Verse 1: Kwakukhona umuntu wakwaBenjamini ogama lakhe lalinguKishi indodana ka-Abiyeli kaSerori kaBekhorati ka-Afiya, indodana yowakwaBenjamini, iqhawe elinamandla.
Verse 2: Wayenendodana egama layo lalinguSawule, insizwa enhle; kwakungekho muntu omuhle kunaye phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli; kusukela emahlombe akhe kuya phezulu wayemude kunabo bonke abantu.
Verse 3: Izimbongolo zikaKishi uyise kaSawule zalahleka. UKishi wathi kuSawule indodana yakhe: “Thatha enye yezinceku, usuke, uye kufuna izimbongolo.”
Verse 4: Wadabula izintaba zakwa-Efrayimi, wadabula izwe laseShalisha, kepha abazifumananga; base bedabula izwe laseShahalimi, nalapho zazingekho; wadabula izwe labakwaBenjamini, kepha kabazifumana.
Verse 5: Sebefikile ezweni laseSufi, uSawule wathi kuyo inceku yakhe eyayinaye: “Woza sibuye, funa ubaba aziyeke izimbongolo, enqene ngathi.”
Verse 6: Yathi kuye: “Bheka, kukhona kulo muzi umuntu kaNkulunkulu, umuntu ohloniphekayo; konke akushoyo kuyakwenzeka impela; masiye khona, mhlawumbe angasitshela indlela esihamba ngayo.”
Verse 7: Wayesethi uSawule kuyo inceku yakhe: “Kepha bheka, uma siya khona, siyakulethani kulowo muntu na? Ngokuba isinkwa siphelile ezitsheni zethu; akukho nto esingayiyisa kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu; sinani, pho, na?”
Verse 8: Inceku yabuye yamphendula uSawule, yathi: “Ngiphethe esandleni sami okwesine kweshekeli lesiliva; lokhu ngiyakumnika khona lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu ukuba asitshele indlela yethu.”
Verse 9: Endulo kwa-Israyeli, lapho umuntu ebeyakubuza kuNkulunkulu, washo wathi: “Woza siye kumboni;” ngokuba lo othiwa umprofethi manje wabizwa kuqala ngokuthi umboni.
Verse 10: USawule wayesethi kuyo inceku yakhe: “Lihle izwi lakho; woza sihambe.” Base beya emzini lapho lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu wayekhona.
Verse 11: Besakhuphuka ummango womuzi bafumana amantombazana eyakukha amanzi; bathi kuwo: “Umboni ukhona na?”
Verse 12: Abaphendula athi: “Ukhona; nangu ngaphambi kwakho; shesha kodwa, ngokuba ufikile namuhla emzini, lokhu abantu benomhlatshelo namuhla endaweni ephakemeyo;
Verse 13: ekungeneni kwenu emzini niyakumfumana, engakenyukeli endaweni ephakemeyo ukuyokudla; ngokuba abantu abayikudla engakafiki, lokhu nguye obusisa umhlatshelo, andukuba abamenyiweyo badle. Ngalokho-ke, khuphukani manje, ngokuba niyakumfumana ngalesi sikhathi.”
Verse 14: Benyukela emzini; besangena emzini, bheka, uSamuweli waphumela kubo ukuyakwenyukela endaweni ephakemeyo.
Verse 15: UJehova wayemambulele uSamuweli ngayizolo, uSawule engakafiki, ethi:
Verse 16: “Kusasa ngalesi sikhathi ngiyakuthuma kuwe umuntu wasezweni lakwaBenjamini; uyakumgcoba abe ngumholi wabantu bami u-Israyeli, asindise abantu bami esandleni samaFilisti, ngokuba ngibonile abantu bami, lokhu ukukhala kwabo kufikile kimi.”
Verse 17: USamuweli esembonile uSawule, uJehova wathi kuye: “Nangu umuntu engakhuluma ngaye kuwe, ngathi: ‘Lo uyakubusa abantu bami.’ ”
Verse 18: USawule wayesesondela kuSamuweli esangweni, wathi: “Ake ungitshele ukuthi iphi indlu yomboni.”
Verse 19: USamuweli wamphendula uSawule, wathi: “Yimi engingumboni; khuphuka phambi kwami, uye endaweni ephakemeyo, ngokuba niyakudla nami namuhla; ekuseni ngiyakukumukisa, ngikutshele konke okusenhliziyweni yakho.
Verse 20: Izimbongolo zakho esezinezinsuku ezintathu zilahlekile, ungabeki inhliziyo yakho kuzo, ngokuba zitholiwe. Ngokukabani konke okunxanelekayo kwa-Israyeli na? Akusikho okwakho nokwendlu yonke kayihlo na?”
Verse 21: USawule waphendula wathi: “Angisiye owakwaBenjamini yini, owesincane sezizwe zakwa-Israyeli, na? Nomndeni wakithi awumncane yini kuyo yonke imindeni yesizwe sakwaBenjamini na? Ukhulumelani kimi ngale ndlela na?”
Verse 22: USamuweli wamthatha uSawule nenceku yakhe, wabangenisa endlini yokudlela, wabahlalisa endaweni engumqoka phakathi kwabamenyiweyo, kungathi abangamashumi amathathu.
Verse 23: USamuweli wathi kumpheki: “Letha isabelo engakunika sona engasho kuwe ngaso ukuthi: Sibeke ngakuwe.”
Verse 24: Umpheki waphakamisa umlenze nokwakuphezu kwawo, wawubeka phambi kukaSawule. USamuweli wathi: “Nakhu ohlinzekwe ngakho. Kubeke phambi kwakho, udle, ngokuba kugcinelwe wena kuze kufike lesi sikhathi, njengalokho ngithe ngimemile abantu.” USawule wayesedla noSamuweli ngalolo suku.
Verse 25: Sebehlile endaweni ephakemeyo bangena emzini; wakhuluma noSawule ophahleni lwendlu.
Verse 26: Bavuka ekuseni; kwathi kusantwela, uSamuweli wabiza uSawule esophahleni lwendlu, wathi: “Vuka ukuba ngikumukise.” Wayesevuka uSawule, baphuma bobabili, baya phandle, yena noSamuweli.
Verse 27: Besehlela ngasekugcineni komuzi, uSamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Yisho kuyo inceku ukuba idlule phambi kwethu — yadlula-ke — kepha yima wena manje ukuba ngikuzwise izwi likaNkulunkulu.”