1 AmaFilisti alwa no-Israyeli; abantu bakwa-Israyeli babaleka phambi kwamaFilisti, bawa begwaziwe entabeni yaseGilibowa.
2 AmaFilisti axosha uSawule namadodana akhe; amaFilisti abulala oJonathani, no-Abinadaba, noMaliki Shuwa, amadodana kaSawule.
3 Impi yaba nzima kuSawule; abacibishelayo bamfica, wakhathazeka kakhulu ngenxa yabacibishelayo.
4 USawule wayesethi odibini lwezikhali zakhe: “Hosha inkemba yakho, ungigwaze ngayo, funa labo abangasokile bafike, bangigwaze, bangone.” Kepha aluvumanga udibi lwezikhali zakhe, ngokuba lwesaba kakhulu. Ngalokho uSawule wayithatha inkemba, wawela phezu kwayo.
5 Udibi lwezikhali zakhe selubonile ukuthi uSawule ufile, lwawela nalo phezu kwenkemba yalo, lwafa kanye naye.
6 Wafa-ke uSawule namadodana akhe omathathu, nodibi lwakhe, nabo bonke abantu bakhe ngalolo suku kanyekanye.
7 Lapho abantu bakwa-Israyeli ababe ngaphesheya kwesigodi nalabo ababe ngaphesheya kweJordani bebona ukuthi abantu bakwa-Israyeli babaleka nokuthi uSawule namadodana akhe bafile, bashiya imizi, babaleka; amaFilisti afika, ahlala kuyo.
8 Kwathi ngangomuso, lapho amaFilisti efika ukuphanga ababuleweyo, afumana uSawule namadodana akhe omathathu bewile entabeni yaseGilibowa.
9 Amnquma ikhanda, athatha izikhali zakhe, azithuma ezweni lamaFilisti nxazonke ukukumemezela endlini yezithombe zawo nakubantu.
10 Azibeka izikhali zakhe endlini ka-Ashitaroti, abethela isidumbu sakhe ogangeni lwaseBeti Shani.
11 Sebezwile abakhe eJabeshi Gileyadi lokho amaFilisti ayekwenzile kuSawule,
12 kwasuka onke amadoda anamandla, ahamba ubusuku bonke, asithatha isidumbu sikaSawule, nezidumbu zamadodana akhe ogangeni lwaseBeti Shani, afika eJabeshi, azishisa khona.
13 Athatha amathambo abo, awembela phansi komtamariske* eJabeshi, azila ukudla izinsuku eziyisikhombisa.