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?”