1 uSamuweli 18:17-30

USawule wathi kuDavide: “Bheka, indodakazi yami enkulu uMerabi ngiyakukunika yona ibe ngumkakho; yiba yiqhawe lami kuphela, ulwe izimpi zikaJehova.” Ngokuba uSawule wathi: “Isandla sami masingabi phezu kwakhe, kepha isandla samaFilisti masibe phezu kwakhe.” UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Mina ngingubani, kuyini ukuphila kwami, nomndeni kababa uyini kwa-Israyeli ukuba ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi?” Kepha kwathi ngesikhathi uMerabi indodakazi kaSawule ebeyakunikwa uDavide, wanikwa ku-Adriyeli waseMehola abe ngumkakhe. UMikhali indodakazi kaSawule wamthanda uDavide; bamtshela uSawule, kwaba kuhle emehlweni akhe. Wayesethi uSawule: “Ngiyakumnika yena ukuba abe lugibe kuye, isandla samaFilisti sibe phezu kwakhe.” Ngalokho uSawule wathi kuDavide: “Uyakuba ngumkhwenyana wami ngokwesibili namuhla.” USawule wayaleza izinceku zakhe ngokuthi: “Khulumani noDavide ngasese, nithi: ‘Bheka, inkosi yenamile ngawe, nazo zonke izinceku zayo ziyakuthanda; ngalokho yiba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi.’ ” Izinceku zikaSawule zakhuluma lawo mazwi ezindlebeni zikaDavide. UDavide wathi: “Kuyinto elula emehlweni enu ukuba ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, lokhu ngingumuntu ompofu nodelelikileyo na?” Izinceku zikaSawule zamtshela zathi: “Wakhuluma kanjalo uDavide.” USawule wathi: “Niyakusho kanje kuDavide, nithi: ‘Inkosi ayifuni ilobolo, kuphela amajwabu ayikhulu amaFilisti ukuba kuphindiswe ezitheni zenkosi.’ ” USawule wacabanga ukumwisa uDavide ngesandla samaFilisti. Izinceku zakhe zamtshela uDavide lawo mazwi, kwaba kuhle emehlweni kaDavide ukuba abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, kepha izinsuku zazingakapheleli; uDavide wasuka waya, yena nabantu bakhe, wabulala kuwo amaFilisti abantu abangamakhulu amabili; uDavide waletha amajwabu abo, bawayisa enkosini ephelele ukuba abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. USawule wayesemnika uMikhali indodakazi yakhe abe ngumkakhe. USawule wabona, wazi ukuthi uJehova unoDavide; uMikhali indodakazi kaSawule wamthanda. USawule wayesemesaba uDavide kakhulu; uSawule wayeyisitha sikaDavide sonke isikhathi. Kwase kuphuma izikhulu zamaFilisti; kwathi njalo uma zisaphuma, uDavide waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha kakhulu kunazo zonke izinceku zikaSawule, laze laduma kakhulu igama lakhe.