, wahlala ebhedini.
24 Loo mfazi wakhawuleza waxhela ithole elondlekileyo awayenalo emzini wakhe; wathatha umgubo, waxova, wenza isonka esinganyuswanga.
25 Oko kutya wakubeka ngaphambi kukaSawule kunye namaphakathi akhe, bakutya, baza banduluka kwangobo busuku.