23 Kepha esakhuluma nabo, bheka, kwenyuka iqhawe elikhulu, umFilisti waseGati, nguGoliyati igama lalo, ephuma ezinhleni zamaFilisti, wakhuluma wona lawo mazwi; uDavide wawezwa.
24 Bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli sebebonile lo muntu bambalekela, besaba kakhulu.
25 Abantu bakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Nimbonile lowo muntu owenyukile na? Ngokuba wenyukile ukuyakweyisa u-Israyeli; kuyakuthi umuntu ombulalayo, inkosi imcebise ngengcebo enkulu, imnike indodakazi yayo, iyenze indlu kayise ibe ngekhululekile kwa-Israyeli.”
26 UDavide wakhuluma kubantu ababemi naye, wathi: “Kuyakwenziwa ntoni kumuntu obulala lowo mFilisti, asuse ihlazo kwa-Israyeli, na? Ngokuba ngubani lowo mFilisti ongasokile ukuba ayeyise impi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo na?”
27 Abantu bamphendula ngalona lelo zwi; bathi-ke: “Kuyakwenziwa kanjalo kumuntu ombulalayo.”
28 U-Eliyabe umfowabo omkhulu wezwa lapho ekhuluma kubantu; intukuthelo ka-Eliyabe yamvuthela uDavide, wathi: “Wehleleni na? Uzishiye kubani leziya zimvu ezingengakanani ehlane na? Mina ngiyakwazi ukuziphakamisa kwakho nobubi benhliziyo yakho, ngokuba wehlile ukuba ubuke impi.”
29 Kepha uDavide wathi: “Ngenzeni na? Bekungumbuzo nje.”