1 USamuweli 18:1-30

Kwathi eseqedile ukukhuluma noSawule, inhliziyo kaJonathani yanamathela enhliziyweni kaDavide. UJonathani wamthanda njengoba ezithanda yena. USawule wamthatha ngalolo suku uDavide, akabe esamvumela ukuba abuyele endlini kayise. UJonathani noDavide benza isivumelwano, ngokuba uJonathani wamthanda njengoba ezithanda yena. UJonathani wakhumula ingubo ayeyigqokile, wayinika uDavide, nezinye izembatho zakhe, inkemba yakhe, umnsalo wakhe nebhande lakhe. UDavide wayeya noma kuphi lapho uSawule ayemthuma khona, wayehlabana. USawule wambeka ukuba aphathe amabutho. UDavide wayemuhle emehlweni abantu bonke nasemehlweni ezinceku zikaSawule. Kwathi lapho befika, uDavide esebuya ekubulaleni umFilisti, abesifazane baphuma emizini yonke kwa-Israyeli, behlabelela besina, beyohlangabeza uSawule, inkosi, ngezigubhu, nangokhehlegume, bethokoza. Abesifazane bahlabelela bedlalisela, bethi: “USawule ubulele izinkulungwane zakhe, kodwa uDavide izinkulungwane zakhe ezilishumi.” USawule wathukuthela kakhulu, laba libi lelo lizwi emehlweni akhe, wathi: “Banike uDavide izinkulungwane ezilishumi, kodwa mina banginike izinkulungwane nje; osekumsalele ngumbuso kuphela.” USawule wamqaphelisisa uDavide kusukela kulolo lusuku. Kwathi ngangomuso umoya omubi owawuvela kuNkulunkulu wehlela kuSawule, waphrofetha ephakathi endlini. UDavide wayeshaya ihabhu ngesandla sakhe izinsuku ngezinsuku. USawule wayephatha umkhonto ngesandla sakhe. USawule waciba umkhonto, wathi: “Ngiyakumphisela odongeni uDavide.” Kepha uDavide wagwija kwaze kwaba kabili phambi kwakhe. USawule wamesaba uDavide, ngoba uSimakade wayenaye, kodwa esesukile kuye. USawule wamqhelisa kuye, wayesembeka ukuba abe ngumkhuzi wempi yakhe yenkulungwane; ehola abantu, ephuma engena nabo. UDavide waba nempumelelo kuzo zonke izindlela zakhe; uSimakade wayenaye. USawule ebona ukuthi uDavide unempumelelo, wamesaba. Kepha wonke u-Israyeli noJuda bamthanda uDavide, ngokuba wayebahola, engena ephuma nabo. USawule wathi kuDavide: “Bheka, indodakazi yami endala, uMerabi, ngizokuganisela yona, ibe ngumkakho. Wena yiba yiqhawe lami nje kuphela, ulwe izimpi zikaSimakade.” Ngokuba uSawule wathi: “Makungabi yisandla sami esimenzakalisayo, kodwa makube yisandla samaFilisti.” UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Ngingubani nje mina, kuyini ukuphila kwami, nomndeni kababa uyini kwa-Israyeli ukuba ngingaba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, na?” Kwathi lapho kufika isikhathi sokuthi uMerabi, indodakazi kaSawule, agane uDavide, uSawule uyise, wamganisela u-Adriyeli waseMehola, waba ngumkakhe. UMikhali, indodakazi kaSawule, wayemthanda uDavide. Abantu bamtshela uSawule, kwaba kuhle lokho kuye wavumelana nakho. Wayesethi uSawule: “Ngiyakumganisela yena abe lugibe kuye, ukuze isandla samaFilisti simenzakalise.” Ngalokho uSawule wathi kuDavide: “Uyakuba ngumkhwenyana ngokwesibili namuhla.” USawule wayaleza ezincekwini zakhe, wathi: “Khulumani noDavide ngasese, nithi: ‘Uyabona, inkosi yenamile ngawe, nazo zonke izinceku zayo ziyakuthanda, ngakho-ke yiba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi.’ ” Izinceku zikaSawule zakhuluma lawo mazwi ezindlebeni zikaDavide. UDavide wathi: “Kuyinto elula yini emehlweni enu ukuba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, lokhu ngingumuntu ompofu nodelelekileyo na?” Izinceku zikaSawule zamtshela, zathi: “Ukhulume kanjalo-ke uDavide.” USawule wathi: “Niyakusho kanje kuDavide, nithi: ‘Inkosi ayifuni lobolo, ifuna kuphela amajwabu ayikhulu amaFilisti ukuba kuphindiselwe ezitheni zenkosi.’ ” USawule wayecabanga ukuthi uDavide uzobulawa ngamaFilisti. Izinceku zakhe zambikela uDavide lawo mazwi, kwaba kuhle emehlweni kaDavide ukuba abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, kepha izinsuku zazingakapheleli. UDavide nabantu bakhe basuka baya kumaFilisti, babulala angama-200. UDavide waletha amajwabu awo; bawayisa enkosini ephelele ukuba abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. USawule wayesemganisela uMikhali, indodakazi yakhe, waba ngumkakhe. USawule wakubona lokho, wazi ukuthi uSimakade unoDavide. UMikhali, indodakazi kaSawule, wamthanda uDavide. Kwakhula kakhulu kuSawule ukumesaba uDavide. USawule wayeyisitha sikaDavide sonke isikhathi. Kwakuthi njalo lapho kuhlasela abakhuzi bempi yamaFilisti, uDavide wayehlabana ngokudlulele kunazo zonke izinceku zikaSawule; igama lakhe laduma kakhulu.