USawule wakhuluma noJonathani, indodana yakhe, nazo zonke izinceku zakhe ngetulo lokubulala uDavide. Kepha uJonathani wayemthanda kakhulu uDavide. UJonathani wamtshela uDavide, wathi: “USawule, ubaba, ufuna ukukubulala, ngakho-ke kusasa qaphela, uhlale esithe, ubhace. Mina ngizophuma ngime ngakubaba endle lapho ubhace khona, ngizokhuluma ngawe kubaba; uma ngibona okuthile ngizokutshela.”
UJonathani wakhuluma kahle ngoDavide kuyise uSawule, wathi kuye: “Inkosi mayingenzi okubi encekwini yayo uDavide, ngoba ayonanga lutho kuwe. Imisebenzi yayo ekwenzele yona mihle kakhulu. Ibeke impilo yayo engcupheni ngesikhathi ibulala umFilisti, uSimakade wabalethela ukunqoba okukhulu bonke abakwa-Israyeli. Uzibonele nawe, wajabula, pho kungani-ke usufuna ukona umuntu ongenacala, ubulale uDavide ngaphandle kwesizathu na?”
USawule wamlalela uJonathani, wayesefunga ethi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade, akayukubulawa.”
UJonathani wambiza uDavide wamtshela konke okwakushiwo nguyise. UJonathani waletha uDavide kuSawule, wamsebenzela njengakuqala.
Kwaphinde kwaqubuka impi, uDavide waphuma wayokulwa namaFilisti, wabulala amaningi; asindayo acela empunzini.
Umoya omubi owawuvela kuSimakade wehlela kuSawule ehlezi endlini yakhe, ephethe umkhonto ngesandla; uDavide wayebetha ihabhu ngesandla. USawule wazama ukuphisela uDavide ngomkhonto odongeni, kodwa waphunyula kuSawule, umkhonto waphaphalaza wagwaza udonga. UDavide wayesebaleka, waphunyuka kanjalo-ke ngalobo busuku.
USawule wathumela izithunywa endlini kaDavide ukuba zimqaphe, bese zimbulala ekuseni. UMikhali, umkakhe, wambikela uDavide, wathi: “Uma ungayihlengi impilo yakho ngalobu busuku, uzobulawa kusasa.”
UMikhali wamehlisa uDavide ngefasitela. UDavide wahamba, wabaleka, waphunyuka kanjalo-ke. UMikhali wathatha itherafimi, walibeka embhedeni, wabeka isicamelo soboya bezimbuzi ngasekhanda lalo, walembesa ngezingubo.
Kwathi lapho uSawule esethumela izithunywa ukuba ziyolanda uDavide, uMikhali wathi: “Uyagula.”
USawule wathumela izithunywa ukuba ziyombona uDavide, wathi: “Mkhuphuleni nimlethe lapha kimi ngombhede ukuze ngimbulale.”
Izithunywa zafika; bheka, kwakunetherafimi embhedeni nesicamelo soboya bezimbuzi singasekhanda lalo.
USawule wathi kuMikhali: “Ungikhohliseleni kanje, uvumele isitha sami ukuba sihambe, siphunyuke na?”
UMikhali wamphendula uSawule, wathi: “UDavide uthe kimi: ‘Ngivumele ngihambe; kungani ngizoze ngikubulale na?’ ”