1 Ke kaloku kwakukho indwalutho yakwaBhenjamin eyayinguKishe igama, unyana ka-Abhiyeli, kaZerore, kaBhekorati, ka-Afiya.
2 UKishe wayenonyana ogama linguSawule, igatyana lenzwana yomfana.Lo mfana wayesukile egadeni evela kuwo onke amaSirayeli.
3 Ke kaloku kwalahleka iidonki zikaKishe uyise kaSawule. UKishe wabiza uSawule, wathi kuye: “Hamba kunye nesinye isicaka, uye kufuna iidonki zam, mfo wam.”
4 Banduluka ke abafana, bacanda kwaEfrayim kweleenduli, bawutyhutyha nommandla waseShalisha, abazifumana noko. Bajika baya kucanda nakummandla waseShalim, nalapho abazibona. Babuya bawutyhutyha ummandla wakwaBhenjamin, kodwa nalapho azabikho.
5 Bathe bakufika kummandla waseZufi, uSawule wathi kwisicaka awayehamba naso: “Mfondini, ndithi mna masigoduke ngoku. Ngahle ubawo akasacingi ngazidonki ngoku, selenexhala ngathi.”
6 Sithe isicaka: “Khawume! Apha kule dolophu kukho umfo wakwaThixo ohlonitshwe kakhulu nothi akuzithetha izinto zibe njengoko atshiloyo. Makhe siye kuye; mhlawumbi ke nathi angasibeka emkhondweni.”
7 USawule uthe: “Mfondini, uthi siya kumnika ntoni? Asisenamphako nasezingxoweni; asinanto sinayo konke esingamnikayo umfo wakwaThixo lo. Ngaba sinento esinayo na?”
8 Sithe isicaka ukuphendula: “Ndinabumalana apha kum endingamnika bona ukuze asibeke emkhondweni.”
9-11 Uthe uSamweli: “Ngxatsho ke! Utsho endodeni; masiye!” Baya ke kuloo dolophu kwakuhlala kuyo lo mfo wakwaThixo. Bathi besanyuka induli bejonge edolophini, bahlangana negqiza leentombi ezaziya kukha amanzi. Babuza kuzo bathi: “Ngaba imboni ikho na edolophini?” (Kaloku ngaloo maxesha *abashumayeli kwakusithiwa ziimboni.)
12 Zathi ezo ntombi: “Ewe, ikhona. Yandulela nina. Khawulezani. Isandul' ukufika namhlanje apha edolophini. Ize kulaa msebenzi wokwenza idini phaya endulini.
13 Ukuba niyasukela, noyifumana ingekanyuki phaya kulaa nduli ukuya kutya. Akusayi kutya bani ingekafiki yona. Kaloku kufuneka idini lisikelelwe yiyo kuqala, bandule abamenyiweyo ukutya. Sukelani ke, ningaphozisi maseko; noyifumana.”
14 Basukela ooSamweli nesicaka ukusinga edolophini. Bathe bakungena baqubisana noSamweli esendleleni eya endulini.
15 Kwangomhla ongaphambi kwalowo *uNdikhoyo wayeseletyhilele uSamweli esithi:
16 “Malunga neli xesha kanye ngomso ndiza kuthumela kuwe umfana ovela kwelakwaBhenjamin. Uze umthambise abe ngumlawuli wabantu bam amaSirayeli. Iza kuba nguye oya kubakhulula kumaFilistiya. Ndiyibonile inkxwaleko yabantu bam, ndasiva nesikhalo sabo.”
17 Wathi uSamweli akumthi ntla uSawule, uNdikhoyo wathi kuye: “Nguloo mfana ke lowo bendithetha ngaye. Nguye oza kulawula abantu bam.”
18 Wasuka uSawule waya kuSamweli owayesesangweni, wafika wathi: “Khawutsho, bawo, singayifumana phi imboni apha?”
19 Uphendule ngelithi uSamweli: “Ndim loo mboni. Hambani apha phambi kwam, siye phaya kulaa ndawo kunqulelwa kuyo, nidle kunye nam namhlanje. Loo nto nize ngayo ndoyichaza ngomso, ndinikhulule ke, nihambe.
20 Musani kuba sazikhathaza ngeedonki eziyâ bezilahlekile izolo elinye; sezifunyenwe. Ngubani na oza kuzuza elona wonga kwaSirayeli? Asinguwe na nomzi kayihlo uphela?”
21 USawule uthe ukuphendula: “Mna ndingowakwaBhenjamin, esona sizwe sincinane kwaSirayeli, yaye nabesiduko sakowethu ngowona mzi uphantsi kweso sizwe. Kungani na ukuba uthethe nam ngolu hlobo?”
22 USamweli wabangenisa ooSawule nesicaka sakhe egumbini elikhulu, wabahlalisa ezihlalweni zabona bahloniphekileyo phambi kwezinye iindwendwe ezimenyiweyo ezazimalunga namashumi amathathu.
23 Wabhekisa kumpheki uSamweli, wathi: “Yiza nalaa nyama bendikunike yona ndathi yibeke bucala.”
24 Waza ke umpheki weza nomlenze nokuhamba nawo, wawubeka phambi koSawule. Uthe ke uSamweli: “Nantso ke inyama obuyibekelwe. Yitye. Bendiyigcinele wena, ukuze uyitye kwesi sidlo kunye nabo bamenyiweyo.”USawule ke waba lundwendwe lukaSamweli ngaloo mini.
25 Bathe ukubuya kulaa ndawo yokunqula, uSamweli wancokola noSawule endaweni eyakhiweyo phezu kwendlu. Walala apho ngobo busuku.
26 Kuthe ekuseni uSamweli waya kuvusa uSawule kulaa ndawo wayelele kuyo, wathi: “Vuka ngoku, ndikukhulule uhambe.” Wavuka uSawule. Baphuma kunye noSamweli.
27 Bathe xa bengasekuphumeni kwedolophu, wathi uSamweli kuSawule: “Yithi kwesi sicaka sakho masikhe sibe sihamba phambili.” Sahamba ke isicaka, waza ke uSamweli waqhuba wathi: “Khawuthi xha nje kancinci khe ndikuxelele udaba oluvela kuThixo.”