1 Ngomhla wesithathu bagaleleka eZikelage ooDavide namadoda akhe. Bafika ama-Amaleki esanda kungenela amazantsi elakwaJuda, ahlasela neZikelage. Ayeyitshise pam loo dolophu,
2 athimba abafazi nabantwana bonke. Kwakungafanga mntu phofu; ayethimbe nje konke okushukumayo endleleni yawo.
3 Ukufika kwabo ooDavide bafika loo dolophu iluthuthu, abafazi noonyana kunye neentombi zabo kumkiwe nazo.
4 Hayi ke, abhomboloza loo madoda ada aphelelwa ngamandla.
5 Kwakuthathwe nabafazi ababini bakaDavide, uAhinowam waseYizereli kunye noAbhigeli umhlolokazi kaNabhali waseKarmele.
6 Wazibona selesengxakini embi uDavide, kuba amadoda akhe ayefuna ukumxuluba ngamatye, kuba ayekhathazekile ngenxa yokuduka kweentsapho zawo. Kodwa uDavide wazomeleza ngokuthembela *kuNdikhoyo uThixo wakhe kuyo yonke loo nto.
7 UDavide wabiza unyana ka-Ahimeleki, uAbhiyatare umbingeleli, wathi kuye: “Khawuze *nesidanga eso, mfo ka-Ahimeleki.” Wasisa uAbhiyatare.
8 UDavide wabuza kuNdikhoyo wenjenje: “Ndibasukele na aba banqolobi? Ndobafumana na?”“Baleqe; uza kubafumana, ubakhulule abaya bathinjwa,” utshilo uNdikhoyo.
9 Wanduluka ke uDavide kunye naloo makhulu mathandathu amadoda. Bathi bakufika kwintlambo iBhesore, asala apho amadoda
10 angamakhulu amabini awayedinwe kangangokuba angabi nako ukuyiwela loo ntlambo. Wabheka phambili yena uDavide kunye namakhulu amane amadoda,
11 abhaqa umJiputa endle apho, aza amsa kuDavide. Ampha ukutya, watya; amnika namanzi, wathoba unxano;
12 ampha nomqwayito wamafiya kunye nezikhinkci zeerasentyisi zazibini. Uthe akugqiba ukutya, waziva edlamkile. Kaloku kwakusekuziintsuku ezintathu engafumani nto ityiwayo, nditsho neyokuthoba unxano.
13 Emva koko ke uDavide wambuza wathi: “Khawutsho ke, ungokabani, uphuma phi?”“Mna ndingumJiputa, ikhoboka lomAmaleki,” kuphendula umfo lowo. “Ndishiywe yinkosi yam, kuba ndisuke andaphila. Sekuziintsuku ezintathu ngoku.
14 Sasiye kuthimba kulaa mmandla wamaKreti ukumazantsi elakwaJuda, sadlulela kummandla wakwaKalebhi, senjenjeya saya kutshisa iZikelage.”
15 “Ungasisa apho bakhoyo abo banqolobi?” kubuza uDavide.Wenjenje ukuphendula: “Ewe, ndinganisa ukuba ungafunga uThixo ukuba anizi kundibulala okanye nindinikele kwinkosi yam.”
16 Emva koko ke loo mfo wabasa ooDavide apho babemise kona abanqolobi.Babethe saa abanqolobi abo kuloo ndawo, kutyiwa, kuselwa, kubhiyozelwa amaxhoba angako awayethinjwe kwelamaFilistiya nakwaJuda.
17 Kwathi xa kumpondo-zankomo ngomhla olandelayo, zanqoza, ebahlasela uDavide, zatsho kwada kwangongcwalazi. Akwasinda namnye kubo ngaphandle kwamakhulu amane abafana abasuka bona bakhwela ezinkameleni, babaleka.
18 UDavide wabahlangula bonke abathinjwa bama-Amaleki, wabuya nawo onke loo maxhoba babewathimbile, kunye nabafazi bakhe bobabini, akwabikho nto ingafunyanwanga.
19 Oonyana neentombi zamadoda akhe kunye nawo onke loo maxhoba ama-Amaleki wabuya nawo uDavide.
20 Wabuya nemihlambi yeenkomo neegusha, ahamba eqhuba loo mihlambi amadoda akhe, esithi: “Huntshuu! Amaxhoba kaDavide!”
21 Wesuka apho uDavide, wafika kulawa makhulu mabini amadoda awasala entlanjeni eBhesore ngenxa yokudinwa. Aphuthuma ukuhlangabeza uDavide namadoda akhe. Wawabulisa uDavide, wawabuza nempilo,
22 kodwa kwabakho amatshijolo nabaphembi-qhushululu kubalandeli bakaDavide, abathi: “Aba bebengahambanga nathi. Ngoko abazi kuba nanxaxheba kula maxhoba size nawo. Indoda nganye ingasuka ithathe umfazi wayo nabantwana bayo, ihambe.”
23 Wenjenje ukuwaphendula loo madoda uDavide: “Mawethu, aninako ukwenjenjalo ngento esiyiphiwe nguNdikhoyo! NguNdikhoyo lo usikhuseleyo wasoyisela abaya banqolobi bathimbe izinto zethu.
24 Ayamkeleki le nto niyithethayo. Kaloku umntu osala nemithwalo ufumana isabelo esinye nalo uya edabini. Makunikwe inxaxheba kumntu wonke ngokulinganayo.”
25 Loo mthetho wawiswa nguDavide waba ngummiselo nesiko kwaSirayeli ukususela ngaloo mini.
26 Wathi akufika eZikelage uDavide, wathatha isabelo kuloo maxhoba, wasithumela kumadoda amakhulu angoogxa bakhe kwaJuda, esithi: “Nantso inxaxheba esinabela yona kumaxhoba esiwathimbe kubachasi bakaNdikhoyo.”
27 Wabela abantu baseBhetele, nabaseRama, kwaJuda emazantsi, nakubantu baseYatire,
28 eArohere, eSifimoti, e-Eshtemowa,
29 kunye naseRakeli. Wabela nomzi wakwaJerameli, namaKeni,
30 kwakunye nabantu baseHoma, eBhorashan, eAtaki,
31 nabaseHebron, nakuzo zonke iindawo apho wakha waxhwarha khona kunye namadoda akhe.