1 USawule ebeneminyaka ezelwe, akuba ngukumkani, waba ngukumkani kumaSirayeli iminyaka emibini.
2 USawule wazinyulela amawaka amathathu kumaSirayeli; amawaka amabini ayenoSawule eMikmas nakweleentaba laseBheteli, iwaka elinye laye linoYonatan eGibheha yakwaBhenjamin. Abantu abaseleyo wabandulula, baya elowo ententeni yakhe.
3 UYonatan wayoyisa ikampu yamaFilisti eseGebha, eva amaFilisti. USawule wavuthela ngesigodlo ezweni lonke, esithi, Makeve amaHebhere.
4 AmaSirayeli onke eva kusithiwa, USawule uyoyisile ikampu yamaFilisti; kananjalo amaSirayeli azinukisile kumaFilisti. Abantu bahlatyelwa umkhosi, beza bamlandela uSawule baya eGiligali.
5 AmaFilisti azihlanganisela ukulwa namaSirayeli: iinqwelo zokulwa zaba ngamashumi omathathu amawaka, nabamahashe bangamawaka amathandathu, abantu bangangentlabathi eselunxwemeni lolwandle ukuba baninzi; anyuka ke amisa iintente eMikmas phambi kweBhetaven.
6 Abona amadoda akwaSirayeli ukuba abandezelekile (kuba abantu bebefingiwe), abantu bazímela emiqolombeni, nasezimfanteni, nasezingxondorheni, nasemiweweni, nasemihadini.
7 Ke kaloku kwawela amaHebhere eYordan, aya ezweni lakwaGadi nelaseGiliyadi. Ke yena uSawule ebeseseGiligali; abantu bonke bamlandela begubha.