1 USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “UJehova wangithuma ukuba ngikugcobe ube yinkosi phezu kwabantu bakhe u-Israyeli; ngalokho lalela amazwi kaJehova.
2 Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi: ‘Ngiyakuhambela umAmaleki ngalokho akwenzayo ku-Israyeli wamelana naye endleleni ekukhuphukeni kwakhe eGibithe.
3 Hamba manje, unqobe u-Amaleki, uchithe impela konke anakho, ungamhawukeli, kepha bulala abesilisa, nabesifazane, nezingane, nabancelayo, nezinkabi, nezimvu, namakamela, nezimbongolo.’ ”
4 USawule wayesebiza abantu, wababala eThelayimi, izinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amabili zemigundatshani nezinkulungwane eziyishumi zabantu bakwaJuda.
5 USawule wafika emzini ka-Amaleki, waqamekela esigodini.
6 USawule wathi kumaKheni: “Hambani nimuke, nehle kuwo ama-Amaleki, funa nginichithe kanye nawo, ngokuba nabenzela umusa bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ekukhuphukeni kwabo eGibithe.” Ayesesuka amaKheni phakathi kwama-Amaleki.
7 USawule wahlula ama-Amaleki kusukela eHavila kuya ngaseShuri elingaphambi kwaseGibithe.
8 Wabamba u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki esaphilile, wachitha impela bonke abantu ngosiko lwenkemba.
9 Kepha uSawule nabantu bayeka u-Agagi nezinhle nezikhulupheleyo zezimvu nezezinkabi, namawundlu, nakho konke okuhle; babengavumi ukukuqeda lokho; kodwa zonke izinto ezidelekileyo nezondileyo baziqeda nya.
10 Lase lifika izwi likaJehova kuSamuweli, lithi:
11 “Ngiyazisola ukuthi ngibekile uSawule inkosi, ngokuba ubuyile ekungilandeleni, kafezanga amazwi ami.” USamuweli wathukuthela, wakhala kuJehova ubusuku bonke.
12 USamuweli wavuka kusasa ukuba amhlangabeze uSawule ekuseni; kwabikwa kuSamuweli ukuthi: “USawule wafika eKarmeli; bheka, wazimisela insika, wasuka, wadlula, wehla waya eGiligali.”
13 USamuweli wafika kuSawule; uSawule wathi kuye: “Mawubusiswe nguJehova; sengifezile izwi likaJehova.”
14 USamuweli wayesethi: “Kuthini, pho, lokhu kukhala kwezimvu ezindlebeni zami, nokukhala kwezinkabi engikuzwayo, na?”
15 USawule wathi: “Babuye nazo kuma-Amaleki, ngokuba abantu bayeka ezinhle zezimvu nezezinkabi ukuba bahlabele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho; ezinye siziqedile nya.”
16 USamuweli wayesethi kuSawule: “Kahle, ngikutshele lokho uJehova akukhulumile kimi kulobu busuku.”Wathi kuye: “Khuluma.”
17 Wathi uSamuweli: “Nakuba wawumncane emehlweni akho, awenziwanga yini waba yinhloko yezizwe zakwa-Israyeli na? UJehova wakugcoba, waba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli.
18 UJehova wakuthuma indlela, wathi: ‘Hamba uqede nya izoni, ama-Amaleki, ulwe nawo aze aphele.’
19 Awulalelanga ngani izwi likaJehova, kepha watheleka phakathi kwempango, wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, na?”
20 USawule wathi kuSamuweli: “Ngililalele izwi likaJehova, ngihambile indlela uJehova owangithuma yona, ngimlethile u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki, ngachitha impela ama-Amaleki.
21 Kepha abantu bathatha kuyo impango, izimvu nezinkabi, okuhle kokuqalekisiweyo, ukuba bahlabele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho eGiligali.”
22 USamuweli wathi:“UJehova uyenamela yiniiminikelo yokushiswa nemihlatshelo,njengalokhu enamele ukulalelwa kwezwi likaJehova, na?Bheka, ukulalela kuhle kunomhlatshelo,nokuqaphela kuhle kunamanoni ezinqama.
23 Ngokuba ukwambuka kunjengesono sokubhula,nenkani ifana nokukhonza izithombe namatherafi.*Ngokuba ulilahlile izwi likaJehova,naye ukulahlile wena ukuba ungabe usaba yinkosi.”
24 USawule wayesethi kuSamuweli: “Ngonile, ngokuba ngeqile isiyalezo sikaJehova namazwi akho, lokhu ngesaba abantu, ngalalela izwi labo.
25 Ngalokho ake uthethelele isono sami, ubuye nami ukuba ngikhuleke kuJehova.”
26 USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Angiyikubuya nawe, ngokuba ulilahlile izwi likaJehova, naye uJehova ukulahlile wena ukuba ungabe usaba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli.”
27 USamuweli esephenduka ukuhamba, wabamba umphetho wengubo yakhe, yaklebhuka.
28 USamuweli wathi kuye: “UJehova uklebhulile umbuso ka-Israyeli kuwe namuhla, uwunikile umngane wakho omuhle kunawe.
29 IThemba Lika-Israyeli aliyikuqamba amanga, lizisole, ngokuba alisiye umuntu ukuba lizisole.”
30 Wayesethi: “Ngonile, kepha ake ungituse manje phambi kwamalunga abantu bami naphambi kuka-Israyeli, ubuye nami ukuba ngikhuleke kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho.”
31 USamuweli wabuya, wamlandela uSawule; uSawule wakhuleka kuJehova.
32 USamuweli wayesethi: “Lethani kimi u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki.” U-Agagi wafika kuye esasile.U-Agagi wathi: “Impela umunyu wokufa udlulile.”
33 USamuweli wathi: “Njengalokho inkemba yakho ibaphucile abesifazane abantwana, kanjalo unyoko uyakwaphucwa abantwana kunabanye.” USamuweli wayesehlahlela u-Agagi phambi kukaJehova eGiligali.
34 USamuweli waya eRama, kepha uSawule wakhuphukela ekhaya eGibeya likaSawule.
35 USamuweli akaphindanga ukumbona uSawule waze wafa, kepha uSamuweli wamkhalela uSawule; uJehova wazisola ukuthi wayembekile uSawule inkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli.