Verse 1: AmaFilisti abutha izimpi zawo ukuba alwe; abuthana eSoko lakwaJuda, amisa phakathi kweSoko ne-Azeka e-Efesi Damimi.
Verse 2: USawule nabantu bakwa-Israyeli babuthana, bamisa esigodini sase-Ela, bahlela impi ukuhlangabezana namaFilisti.
Verse 3: AmaFilisti ayemi entabeni ngalapha, u-Israyeli wayemi entabeni ngalapha; kwakukhona isigodi phakathi kwabo.
Verse 4: Kwaphuma iqhawe elikhulu ekamu lamaFilisti, igama lalo linguGoliyati waseGati, obude bakhe buyizingalo eziyisithupha nesandla.
Verse 5: Wayenesigqoko sethusi ekhanda, egqoke ibhantshi lensimbi; isisindo sebhantshi sasingamashekeli ayizinkulungwane eziyisihlanu ethusi.
Verse 6: Wayenezivikelo zethusi emilenzeni, nengcula yethusi phakathi kwamahlombe.
Verse 7: Uthi lomkhonto wakhe lwalunjengogongolo lomaluki; isihloko somkhonto sasingamashekeli angamakhulu ayisithupha ensimbi; ophethe isihlangu wahamba phambi kwakhe.
Verse 8: Wema, wamemeza ezinhleni zakwa-Israyeli, wathi kuzo: “Niphumelani ukuhlela impi na? Angisiye umFilisti, nina niyizinceku zikaSawule, na? Zikhetheleni umuntu, ehle eze kimi.
Verse 9: Uma enamandla okulwa nami, angibulale, siyakuba yizigqila zenu; kepha uma ngimahlula, ngimbulale, niyakuba yizigqila zethu, nisikhonze.”
Verse 10: UmFilisti wathi: “Ngiyazeyisa namuhla izinhla zakwa-Israyeli; nginikeni umuntu, silwe naye.”
Verse 11: Lapho uSawule naye wonke u-Israyeli bezwa lawo mazwi omFilisti, bashaywa luvalo, besaba kakhulu.
Verse 12: UDavide wayeyindodana yalowo mEfrati waseBetlehema Juda ogama lakhe lalinguJese; wayenamadodana ayisishiyagalombili; lowo muntu wayemdala ezinsukwini zikaSawule phakathi kwabantu.
Verse 13: Amadodana amathathu amakhulu kaJese ayemlandele uSawule ukuya empini; amagama amadodana akhe amathathu ayeyile empini ayengu-Eliyabe izibulo, emelamayo ngu-Abinadaba, neyesithathu nguShama.
Verse 14: UDavide nguye owayengomncinyane; amathathu amakhulu amlandela uSawule.
Verse 15: UDavide wahamba wabuya ukuyakwalusa izimvu zikayise eBetlehema.
Verse 16: UmFilisti wasondela ekuseni nakusihlwa, wema khona izinsuku ezingamashumi amane.
Verse 17: UJese wathi kuDavide indodana yakhe: “Ake uthathele abafowenu i-efa lalolu tshwele nalezi zinkwa eziyishumi, usheshe uye ekamu labafowenu,
Verse 18: uphathele induna yenkulungwane lawa makhekheba kashizi, ubheke impilo yabafowenu, uthathe isibambiso kubo.”
Verse 19: USawule nabo bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli base besesigodini sase-Ela, belwa namaFilisti.
Verse 20: UDavide wavuka ekuseni kakhulu, washiya izimvu kumlindi, wathatha, wahamba, njengalokho uJese amyale ngakho; wafika enqabeni yezinqola, impi isaphuma ukuyakuhlelwa, yahlaba umkhosi.
Verse 21: U-Israyeli namaFilisti bahlela impi, babhekana.
Verse 22: UDavide washiya impahla yakhe esandleni somlindi wempahla, wagijimela empini, wabingelela abafowabo.
Verse 23: Kepha esakhuluma nabo, bheka, kwenyuka iqhawe elikhulu, umFilisti waseGati, nguGoliyati igama lalo, ephuma ezinhleni zamaFilisti, wakhuluma wona lawo mazwi; uDavide wawezwa.
Verse 24: Bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli sebebonile lo muntu bambalekela, besaba kakhulu.
Verse 25: Abantu bakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Nimbonile lowo muntu owenyukile na? Ngokuba wenyukile ukuyakweyisa u-Israyeli; kuyakuthi umuntu ombulalayo, inkosi imcebise ngengcebo enkulu, imnike indodakazi yayo, iyenze indlu kayise ibe ngekhululekile kwa-Israyeli.”
Verse 26: UDavide wakhuluma kubantu ababemi naye, wathi: “Kuyakwenziwa ntoni kumuntu obulala lowo mFilisti, asuse ihlazo kwa-Israyeli, na? Ngokuba ngubani lowo mFilisti ongasokile ukuba ayeyise impi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo na?”
Verse 27: Abantu bamphendula ngalona lelo zwi; bathi-ke: “Kuyakwenziwa kanjalo kumuntu ombulalayo.”
Verse 28: U-Eliyabe umfowabo omkhulu wezwa lapho ekhuluma kubantu; intukuthelo ka-Eliyabe yamvuthela uDavide, wathi: “Wehleleni na? Uzishiye kubani leziya zimvu ezingengakanani ehlane na? Mina ngiyakwazi ukuziphakamisa kwakho nobubi benhliziyo yakho, ngokuba wehlile ukuba ubuke impi.”
Verse 29: Kepha uDavide wathi: “Ngenzeni na? Bekungumbuzo nje.”
Verse 30: Wamfulathela, wabheka komunye, wakhuluma lona lelo zwi; abantu bamphendula njengakuqala.
Verse 31: Esezwakele amazwi abewakhulumile uDavide alandwa phambi kukaSawule; wambiza.
Verse 32: UDavide wayesethi kuSawule: “Makungaqedwa nhliziyo yamuntu ngalowo; inceku yakho iyakuhamba ilwe nalowo mFilisti.”
Verse 33: USawule wathi kuDavide: “Awunamandla okuya kulowo mFilisti, ulwe naye, ngokuba ungumfana nje, yena eyindoda yempi kwasebusheni bakhe.”
Verse 34: UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Inceku yakho yayizalusa izimvu zikayise; lapho kwafika ingonyama nebhere kwathatha imvu emhlambini,
Verse 35: ngaphuma ngakulandela, ngakubulala, ngayophula emlonyeni wakho; lapho kwangivukela, ngakubamba ngesilevu, ngakwahlula, ngakubulala.
Verse 36: Inceku yakho yahlula ingonyama nebhere, nalowo mFilisti ongasokile uyakuba njengenye yazo, lokhu eyeyisile impi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo.”
Verse 37: UDavide wathi: “UJehova owangophula ozisheni lwengonyama nasozisheni lwebhere uyakungophula nasesandleni salowo mFilisti.” USawule wathi kuDavide: “Hamba, uJehova uyakuba nawe.”
Verse 38: USawule wamembathisa ezakhe izingubo, wamfaka isigqoko sethusi ekhanda, wamgqokisa ibhantshi lensimbi.
Verse 39: UDavide wabhinca inkemba yakhe phezu kwezambatho zakhe, wazama ukuhamba, ngokuba wayengakazilingi. UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Anginakuhamba nalezi, angikazilingi.” UDavide wayesezikhumula.
Verse 40: Wathatha induku yakhe ngesandla, wazikhethela amatshe ayisihlanu abushelezi emfudlaneni, wawafaka esikhwameni somalusi ayenaso, eyikeni lakhe, indwayimana yakhe isesandleni sakhe; wayesesondela kumFilisti.
Verse 41: Weza umFilisti, wafika wasondela kuDavide; umuntu ophethe isihlangu wahamba phambi kwakhe.
Verse 42: UmFilisti esabuka wambona uDavide, wameyisa, ngokuba wayengumfana nje, ebomvana, ebukeka emuhle.
Verse 43: UmFilisti wathi kuDavide: “Ngiyinja yini ukuba uze kimi unezinduku na?” UmFilisti wamthuka uDavide ngawonkulunkulu bakhe.
Verse 44: UmFilisti wathi kuDavide: “Woza kimi, nginike izinyoni zezulu nezilwane zasendle inyama yakho.”
Verse 45: UDavide wayesethi kumFilisti: “Wena uza kimi nenkemba, nomkhonto, nengcula, kepha mina ngiza kuwe ngegama likaJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu wempi ka-Israyeli oyeyisile.
Verse 46: Namuhla uJehova uyakukunikela esandleni sami; ngiyakukubulala, ngisuse ikhanda lakho kuwe, nginike namuhla izinyoni zezulu nezilwane zomhlaba izidumbu zempi yamaFilisti, ukuze umhlaba wonke wazi ukuthi kukhona uNkulunkulu kwa-Israyeli,
Verse 47: yazi yonke le nhlangano ukuthi uJehova akasindisi ngenkemba nangomkhonto; ngokuba ukulwa kungokukaJehova; uyakuninikela esandleni sethu.”
Verse 48: Kwathi lapho esuka umFilisti weza wasondela ukuhlangabezana noDavide, uDavide washesha wagijimela ngasempini ukuhlangana nomFilisti.
Verse 49: UDavide wafaka isandla sakhe esikhwameni sakhe, wakhipha khona itshe, waliphonsa, wamshaya umFilisti ebunzini, itshe lashona ebunzini, wawela phansi ngobuso.
Verse 50: UDavide wamahlula umFilisti ngendwayimana nangetshe, wamshaya umFilisti, wambulala; kodwa kwakungekho nkemba esandleni sikaDavide.
Verse 51: Wayesegijima uDavide, wema phezu komFilisti, wathatha inkemba yakhe, wayihosha emgodleni wayo, wambulala, wamnquma ikhanda ngayo. Lapho amaFilisti ebona ukuthi iqhawe lawo lifile, abaleka.
Verse 52: Abantu bakwa-Israyeli nabakwaJuda basuka bakhamuluka, bawaxosha amaFilisti kwaze kwaba seGayi nasemasangweni ase-Ekroni. Abalimeleyo bamaFilisti bawa ngasendleleni eya eShaharayimi, kwaze kwaba seGati nase-Ekroni.
Verse 53: Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babuya ekuxosheni amaFilisti, baphanga ikamu lawo.
Verse 54: UDavide wathatha ikhanda lomFilisti, waliyisa eJerusalema; kepha wafaka izikhali zakhe etendeni lakhe.
Verse 55: Lapho uSawule embona uDavide ephuma ukuhlangabezana nomFilisti, wathi ku-Abineri induna yempi: “Abineri, yindodana kabani lo mfana na?” U-Abineri wathi: “Kuphila kwakho, nkosi, angazi.”
Verse 56: Yayisithi inkosi: “Buza wena ukuthi iyindodana kabani le nsizwa.”
Verse 57: UDavide esabuya ekubulaleni umFilisti, u-Abineri wamthatha wamyisa phambi kukaSawule, ephethe ikhanda lomFilisti esandleni sakhe.
Verse 58: USawule wathi kuye: “Uyindodana kabani wena mfana na?” UDavide waphendula wathi: “Ngiyindodana yenceku yakho uJese waseBetlehema.”