1 USamuweli 17:12-33

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. UDavide wayishiya impahla yakhe kumlindi wempahla, wagijimela empini, wabingelela abafowabo wababuza impilo. Kepha esakhuluma nabo; bheka, kwenyuka isikhondlakhondla somFilisti waseGathi, uGoliyathi igama laso, saphuma ezinhleni zamaFilisti, saphinda wona lawo mazwi; uDavide wawezwa. Bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli kwathi ukuba bambone lowo muntu babaleka, ngoba babesaba kakhulu. Bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Nimbonile lowo muntu owenyukile na? Ngokuba wenyukele ukweyisa u-Israyeli; kuyakuthi umuntu ombulalayo, inkosi imcebise ngengcebo enkulu, imnike indodakazi yayo, iyenze indlu kayise ibe ngekhululekile kwa-Israyeli.” UDavide wakhuluma kubantu ababemi naye, wathi: “Uyokwenzelwani umuntu oyobulala lowo mFilisti, asuse ihlazo kwa-Israyeli na? Ungubani nje lowo mFilisti ongasokile ukuba ayeyise kanje impi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo?” Abantu bamphendula bamtshela lona lelo lizwi, bathi: “Kuyakwenziwa kanjalo-ke kumuntu oyakumbulala.” U-Eliyabe, umfowabo omdala, wezwa lapho ekhuluma kubantu; intukuthelo ka-Eliyabe yamvuthela uDavide, wathi: “Wehleleni na? Uzishiye nobani leziya zimvu ezingengakanani ehlane? Ngiyakwazi ukuziphakamisa kwakho nobubi benhliziyo yakho, wehlile ukuba uzobona impi.” Kepha uDavide wathi: “Ngenzeni na? Bengizibuzela nje.” Wamfulathela, wabheka ngakomunye, wakhuluma lona lelo lizwi; abantu bamphendula njengakuqala. Esezwakele amazwi akhulunywe nguDavide, abikwa kuSawule, wayesembiza. UDavide wayesethi kuSawule: “Izinhliziyo zabantu mazingadangaliswa yilowo muntu. Inceku yakho izohamba ilwe nalowo mFilisti.” USawule wathi kuDavide: “Awunawo amandla okuphuma uyolwa nalowo mFilisti, ngokuba wena usengumfana nje; yena uyindoda yempi kusukela ebusheni bakhe.”