USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “UJehova wangithuma ukuba ngikugcobe ube yinkosi phezu kwabantu bakhe u-Israyeli; ngalokho lalela amazwi kaJehova. Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi: ‘Ngiyakuhambela umAmaleki ngalokho akwenzayo ku-Israyeli wamelana naye endleleni ekukhuphukeni kwakhe eGibithe. Hamba manje, unqobe u-Amaleki, uchithe impela konke anakho, ungamhawukeli, kepha bulala abesilisa, nabesifazane, nezingane, nabancelayo, nezinkabi, nezimvu, namakamela, nezimbongolo.’ ”
USawule wayesebiza abantu, wababala eThelayimi, izinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amabili zemigundatshani nezinkulungwane eziyishumi zabantu bakwaJuda. USawule wafika emzini ka-Amaleki, waqamekela esigodini. USawule wathi kumaKheni: “Hambani nimuke, nehle kuwo ama-Amaleki, funa nginichithe kanye nawo, ngokuba nabenzela umusa bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ekukhuphukeni kwabo eGibithe.” Ayesesuka amaKheni phakathi kwama-Amaleki.
USawule wahlula ama-Amaleki kusukela eHavila kuya ngaseShuri elingaphambi kwaseGibithe. Wabamba u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki esaphilile, wachitha impela bonke abantu ngosiko lwenkemba. Kepha uSawule nabantu bayeka u-Agagi nezinhle nezikhulupheleyo zezimvu nezezinkabi, namawundlu, nakho konke okuhle; babengavumi ukukuqeda lokho; kodwa zonke izinto ezidelekileyo nezondileyo baziqeda nya.
Lase lifika izwi likaJehova kuSamuweli, lithi: “Ngiyazisola ukuthi ngibekile uSawule inkosi, ngokuba ubuyile ekungilandeleni, kafezanga amazwi ami.” USamuweli wathukuthela, wakhala kuJehova ubusuku bonke.
USamuweli wavuka kusasa ukuba amhlangabeze uSawule ekuseni; kwabikwa kuSamuweli ukuthi: “USawule wafika eKarmeli; bheka, wazimisela insika, wasuka, wadlula, wehla waya eGiligali.”
USamuweli wafika kuSawule; uSawule wathi kuye: “Mawubusiswe nguJehova; sengifezile izwi likaJehova.”
USamuweli wayesethi: “Kuthini, pho, lokhu kukhala kwezimvu ezindlebeni zami, nokukhala kwezinkabi engikuzwayo, na?”
USawule wathi: “Babuye nazo kuma-Amaleki, ngokuba abantu bayeka ezinhle zezimvu nezezinkabi ukuba bahlabele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho; ezinye siziqedile nya.”
USamuweli wayesethi kuSawule: “Kahle, ngikutshele lokho uJehova akukhulumile kimi kulobu busuku.”
Wathi kuye: “Khuluma.”
Wathi uSamuweli: “Nakuba wawumncane emehlweni akho, awenziwanga yini waba yinhloko yezizwe zakwa-Israyeli na? UJehova wakugcoba, waba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli. UJehova wakuthuma indlela, wathi: ‘Hamba uqede nya izoni, ama-Amaleki, ulwe nawo aze aphele.’ Awulalelanga ngani izwi likaJehova, kepha watheleka phakathi kwempango, wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, na?”
USawule wathi kuSamuweli: “Ngililalele izwi likaJehova, ngihambile indlela uJehova owangithuma yona, ngimlethile u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki, ngachitha impela ama-Amaleki. Kepha abantu bathatha kuyo impango, izimvu nezinkabi, okuhle kokuqalekisiweyo, ukuba bahlabele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho eGiligali.”
USamuweli wathi:
“UJehova uyenamela yini
iminikelo yokushiswa nemihlatshelo,
njengalokhu enamele ukulalelwa kwezwi likaJehova, na?
Bheka, ukulalela kuhle kunomhlatshelo,
nokuqaphela kuhle kunamanoni ezinqama.
Ngokuba ukwambuka kunjengesono sokubhula,
nenkani ifana nokukhonza izithombe namatherafi.*
Ngokuba ulilahlile izwi likaJehova,
naye ukulahlile wena ukuba ungabe usaba yinkosi.”
USawule wayesethi kuSamuweli: “Ngonile, ngokuba ngeqile isiyalezo sikaJehova namazwi akho, lokhu ngesaba abantu, ngalalela izwi labo.
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