1 UJehova wathi kuSamuweli: “Uyakumkhalela kuze kube nini na? Ngokuba ngimlahlile ukuba angabe esaba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli. Gcwalisa uphondo lwakho ngamafutha, uhambe; ngiyakukuthuma kuJese waseBetlehema, ngokuba ngizibonele inkosi phakathi kwamadodana akhe.”
2 Wathi uSamuweli: “Ngingahamba kanjani? Uma uSawule ekuzwa, uyakungibulala.”UJehova wathi: “Hamba nesithokazi, uthi: ‘Ngize ukuhlabela uJehova.’
3 Mbize uJese ekuhlabeni; ngiyakukwazisa ukuthi uyakwenzani: uyakungigcobela lowo engiyakumusho kuwe.”
4 USamuweli wenza lokho akushoyo uJehova, waya eBetlehema. Amalunga omuzi amhlangabeza ethuthumela, athi: “Ukufika kwakho kunokuthula na?”
5 Wathi: “Yebo, kunokuthula; ngize ukuhlabela uJehova; zingcweliseni, nize nami ekuhlabeni.” Wabangcwelisa uJese namadodana akhe, wababiza ukuba beze ekuhlabeni.
6 Kwathi sebefikile, wabheka u-Eliyabe, wathi: “Impela ogcotshiweyo kaJehova uphambi kwakhe.”
7 Kepha uJehova wathi kuSamuweli: “Ungabheki isimo sakhe nobude bomzimba wakhe, ngokuba ngimalile, lokhu uJehova engabukisi okomuntu; umuntu ubheka okusemehlweni, kepha uJehova ubheka okusenhliziyweni.”
8 UJese wayesebiza u-Abinadaba, wamdlulisa phambi kukaSamuweli. Wathi: “Nalona uJehova akamkhethanga.”
9 UJese wayesedlulisa uShama. Wathi: “Nalona uJehova akamkhethanga.”
10 UJese wadlulisa ayisikhombisa kumadodana akhe phambi kukaSamuweli. USamuweli wathi kuJese: “UJehova akawakhethanga nalawa.”
11 USamuweli wathi kuJese: “Sebephelile abafana na?”Wathi: “Kusasele omncane; bheka, uyalusa izimvu.”USamuweli wathi kuJese: “Thumela umlande, ngokuba asiyikubuya, engakafiki lapha.”
12 Wathumela, wamngenisa. Wayebomvana enamehlo amahle, emuhle ngokubukwa. UJehova wathi: “Suka umgcobe, ngokuba lona nguye.”
13 USamuweli wayesethatha uphondo lwamafutha, wamgcoba phakathi kwabafowabo; uMoya kaJehova wehlela phezu kukaDavide ngamandla, kusukela kulolo suku kuya phambili. Wayesesuka uSamuweli, waya eRama.
14 UMoya kaJehova wamuka kuSawule, nomoya omubi owavela kuJehova wamzuma.
15 Izinceku zikaSawule zathi kuye: “Bheka-ke, umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu ukuzumile.
16 Mayisho inkosi yethu ukuba izinceku eziphambi kwakho zifune umuntu owazi ukubetha ihabhu;* kuyakuthi lapho ufikelwa ngumoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu, abethe ngesandla sakhe, kube kuhle kuwe.”
17 USawule wayesethi kuzo izinceku zakhe: “Ngiboneleni umuntu owazi ukubetha kahle, nimlethe kimi.”
18 Kwaphendula enye insizwa, yathi: “Bheka, ngibonile indodana kaJese waseBetlehema eyazi ukubetha, eyiqhawe elinamandla, eyindoda yempi nehlakaniphile ekukhulumeni, ebukeka, emuhle futhi; uJehova unayo.”
19 Ngalokho uSawule wathuma izithunywa kuJese, wathi: “Thuma kimi uDavide indodana yakho osezimvini.”
20 UJese wathatha imbongolo ithwele isinkwa, nemvaba yewayini, nezinyane lembuzi, wakuthuma kuSawule ngesandla sikaDavide indodana yakhe.
21 UDavide wafika kuSawule, wema phambi kwakhe; wamthanda kakhulu, waba ludibi lwezikhali zakhe.
22 USawule wathumela kuJese, wathi: “Akeme phambi kwami uDavide, ngokuba ufumene umusa emehlweni ami.”
23 Kwathi nxa umoya owavela kuNkulunkulu emehlela uSawule, uDavide wathatha ihabhu,* walibetha ngesandla sakhe; wayesekhululeka uSawule, waba ngcono, umoya omubi wamuka kuye.