1 Samuel - Chapter 13

Verse 1: USawule wabusa umnyaka; esebusile iminyaka emibili kwa-Israyeli.

Verse 2: USawule wazikhethela abantu abayizinkulungwane ezintathu kwa-Israyeli; izinkulungwane ezimbili zazinoSawule eMikimashi nasentabeni yaseBetlehema, nenkulungwane yayinoJonathani eGibeya lakwaBenjamini; abanye abantu wabamukisa, kwaba yilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe.

Verse 3: UJonathani wachitha ikhanda lamaFilisti elaliseGeba, amaFilisti akuzwa. USawule wabetha icilongo ezweni lonke, wathi: “Makezwe amaHeberu.”

Verse 4: Wonke u-Israyeli wezwa kuthiwa uSawule uchithile ikhanda lamaFilisti nokuthi u-Israyeli uyanengeka kuwo amaFilisti. Abantu babuthwa ukuba bamlandele uSawule, baye eGiligali.

Verse 5: AmaFilisti abuthana ukuba alwe no-Israyeli: izinqola eziyizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu, nabamahhashi abayizinkulungwane eziyisithupha, nabantu abangangesihlabathi esisogwini lolwandle ngobuningi; benyuka bamisa eMikimashi ngasempumalanga kwaseBeti Aveni.

Verse 6: Lapho abantu bakwa-Israyeli bebona ukuthi basengcingweni, ngokuba bacindezelwa kakhulu, abantu bacasha emihumeni, nasemahlozini, nasemaweni, nasezinqabeni, nasemigodini.

Verse 7: NamaHeberu ayewelile iJordani ukuya ezweni lakwaGadi nakwelakwaGileyadi; kepha uSawule wayeseseGiligali; abantu bonke bamlandela bethuthumela.

Verse 8: Wahlala izinsuku eziyisikhombisa njengesikhathi esimisiwe nguSamuweli, kepha uSamuweli akafikanga eGiligali; abantu bahlakazeka kuye.

Verse 9: USawule wayesethi: “Lethani kimi umnikelo wokushiswa neminikelo yokuthula.” Wanikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa.

Verse 10: Kwathi eseqedile ukunikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa, bheka, uSamuweli wafika; uSawule waphuma ukumhlangabeza ukuba ambingelele.

Verse 11: USamuweli wathi: “Wenzeni na?” USawule wathi: “Njengokuba ngabona ukuthi abantu bahlakazekile kimi, nokuthi awufikanga ngesikhathi esimisiweyo, nokuthi amaFilisti abuthene eMikimashi,

Verse 12: ngathi: ‘Manje amaFilisti ayakwehlela kimi eGiligali ngingakhulekanga;’ ngase ngiziphoqa, nganikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa.”

Verse 13: USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Wenze ngobuwula, awugcinanga umyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho akuyala ngawo, ngokuba uJehova ubeseyakuqinisa umbuso wakho kwa-Israyeli kuze kube phakade.

Verse 14: Kepha manje umbuso wakho awuyikuqhubeka; uJehova usezifunele umuntu ngokwenhliziyo yakhe; uJehova ummisile abe ngumholi wabantu bakhe, ngokuba ungagcinanga lokho uJehova akuyala ngakho.”

Verse 15: USamuweli wayesesuka, wakhuphuka eGiligali, waya eGibeya lakwaBenjamini. USawule wabala abantu abafumaniseka bekuye, kungathi abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha.

Verse 16: OSawule noJonathani indodana yakhe nabantu ababe naye bahlala eGeba lakwaBenjamini, kepha amaFilisti amisa eMikimashi.

Verse 17: Abaphangi baphuma ekamu lamaFilisti ngezigaba ezintathu; esinye isigaba sahamba ngendlela eya e-Ofira ezweni laseShuhali;

Verse 18: esinye isigaba sahamba ngendlela eya eBeti Horoni; esinye isigaba sahamba ngendlela eya emkhawulweni obheka esigodini saseSeboyimi ngasehlane.

Verse 19: Kwakungekho mkhandi ezweni lonke lakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba amaFilisti athi: “Funa amaHeberu azenzele izinkemba nemikhonto.”

Verse 20: Bonke abakwa-Israyeli behlela kuwo amaFilisti, kwaba yilowo nalowo ukuba alole umese wakhe, nempumulo yakhe, nembazo yakhe, nesikela lakhe;

Verse 21: imali yayiyipimi ngezimpumulo nangezimfoloko, nenxenye yesithathu yeshekeli ngezimbazo nangokulungisa izincijo zezinkabi.

Verse 22: Kwathi ngosuku lokulwa akwabakho nkemba namkhonto esandleni samuntu owayenoSawule noJonathani; kodwa koSawule noJonathani indodana yakhe kwakukhona.

Verse 23: Ikhanda lamaFilisti laphuma, laya ngasentubeni yaseMikimashi.