1 AmaFilisti alwa no-Israyeli; abantu bakwa-Israyeli babaleka phambi kwamaFilisti, bawa begwaziwe entabeni yaseGilibowa.
2 AmaFilisti axosha uSawule namadodana akhe; amaFilisti abulala oJonathani, no-Abinadaba, noMaliki Shuwa, amadodana kaSawule.
3 Impi yaba nzima kuSawule; abacibishelayo bamfica; wakhathazeka ngenxa yabacibishelayo.
4 USawule wayesethi odibini lwezikhali zakhe: Hosha inkemba yakho, ungigwaze ngayo, funa labo abangasokile bafike, bangone. Kepha aluvumanga udibi lwezikhali zakhe, ngokuba lwesaba kakhulu. Ngalokho uSawule wayithatha inkemba, wawela phezu kwayo.
5 Udibi lwezikhali zakhe selubonile ukuthi uSawule ufile, lwawela nalo phezu kwenkemba, lwafa.
6 Wafa-ke uSawule namadodana akhe amathathu; nendlu yakhe yonke yafa kanyekanye.
7 Lapho bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli ababe sesigodini bebona ukuthi babaleka nokuthi uSawule namadodana akhe bafile, bashiya imizi yabo, babaleka; amaFilisti afika, ahlala kuyo.
8 Kwathi ngangomuso, lapho amaFilisti efika ukuphanga ababuleweyo, afumana uSawule namadodana akhe bewile entabeni yaseGilibowa.
9 Amphanga, athatha ikhanda lakhe nezikhali zakhe, akuthuma ezweni lamaFilisti nxazonke ukukumemezela kuzo izithombe zawo nakubantu.
10 Azibeka izikhali zakhe endlini yawonkulunkulu bawo, abethela ikhanda lakhe endlini kaDagoni.
11 Selizwile iJabeshi Gileyadi konke amaFilisti ayekwenzile kuSawule,
12 kwasuka onke amadoda anamandla, asithatha isidumbu sikaSawule nezidumbu zamadodana akhe, aziletha eJabeshi, awembela amathambo abo phansi kwe-oki* eJabeshi, azila ukudla izinsuku eziyisikhombisa.
13 Wafa kanjalo-ke uSawule ngesiphambeko sakhe aphambuka ngaso kuJehova ngenxa yezwi likaJehova angaligcinanga nangokuba kade eyile ukubhula konedlozi ukuba abuze kuye,
14 engabuzanga kuJehova; ngalokho-ke wambulala, wabuyisela umbuso kuDavide indodana kaJese.