1 USamuweli 17:1-21

AmaFilisti ahlanganisa amabutho awo ukuba ayokulwa; abuthana eSoko kwaJuda, akanisa phakathi kweSoko ne-Azekha, e-Efesi Damimi. USawule no-Israyeli babuthana, bakanisa esigodini i-Ela, impi bayihlela ngezigaba zayo ukuze ibhekane neyamaFilisti. AmaFilisti ayemi kwenye intaba, no-Israyeli emi kwenye, kukhona isigodi phakathi kwabo. Kwaphuma enkanjini yamaFilisti iqhawe elikhulu, igama lalo kunguGoliyathi waseGathi. Ubude bakhe babungamakhubhithi ayisithupha nesandla. Wayefake isigqokosivikeli sethusi ekhanda, egqoke ibhantshi lensimbi. Isisindo sebhantshi sasingamashekeli ethusi ayizi-5 000. Wayenezivikelo zethusi emilenzeni, nengcula yethusi phakathi kwamahlombe. Uthi lomkhonto wakhe lwalunjengogongolo lomaluki; isihloko somkhonto sasingamashekeli ensimbi angama-600. Phambi kwakhe kwakuhamba ophethe isihlangu. Wema, wamemeza ezinhleni zakwa-Israyeli, wathi: “Niphumeleni na? Niphumele ukuhlela impi? Mina ngingumFilisti nina niyizinceku zikaSawule. Ziqokeleni umuntu, ehle eze kimi. Uma enamandla okulwa nami, angibulale, siyakuba yizigqila zenu, kodwa uma ngimehlula, ngimbulale, niyakuba yizigqila zethu, nisikhonze.” UmFilisti wathi: “Ngiyazedelela namuhla izinhla zakwa-Israyeli; nginikeni umuntu, silwe naye.” Lapho uSawule naye wonke u-Israyeli bezwa lawo mazwi omFilisti, bashaywa luvalo, besaba kakhulu. UDavide wayeyindodana yomEfrathi waseBhethlehema Juda, ogama lakhe kunguJese. UJese wayenamadodana ayisishiyagalombili; wayesengumuntu omdala ngesikhathi sikaSawule. Amadodana kaJese amathathu, u-Eliyabe izibulo, u-Abhinadaba, noShama aphuma alandela uSawule aya empini. UDavide wayengomncane wamadodana amathathu amadala ayelandele uSawule. UDavide wasuka kuSawule, wabuyela ekwaluseni izimvu zikayise eBhethlehema. Njalo ekuseni nakusihlwa umFilisti wayephuma, ame, kwaze kwaba yizinsuku ezingama-40. UJese wathi kuDavide, indodana yakhe: “Ake uthathele abafowenu i-efa lotshwele nalezi zinkwa ezilishumi, uphuthume ubahambisele enkanjini yabo. Uphathele induna yenkulungwane lawa makhekheba kashizi. Ubheke ukuthi basaphila kahle yini abafowenu, ungibuyele nobufakazi.” USawule nabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli babesesigodini i-Ela, belwa namaFilisti. UDavide wavuka ekuseni ngovivi, washiya izimvu kumlindi, wathatha ayekuthunyiwe, wangena indlela, njengalokhu uJese emyalile. Wafika enqabeni ngesikhathi impi iphuma ukuyozihlela, kusakhuzwa iziqubulo. U-Israyeli namaFilisti bayihlela impi yabo ukuze batholane phezulu.