1 Kwathi eseqedile ukukhuluma kuSawule, inhliziyo kaJonathani yanamathela enhliziyweni kaDavide, uJonathani wamthanda njengenhliziyo yakhe.
2 USawule wamthatha ngalolo suku, akabe esamvumela ukubuyela endlini kayise.
3 OJonathani noDavide benza isivumelwano, ngokuba wamthanda njengenhliziyo yakhe.
4 UJonathani wakhumula ingubo ayenayo, wayinika uDavide, nezinye izambatho zakhe kwaze kwaba nenkemba yakhe, nomnsalo wakhe, nebhande* lakhe.
5 UDavide waphuma, waya nomaphi lapho uSawule emthuma khona, waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha; uSawule wambeka phezu kwamadoda empi; wayemuhle emehlweni abantu bonke nasemehlweni ezinceku zikaSawule.
6 Kwathi ekufikeni kwabo, uDavide esebuya ekubulaleni umFilisti, abesifazane baphuma emizini yonke yakwa-Israyeli, behlabelela besina, ukuba bamhlangabeze uSawule inkosi ngezigubhu, nangokuthokoza, nangezinkenenezo.
7 Abesifazane bavumelana ngokudlala, bathi:“USawule ubulele izinkulungwane zakhe,kepha uDavide izinkulungwane zakhe eziyishumi.”
8 USawule wathukuthela kakhulu, laba libi lelo zwi emehlweni akhe; wathi: “Bamnike uDavide izinkulungwane eziyishumi, kepha mina banginike izinkulungwane nje; sekumsalele umbuso kuphela.”
9 USawule wambheka uDavide kusukela kulolo suku kuya phambili.
10 Kwathi ngangomuso umoya omubi owavela kuNkulunkulu wamehlela uSawule, wabheva phakathi kwendlu; uDavide wayebetha ngesandla sakhe njengokwenza kwakhe izinsuku ngezinsuku; uSawule wayenomkhonto wakhe esandleni sakhe.
11 USawule wawuciba umkhonto, ngokuba wathi: “Ngiyakumbhujela uDavide odongeni.” Kepha uDavide washalaza phambi kwakhe kabili.
12 USawule wamesaba uDavide, ngokuba uJehova wayenaye, kepha wayesukile kuSawule.
13 Ngalokho uSawule wamsusa kuye, wambeka abe yinduna yakhe yenkulungwane; wayephuma engena phambi kwabantu.
14 UDavide waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha kuzo zonke izindlela zakhe; uJehova wayenaye.
15 Lapho uSawule ebona ukuthi waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha, wamesaba.
16 Kepha wonke u-Israyeli noJuda bamthanda uDavide, ngokuba wayephuma engena phambi kwabo.
17 USawule wathi kuDavide: “Bheka, indodakazi yami enkulu uMerabi ngiyakukunika yona ibe ngumkakho; yiba yiqhawe lami kuphela, ulwe izimpi zikaJehova.” Ngokuba uSawule wathi: “Isandla sami masingabi phezu kwakhe, kepha isandla samaFilisti masibe phezu kwakhe.”
18 UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Mina ngingubani, kuyini ukuphila kwami, nomndeni kababa uyini kwa-Israyeli ukuba ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi?”
19 Kepha kwathi ngesikhathi uMerabi indodakazi kaSawule ebeyakunikwa uDavide, wanikwa ku-Adriyeli waseMehola abe ngumkakhe.
20 UMikhali indodakazi kaSawule wamthanda uDavide; bamtshela uSawule, kwaba kuhle emehlweni akhe.
21 Wayesethi uSawule: “Ngiyakumnika yena ukuba abe lugibe kuye, isandla samaFilisti sibe phezu kwakhe.” Ngalokho uSawule wathi kuDavide: “Uyakuba ngumkhwenyana wami ngokwesibili namuhla.”
22 USawule wayaleza izinceku zakhe ngokuthi: “Khulumani noDavide ngasese, nithi: ‘Bheka, inkosi yenamile ngawe, nazo zonke izinceku zayo ziyakuthanda; ngalokho yiba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi.’ ”
23 Izinceku zikaSawule zakhuluma lawo mazwi ezindlebeni zikaDavide. UDavide wathi: “Kuyinto elula emehlweni enu ukuba ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, lokhu ngingumuntu ompofu nodelelikileyo na?”
24 Izinceku zikaSawule zamtshela zathi: “Wakhuluma kanjalo uDavide.”
25 USawule wathi: “Niyakusho kanje kuDavide, nithi: ‘Inkosi ayifuni ilobolo, kuphela amajwabu ayikhulu amaFilisti ukuba kuphindiswe ezitheni zenkosi.’ ” USawule wacabanga ukumwisa uDavide ngesandla samaFilisti.
26 Izinceku zakhe zamtshela uDavide lawo mazwi, kwaba kuhle emehlweni kaDavide ukuba abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, kepha izinsuku zazingakapheleli;
27 uDavide wasuka waya, yena nabantu bakhe, wabulala kuwo amaFilisti abantu abangamakhulu amabili; uDavide waletha amajwabu abo, bawayisa enkosini ephelele ukuba abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. USawule wayesemnika uMikhali indodakazi yakhe abe ngumkakhe.
28 USawule wabona, wazi ukuthi uJehova unoDavide; uMikhali indodakazi kaSawule wamthanda.
29 USawule wayesemesaba uDavide kakhulu; uSawule wayeyisitha sikaDavide sonke isikhathi.
30 Kwase kuphuma izikhulu zamaFilisti; kwathi njalo uma zisaphuma, uDavide waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha kakhulu kunazo zonke izinceku zikaSawule, laze laduma kakhulu igama lakhe.