1 USamuweli 13:1-15

USawule wayesekhulakhulile ngesikhathi eqala ukubusa. Esebuse iminyaka emibili kwa-Israyeli, waqoka abantu abayizi-3 000 kwa-Israyeli. Abayizi-2 000 baba noSawule eMikhimashi nasentabeni eBhethele, inkulungwane yaba noJonathani eGibheya kwaBhenjamini. Abanye abantu wabaphindisela emuva, kwaba yilowo nalowo waya ethendeni lakhe. UJonathani wabhubhisa ibutho lamaFilisti elalikanise eGebha, amaFilisti ezwa ngalokho. USawule wabetha icilongo ezweni lonke, wathi: “AmaHebheru mawezwe!” U-Israyeli wonke wezwa ukuthi uSawule ubhubhise impi yamaFilisti nokuthi u-Israyeli uyanengeka kuwo amaFilisti. Abantu baqoqana ukuba balandele uSawule, baye eGiligali. AmaFilisti abuthanela ukulwa no-Israyeli: izinqola eziyizi-30 000, abamahhashi abayizi-6 000, nabantu ababebaningi ngangesihlabathi ogwini lolwandle, benyuka bakanisa eMikhimashi empumalanga eBhethi Aveni. Kwathi lapho abantu bakwa-Israyeli bebona ukuthi basenkathazweni ngenxa yengcindezelo enkulu ababekuyo, abantu bacasha emigedeni, emahlozini, emaweni, ezinqabeni, nakuyo imithombokwakhiwa. AmaHebheru awela iJordani, aya kwaGadi nakwaGileyadi. USawule wayeseseGiligali, bonke abantu bamlandela bethuthumela. USawule wahlala izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, okuyisikhathi uSamuweli ayemnqumele sona, kodwa uSamuweli akafikanga eGiligali. Abantu base beqala ukuhlakazeka bemshiya uSawule. USawule wayesethi: “Lethani kimi umnikelo wokushiswa neminikelo yokuthula.” Wanikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa. Kwathi eseqedile ukunikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa; waqhamuka uSamuweli. USawule waphuma wayomhlangabeza, wambingelela. USamuweli wambuza, wathi: “Wenzeni na?” USawule wathi: “Kuthe ukuba ngibone ukuthi abantu sebeyahlakazeka, bayangishiya, nokuthi nawe awufiki ngesikhathi obusinqumile, namaFilisti abuthene eMikhimashi, ngathi: ‘Manje amaFilisti azokwehlela kimi angihlasele eGiligali ngingakakhuleki,’ ngase ngiziphoqa, nganikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa.” USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Wenze ubuwula, awuwugcinanga umyalo kaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho akuyale ngawo. USimakade ubezowuqinisa umbuso wakho kwa-Israyeli kuze kube phakade, kodwa manje umbuso wakho awusezukuqhubeka. USimakade uzifunele umuntu oqokwe yinhliziyo yakhe. USimakade ummisile ukuba abe ngumholi wabantu bakhe, ngokuba awukugcinanga lokho uSimakade akuyala ngakho.” USamuweli wayesesuka wakhuphuka eGiligali, waya eGibheya kwaBhenjamini. USawule wabala abantu ababesasele naye, babecishe babe ngama-600.