1 Kwathi ngalezo zinsuku amaFilisti abutha amabutho awo ukuba aphume impi no-Israyeli. U-Akhishi wathi kuDavide: “Yazi nokwazi ukuthi uyakuphuma impi nami, wena nabantu bakho.”
2 UDavide wathi ku-Akhishi: “Ngalokho uyakwazi ukuthi inceku yakho iyakwenzani.”U-Akhishi wathi kuDavide: “Ngalokho ngiyakukubeka ube ngumlindi wekhanda lami kuze kube nini.”
3 USamuweli wayesefile; wonke u-Israyeli wamkhalela, wammbela eRama umuzi wakhe. USawule wayexoshile ezweni abanamadlozi phakathi kwabo nabathakathi.
4 AmaFilisti abuthana afika, amisa eShunemi; uSawule wabutha wonke u-Israyeli, wamisa eGilibowa.
5 Lapho uSawule ebona impi yamaFilisti, wesaba, inhliziyo yakhe yathuthumela kakhulu.
6 USawule wabuza kuJehova; uJehova akamphendulanga nangamaphupho, nange-Urimi,* nangabaprofethi.
7 Wayesethi uSawule kuzo izinceku zakhe: “Ngifuneleni owesifazane onedlozi ukuba ngiye kuye, ngibuze kuye.”Izinceku zakhe zathi kuye: “Bheka, kukhona owesifazane onedlozi e-Eni Dori.”
8 USawule waziguqula, wembatha ezinye izingubo, wahamba yena nabantu ababili benaye, bafika kowesifazane ebusuku, wathi: “Ake ungibhulele ngedlozi, ungenyusele engiyakumusho kuwe.”
9 Owesifazane wathi kuye: “Bheka, uyazi ukuthi uSawule wenzeni, ukuba unqumile ezweni abanamadlozi phakathi kwabo nabathakathi; ngalokho ungibekelelani ugibe ukuba ungibulale na?”
10 USawule wafunga uJehova kuye owesifazane, wathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova, awuyikwehlelwa cala ngalokho.”
11 Wayesethi owesifazane: “Ngiyakukwenyusela bani na?”Wathi: “Ngenyusele uSamuweli.”
12 Lapho owesifazane embona uSamuweli, wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu; owesifazane wakhuluma noSawule, wathi: “Ungikhohliseleni na? Ngokuba unguSawule.”
13 Inkosi yayisithi kuye: “Ungesabi; ubonani na?”Owesifazane wathi kuSawule: “Ngibona unkulunkulu ephuma emhlabathini.”
14 Wathi kuye: “Unesimo sini na?”Wathi: “Kukhuphuka ixhegu limboziwe ngengubo.” USawule wabona ukuthi kunguSamuweli, wakhothamela phansi ngobuso, wakhuleka.
15 USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Unginyakaziselani ukuba ungenyuse na?”USawule waphendula wathi: “Ngihluphekile kakhulu, ngokuba amaFilisti ayalwa nami; uNkulunkulu ungishiyile, akasangiphenduli nangabaprofethi nangamaphupho; ngalokho ngikubizele ukuba ungazise ukuthi ngiyakwenze njani.”
16 USamuweli wathi: “Pho, ubuzelani kimi, lokhu uJehova esesukile kuwe, waba yisitha sakho, na?
17 UJehova wenzile ngokwakhe, njengalokho akhuluma ngami: uJehova ukwaphucile umbuso esandleni sakho, wawunika umakhelwane wakho uDavide.
18 Ngokuba awulalelanga izwi likaJehova, awenzanga ulaka lwakhe olushisayo phezu kwama-Amaleki; ngalokho uJehova wenzile lokhu kuwe namuhla.
19 Futhi uJehova uyakunikela u-Israyeli kanye nawe esandleni samaFilisti; kusasa wena namadodana akho niyakuba nami; uJehova uyakunikela nempi yabakwa-Israyeli esandleni samaFilisti.”
20 USawule wayesewela phansi ngekhanda, wesaba kakhulu ngenxa yamazwi kaSamuweli, akwabakho mandla kuye, ngokuba akadlanga lutho ngosuku lonke nobusuku bonke.
21 Owesifazane wafika kuSawule, wabona ukuthi wesaba kakhulu, wathi kuye: “Bheka, incekukazi yakho ililalele izwi lakho, ngibekile ukuphila kwami esandleni sami; ngalalela amazwi akho owawakhuluma kimi.
22 Ngalokho mawulilalele izwi lencekukazi yakho, ngibeke ucezu lwesinkwa phambi kwakho; yidla ukuba uthole amandla, nxa uhamba indlela yakho.”
23 Kepha wala wathi: “Angiyikudla.” Kodwa zamcindezela izinceku zakhe kanye nowesifazane, walilalela izwi labo. Wayesevuka emhlabathini, wahlala embhedeni.
24 Owesifazane wayenethole elikhuluphalisiweyo endlini; washesha walibulala; wathatha impuphu, wayixova, wenza isinkwa esingenamvubelo ngayo,
25 wasiletha phambi kukaSawule naphambi kwezinceku zakhe, badla. Base besuka bahamba ngalobo busuku.