Verse 1: Kwathi ngosuku oluthile uJonathani indodana kaSawule wathi odibini oluphethe izikhali zakhe: “Woza siwele, siye ekhandeni lamaFilisti elingaphesheya.” Kepha akamtshelanga uyise.
Verse 2: USawule wahlala emaphethelweni aseGibeya phansi kompomegranati oseMigroni; abantu ababe naye babe ngamakhulu ayisithupha;
Verse 3: u-Ahiya indodana ka-Ahithubi, umfowabo ka-Ikabodi indodana kaFinehasi ka-Eli, umpristi kaJehova eShilo, wayembethe ingubo yamahlombe. Abantu babengazi ukuthi uJonathani uhambile.
Verse 4: Phakathi kwezintuba uJonathani afuna ukuwela ngazo ukuya ekhandeni lamaFilisti kwakukhona ugedla lwesiwa ngalapha nogedla lwesiwa ngalapha; igama lolunye laliyiBosesi, negama lolunye laliyiSene.
Verse 5: Olunye ugedla lwaluphakeme ngasenyakatho phambi kweMikimashi, nolunye ngaseningizimu phambi kweGeba.
Verse 6: UJonathani wathi odibini lwakhe oluphethe izikhali zakhe: “Woza siwele, siye ekhandeni lalabo abangasokile; ingabe uJehova uyakusisebenzela, ngokuba akukho okumthiyayo uJehova ukuba asindise ngabaningi noma ngabayingcosana.”
Verse 7: Ophethe izikhali zakhe wathi kuye: “Yenza konke okusenhliziyweni yakho: hamba, bheka, nginawe njengenhliziyo yakho.”
Verse 8: Wayesethi uJonathani kuye: “Bheka, siyakuwela, siye kulabo bantu, sizibonakalise kubo.
Verse 9: Uma bethi kithi: ‘Hlalani size sifike kini,’ khona siyakuma endaweni yethu, singenyukeli kubo.
Verse 10: Kepha uma bethi: ‘Yenyukelani kithi,’ siyakwenyuka, ngokuba uJehova ubanikele esandleni sethu; lokhu kuyakuba yisibonakaliso kithi.”
Verse 11: Bobabili bazibonakalisa kulo ikhanda lamaFilisti; amaFilisti ayesethi: “Bhekani, amaHeberu aphuma emigodini acashe kuyo.”
Verse 12: Abantu basekhandeni bamphendula uJonathani nodibi lwakhe, bathi: “Khuphukelani kithi, siyakunifundisa indaba.” UJonathani wayesethi odibini oluphethe izikhali zakhe: “Khuphuka emva kwami, ngokuba uJehova ubanikele esandleni sakwa-Israyeli.”
Verse 13: UJonathani wakhuphuka ngezandla zakhe nangezinyawo zakhe, nodibi lwakhe emva kwakhe; bawa phambi kukaJonathani, nodibi lwezikhali zakhe lwababulala emva kwakhe.
Verse 14: Lokho kuceka kokuqala abakwenzayo uJonathani nodibi lwezikhali zakhe kwakungabantu kungathi amashumi amabili ebangeni elingathi inxenye ye-eka lensimu.
Verse 15: Kwaba khona ukuthuthumela ekamu, nasendle, naphakathi kwabantu bonke; ikhanda nabaphangi bathuthumela nabo, nomhlaba wazamazama, kwaze kwaba ngukuthuthumela okukhulu.
Verse 16: Abalindi bakaSawule eGibeya lakwaBenjamini babona, bheka, isixuku sahlakazeka, saya ngalapha nangalapha.
Verse 17: USawule wayesethi kubantu ababe naye: “Balani manje, nibone ukuthi ngubani omukile kithi.” Babala, bheka, uJonathani nodibi lwezikhali zakhe babengekho.
Verse 18: USawule wathi ku-Ahiya: “Letha umphongolo kaNkulunkulu.” Ngokuba umphongolo kaNkulunkulu wawukhona ngaleso sikhathi kwabakwa-Israyeli.
Verse 19: Kwathi uSawule esakhuluma kumpristi, umsindo owawusekamu lamaFilisti waqhubeka, wanda; uSawule wathi kumpristi: “Susa isandla sakho.”
Verse 20: USawule nabo bonke abantu ababe naye babuthana, baya ekulweni; bheka, yilowo nalowo washaya omunye ngenkemba, kwaba khona ukungquzuka okukhulu kakhulu.
Verse 21: AmaHeberu ayenamaFilisti kuqala nawo akhuphukela ekamu nxazonke, aphendukela kwabakwa-Israyeli ababe noSawule noJonathani.
Verse 22: Abantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli ababecashile ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi sebezwile ukuthi amaFilisti abaleka, nabo bawaxosha ekulweni.
Verse 23: UJehova wasindisa u-Israyeli ngalolo suku; ukulwa kwadlulela eBeti Aveni.
Verse 24: Abantu bakwa-Israyeli babecindezelwa ngalolo suku, kepha uSawule wafungisa abantu, wathi: “Makaqalekiswe umuntu odla ukudla kungakahlwi, ngingakaziphindiseli ezitheni zami.” Akwabakho muntu owezwa ukudla.
Verse 25: Abantu bonke beza ehlathini; kwakukhona izinyosi phansi.
Verse 26: Abantu sebengenile ehlathini, bheka, izinyosi zaconsa, kepha akwabakho muntu obeka isandla emlonyeni, ngokuba abantu besaba isifungo.
Verse 27: Kepha uJonathani akezwanga lapho uyise efungisa abantu; ngalokho welula isihloko senduku esesandleni sakhe, wasicwilisa ezinyosini, wabeka isandla emlonyeni; ayeseqabuka amehlo akhe.
Verse 28: Kwase kuthatha omunye wabantu, wathi: “Uyihlo wabafungisa nokubafungisa abantu, ethi: ‘Makaqalekiswe umuntu odla ukudla namuhla.’ Abantu babephelile amandla.”
Verse 29: Wayesethi uJonathani: “Ubaba uhluphile izwe; ake nibone ukuthi amehlo ami aseqabukile, ngokuba ngizwe ingcosana yalezi zinyosi.
Verse 30: Kakhulu kangakanani, uma abantu bebedlile impela impango yezitha zabo abayifumanayo, ngokuba nga engabulawanga kakhulu amaFilisti na?”
Verse 31: Babulala amaFilisti ngalolo suku kusukela eMikimashi kuze kube se-Ajaloni; abantu baphela amandla kakhulu.
Verse 32: Abantu batheleka empangweni, bathatha izimvu, nezinkabi, namankonyane, bakubulalela phansi; abantu bakudla kanye negazi.
Verse 33: Base bemtshela uSawule, bethi: “Bheka, abantu bayona kuJehova ngokudla okunegazi.” Wathi: “Nenze kabi; gingqelani kimi itshe elikhulu namuhla.”
Verse 34: Wathi uSawule: “Hlakazekelani phakathi kwabantu, nithi kubo: ‘Lethani kimi, kube yilowo nalowo inkabi yakhe, nalowo imvu yakhe, nizihlabe lapha, nidle, ningoni kuJehova ngokudla okunegazi.’ ” Bonke abantu baletha, kwaba yilowo nalowo inkabi yakhe ngalobo busuku ngesandla sakhe, bazihlaba khona.
Verse 35: USawule wamakhela uJehova i-altare; kwakuyi-altare lokuqala amakhela lona uJehova.
Verse 36: USawule wathi: “Masehle, silandele amaFilisti ebusuku, siwaphange kuze kuse, singashiyi noyedwa kuwo.” Bathi: “Yenza konke okuhle emehlweni akho.” Umpristi wayesethi: “Masisondele lapha kuNkulunkulu.”
Verse 37: USawule wabuza kuNkulunkulu wathi: “Ngehle ngilandele amaFilisti na? Uyakuwanikela esandleni sakwa-Israyeli na?” Kepha akamphendulanga ngalolo suku.
Verse 38: USawule wathi: “Sondelani lapha nina nonke zinhloko zabantu, nazi, nibone ukuthi bekuyisiphi lesi sono sanamuhla.
Verse 39: Ngokuba, kuphila kukaJehova osindisa u-Israyeli, nokuba sikuJonathani indodana yami, uyakufa nokufa.” Kepha akwabakho noyedwa owamphendulayo.
Verse 40: Wayesethi ku-Israyeli wonke: “Buyelani nganhlanye nina, mina noJonathani indodana yami siyakubuyela nganhlanye.” Abantu bathi kuSawule: “Yenza okuhle emehlweni akho.”
Verse 41: Ngalokho uSawule wathi kuJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: “Malivele iqiniso.” OJonathani noSawule badliwa yinkatho, kepha abantu baphunyuka.
Verse 42: USawule wathi: “Yenzani inkatho phakathi kwami noJonathani indodana yami.” Wadliwa uJonathani.
Verse 43: USawule wayesethi kuJonathani: “Ngitshele okwenzileyo.” UJonathani wamtshela wathi: “Impela ngezwa ingcosana yezinyosi ngesihloko senduku eyayisesandleni sami; bheka, sengizakufa.”
Verse 44: USawule wathi: “Makenze njalo uNkulunkulu, enezele futhi, ngokuba uyakufa nokufa, Jonathani!”
Verse 45: Abantu bathi kuSawule: “Uyakufa yini uJonathani okwenzile lokho kusindisa okukhulu kwa-Israyeli na? Makube kude; kuphila kukaJehova, akuyikuwela phansi nolulodwa unwele lwekhanda lakhe, ngokuba usebenzile noNkulunkulu namuhla.” Abantu bamhlenga ukuba angafi.
Verse 46: USawule wayesenyuka ebuya ekulandeleni amaFilisti; aya endaweni yawo.
Verse 47: USawule esethathile umbuso wakwa-Israyeli walwa nazo zonke izitha zakhe nxazonke, noMowabi, nabantwana bakwa-Amoni, no-Edomi, namakhosi aseSoba, namaFilisti; nomaphi lapho ebheka khona, wayehlula.
Verse 48: Wenza okobuqhawe, wanqoba ama-Amaleki, wamophula u-Israyeli esandleni sabaphangi.
Verse 49: Amadodana kaSawule ayengoJonathani, no-Ishivi, noMaliki Shuwa; amagama amadodakazi akhe amabili yilawa: igama lenkulu lalinguMerabi, igama lencane lalinguMikhali.
Verse 50: Igama lomkaSawule lalingu-Ahinohama indodakazi ka-Ahimahazi; igama lenduna yempi yakhe lalingu-Abineri indodana kaNeri uyisekazi kaSawule.
Verse 51: UKishi uyise kaSawule noNeri uyise ka-Abineri babe ngamadodana ka-Abiyeli.
Verse 52: Kwakukhona ukulwa okunzima namaFilisti zonke izinsuku zikaSawule; lapho uSawule ebona iqhawe nendoda enamandla wazithathela bona.