1 USawule wakhuluma kuJonathani indodana yakhe nakuzo zonke izinceku zakhe ngokubulala uDavide. Kepha uJonathani indodana kaSawule wamenamela kakhulu uDavide.
2 UJonathani wamtshela uDavide, wathi: “USawule ubaba ufuna ukukubulala; ngalokho ake uxwaye kusasa, uhlale esitha, ucashe;
3 ngiyakuphuma ngime ngakubaba endle lapho ukhona, ngikhulume ngawe nobaba; uma ngibona okuthile, ngiyakukutshela.”
4 UJonathani wakhuluma okuhle ngoDavide kuSawule uyise, wathi kuye: “Inkosi mayingayoni inceku yayo uDavide, ngokuba akakonanga, nemisebenzi yakhe kuwe ilungile kakhulu;
5 wabeka ukuphila kwakhe esandleni sakhe, wabulala umFilisti, uJehova wamenzela wonke u-Israyeli insindiso enkulu, wakubona wena, wathokoza; pho, uyakulonelani igazi elingenacala, umbulale uDavide engone lutho na?”
6 USawule walilalela izwi likaJonathani; uSawule wafunga wathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova, akayikubulawa.”
7 UJonathani wambiza uDavide; uJonathani wamtshela konke lokho. UJonathani wamyisa uDavide kuSawule, waba khona ebusweni bakhe njengakuqala.
8 Kwabuye kwaba khona impi futhi; uDavide waphuma walwa namaFilisti, wawaceka ngokuceka okukhulu; ambalekela.
9 Umoya omubi owavela kuJehova wamehlela uSawule ehlezi endlini yakhe, ephethe umkhonto esandleni sakhe; uDavide wayebetha ngesandla.
10 USawule wafuna ukumbhujela uDavide ngomkhonto odongeni, kepha wanyelela ebusweni bukaSawule, wagwaza ngomkhonto odongeni; uDavide wabaleka, waphunyuka ngalobo busuku.
11 USawule wathuma izithunywa endlini kaDavide ukuba zimlinde, zimbulale ekuseni; uMikhali umkaDavide wamtshela wathi: “Uma ungasindisi ukuphila kwakho ngalobu busuku, uyakubulawa kusasa.”
12 UMikhali wamehlisa uDavide ngefasitele, wahamba, wabaleka, waphunyuka.
13 UMikhali wathatha itherafi,* walibeka embhedeni, wabeka isicamelo soboya bezimbuzi ngasekhanda lalo, walembesa izingubo.
14 Lapho uSawule esethuma izithunywa ukumthatha uDavide, wathi: “Uyagula.”
15 USawule wathuma izithunywa ukumbona uDavide, ethi: “Mkhuphuleni kimi ngombhede ukuba ngimbulale.”
16 Lapho izithunywa zingena, bheka, itherafi* lalisembhedeni, isicamelo soboya bezimbuzi singasekhanda lalo.
17 USawule wathi kuMikhali: “Ungikhohliseleni kanje, uvumele isitha sami ukuba sihambe, siphunyuke, na?”UMikhali wamphendula uSawule ngokuthi: “Wathi kimi: ‘Ngivumele ukuba ngihambe; ngiyakukubulalelani na?’ ”
18 Wayesebaleka uDavide, waphunyuka, waya kuSamuweli eRama, wamtshela konke uSawule abekwenzile kuye. Yena noSamuweli baya bahlala eNayoti.
19 Kwabikwa kuSawule, kwathiwa: “Bheka, uDavide useNayoti eRama.”
20 USawule wathuma izithunywa ukumthatha uDavide; lapho zibona iviyo labaprofethi beprofetha, uSamuweli emi engumholi wabo, uMoya kaNkulunkulu wazehlela izithunywa zikaSawule, nazo zaprofetha.
21 Kwabikwa kuSawule; wathuma ezinye izithunywa; nazo zaprofetha. USawule wayesephinda wathuma izithunywa ngokwesithathu; nazo zaprofetha.
22 Wayeseya naye eRama, wafika emthonjeni oseSeku, wabuza ukuthi: “Baphi oSamuweli noDavide na?”Kwathiwa: “Bheka, baseNayoti eRama.”
23 Wayeseya khona eNayoti eRama; uMoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela naphezu kwakhe, wahambahamba waprofetha, waze wafika eNayoti eRama.
24 Naye wakhumula izingubo zakhe, waprofetha naye phambi kukaSamuweli, walala phansi enqunu lonke lolo suku nabo bonke lobo busuku. Ngalokho kwathiwa: “Naye uSawule uphakathi kwabaprofethi na?”