USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “USimakade wangithuma ukuba ngikugcobe ube yinkosi, ubuse abantu bakhe u-Israyeli. Ngakho-ke ake ulalele amazwi kaSimakade. Usho kanje uSimakade Wamabandla, uthi: ‘Ngiyakuwajezisa ama-Amaleki ngalokho akwenza ku-Israyeli, amelana naye ngesikhathi esendleleni ephuma eGibhithe. Manje hamba, unqobe u-Amaleki, ushaye icole kukho konke okungokwakhe, ungamhawukeli, kodwa uqothe imbokodo nesisekelo kwabesilisa, abesifazane, izingane, nabantwana abasancela, izinkabi, izimvu, amakameli nezimbongolo.’ ”
USawule wabiza abantu wababuthela eThelayimi; babeyizi-200 000 zemigundatshani nezi-10 000 zabantu bakwaJuda. USawule wafika emzini wama-Amaleki, wawacuthela esigodini. USawule wathi kumaKheni: “Hambani, phumani, nisuke phakathi kwama-Amaleki, funa nginibhubhise nawo. Nina nabaphatha kahle abakwa-Israyeli ekukhuphukeni kwabo eGibhithe.”
AmaKheni aphuma phakathi kwama-Amaleki.
USawule wawanqoba ama-Amaleki kusukela eHavila kuya ngaseShuri elingaphambi kweGibhithe. Wambamba ephila u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki, waqotha ngenkemba imbokodo nesisekelo. Kodwa uSawule nabantu abambulalanga u-Agagi kanye nempahla yekhethelo; izimvu, izinkabi, amawundlu nakho konke okuhle. Konke okudelelekileyo nokondileyo bakubhubhisa.
Lase lifika izwi likaSimakade kuSamuweli, lathi: “Ngiyazisola ukuthi ngimbekeleni uSawule waba yinkosi, ngokuba uyekile ukungilandela, akaze awafeza amazwi ami.”
USamuweli wathukuthela, wakhala kuSimakade ubusuku bonke.
USamuweli wavuka ekuseni wayohlangabeza uSawule. USamuweli wabikelwa ukuthi: “USawule ufike eKharmeli, wazimisela insika, wasuka wedlula wehlela eGiligali.”
USamuweli wafika kuSawule. USawule wathi kuye: “Mawubusiswe nguSimakade; ngilifezile izwi likaSimakade.”
USamuweli wayesethi: “Pho kuchazani lokhu kukhala kwezimvu ezindlebeni zami, nokukhala kwezinkomo engikuzwayo na?”
USawule wathi: “Babuye nazo kuma-Amaleki, abantu baziyekile izimvu nezinkomo ezinhle ukuze bakuhlabele uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho; ezinye siziqede nya.”
USamuweli wayesethi kuSawule: “Lalela ngikutshele lokhu uSimakade angitshele khona kulobu busuku.”
Wathi kuye: “Khuluma.”
USamuweli wathi: “Nakuba wawuzibona ungomncane, kodwa awenziwanga yini waba yinhloko yezizwana zakwa-Israyeli na? USimakade wakugcoba waba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli. USimakade wakuthuma wakuyala, wathi: ‘Hamba uyobhubhisa izoni, ama-Amaleki, ulwe nawo uze uwaqede nya.’ Awulalelanga ngani izwi likaSimakade? Kungani uphuthume wathatha impango, wenza okubi emehlweni kaSimakade na?”
USawule wathi kuSamuweli: “Ngililalele izwi likaSimakade, ngiluthathile uhambo abengithume lona uSimakade. Ngilethe u-Agagi, inkosi yama-Ameleki, ngawabhubhisa wonke ama-Amaleki. Kepha abantu bathatha empangweni izimvu, nezinkomo, okuhle kokuqalekisiweyo, khona bezohlabela uSimakade uNkulunkulu wabo eGiligali.”
USamuweli wathi:
“USimakade uyayenamela yini
iminikelo yokushiswa nemihlatshelo,
njengalokhu enamele
ukulalelwa kwezwi likaSimakade na?
Bheka, ukulalela kuhle kunomhlatshelo,
nokuqaphela kuhle kunamanoni ezinqama.
Ngokuba ukwambuka kunjengesono sokubhula,
nenkani ifana nobubi nokukhonza izithombe.
Ngokuba ulilahlile izwi likaSimakade,
naye ukulahlile,
awusezukuba yinkosi.”
USawule wayesethi kuSamuweli: “Ngonile, ngeqa umthetho kaSimakade namazwi akho, ngesaba abantu, ngalalela izwi labo.