1 Kwabakho indlala enkulu eyathatha iminyaka emithathu ngexesha kulawula uDavide. UDavide wafuna ukuqonda *kuNdikhoyo, waza uNdikhoyo wathi: “Kungenxa kaSawule nokuphalaza kwendlu yakhe igazi mhla wababulalayo abantu baseGibheyon.”
2 Abantu baseGibheyon bebengengawo amaSirayeli. Babeliqaqobana lama-Amori awathenjiswa ukukhuselwa ngamaSirayeli, kodwa uSawule walinga ukuwatshabalalisa, kuba etshiseka ngenxa yenkqubela yamaSirayeli namaJuda. UDavide ke wawabiza amaGibheyon,
3 waza wathi kuwo: “Ngaba nifuna ndinenzele ntoni? Ndinganixolisa njani ukuze nilithamsanqelise ilifa likaNdikhoyo?”
4 Athi ukuphendula amaGibheyon: “Imbambano yethu noSawule nomzi wakhe ayinakuze ilungiswe ngegolide nesiliva, yaye asizimiselanga ukukhupha isixhiba ngokubulala namnye umSirayeli.”Yena wathi: “Ke nifuna ndinenzele ntoni?”
5 Athi kukumkani: “Indoda eyasitshabalalisayo, iceba ukusicima igama kwimida yakwaSirayeli,
6 masinikwe amadoda abe sixhenxe kwinzala yayo, aye kuxhonywa phambi koNdikhoyo eGibheya, isixeko sikaSawule ukumkani owatyunjwa nguNdikhoyo.”Ukumkani wathi: “Kulungile, ndiza kunikhululela.”
7 UDavide wamsindisa uMefibhoshete, unyana kaJonatan unyana kaSawule, ngenxa yesifungo awasenza kunye noJonatan phambi koNdikhoyo.
8 Kodwa ke wakhupha uArmoni kunye noMefibhoshete, oonyana ababini bakaRizpa intombi ka-Aya eyabazalela uSawule, kunye noonyana abahlanu bentombi kaSawule uMerabhi eyabazalela uAdriyeli unyana kaBhazilayi waseMehola,
9 wabanikela esandleni sabantu baseGibheyon. Bona baya kubaxhoma entabeni ngaphambi koNdikhoyo. Bafa bonke ngaxesha-nye. Ukufa kwabo kwakungexesha lokuqalisa ukuvuna, ekuqaleni kokuvunwa kwerhasi.
10 Emva koko uRizpa intombi ka-Aya wazenzela indlu yamarhonya kwelo litye babefele kulo, wahlala apho ukususela ngexesha lokuvuna kwada kwalixesha leemvula. Emini wayedla ngokugxotha amaxhalanga, aze ngokuhlwa agxothe amarhamncwa afuna ukudla ezo zidumbu.
11 Wathi uDavide, zakufika kuye ezo ndaba zento eyenziwa nguRizpa iqadi likaSawule,
12 waya kuthatha amathambo kaSawule noJonatan kubantu baseJabheshe eGiliyadi. (Babewabe endaweni yembutho yaseBhete-shan apho yayixhonywe khona imizimba yabo ngamhla amaFilistiya abulala uSawule kwintaba iGilibhowa.)
13 Wemka nawo uDavide amathambo kaSawule noJonatan kwakunye nawabo basixhenxe babexhonywe apho.
14 Bawafaka engcwabeni likaKishe uyise kaSawule amathambo kaSawule noJonatan eZela kummandla wakwaBhenjamin njengokomthetho kakumkani. Emva koko uThixo wayiva imithandazo yabo bethandazela ilizwe.
15 Kwavuka enye imfazwe phakathi kwamaFilistiya namaSirayeli, wanduluka uDavide waya kulwa namaFilistiya enamadoda akhe. Balwa ke namaFilistiya, waza uDavide wadinwa kakhulu.
16 Wasuka uIshbhi-bhenobhi wenzala kaRafa, ephethe umkhonto wobhedu obunzima bungaphezu kweekhilogram ezintathu, enekrele elitsha, wafuna ukubulala uDavide.
17 Waza uAbhishayi, unyana kaZeruya, waya kunceda uDavide. Ufike wamhlasela loo mFilistiya, wamosela. Emva koko amadoda kaDavide enza isifungo athi: “Unakanye ukuba uphinde uye edabini kunye nathi, hleze isibane sakwaSirayeli sicinywe.”
18 Emva kwelo dabi kwabakho elinye idabi namaFilistiya eGobhi, apho uSibhekayi waseHusha wabulala uSafu wenzala kaRafa.
19 Kuphinde kwabakho elinye idabi kunye namaFilistiya kwaseGobhi apho, waza uEl-hanani, unyana kaJayire umluki waseBhetelehem, wabulala khona uGoliyati waseGati owayephethe umkhonto ongangesibonda.
20 Kubekho elinye idabi eGati, apho kwakukho ingxilimbela eyayikuthanda kunene ukulwa. Yayiyinto eminwe mithandathu kwisandla ngasinye, ineenzwane ezintandathu kunyawo ngalunye, amashumi amabini anesine ukutsho. Nayo yayiyinzala kaRafa.
21 Yawathuka amaSirayeli, yabulawa nguJonatan unyana kaShama umntakwabo-Davide.
22 Bobane aba babeyinzala kaRafa eGati. Babulawa nguDavide namadoda akhe.