1 USamuweli 20:1-42

UDavide wabaleka eNayothi eRama, waya kuJonathani, wathi kuye: “Ngenzeni na? Liyini icala lami? Siyini isono sami phambi kukayihlo ukuba afune ukuphila kwami na?” Wathi kuye: “Qha, ngeke kwenzeke lokho; awuyukufa. Ubaba akukho akwenza engangitshelanga khona, noma ngabe kukhulu noma ngabe kuncane; pho kungani ukuba ubaba angifihlele lokho na? Akusoze kwenzeka.” UDavide wabuye wafunga, wathi: “Uyihlo wazi kahle ukuthi ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho; uthe: ‘UJonathani makangazi ngalokhu, funa abe nosizi.’ Kepha ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade naphambi kwakho, sinye vo isinyathelo phakathi kwami nokufa.” UJonathani wayesethi kuDavide: “Noma yini inhliziyo yakho ekufunayo, ngiyokwenzela khona.” UDavide wathi kuJonathani: “Uyabona-ke, kusasa izakwethwasa inyanga; impela kufanele ngihlale nenkosi esidlweni, kepha ngivumele ukuba ngihambe, ngiyocasha endle kuze kube wusuku lwesithathu kusihlwa. Uma uyihlo ebona ukuthi angikho, ubothi: ‘UDavide ucelile impela ukuba aphuthume eBhethlehema emzini wakubo, ngokuba ngalesi sikhathi kwenziwa umhlatshelo waminyaka yonke owenzelwa wonke umndeni wakubo.’ Uma uyihlo ethi: ‘Kulungile,’ inceku yakho iyobe iphephile, kodwa uma ethukuthela ebila, uyokwazi ukuthi usophe ukuyenzakalisa. Ngakho-ke yenzele isihawu inceku yakho, lokhu wenzile nayo isivumelwano sikaSimakade. Uma nginecala, ngibulale wena, uzongiyiselani kuyihlo na?” UJonathani wathi: “Ungakucabangi nakukucabanga lokho, ngoba uma kukhona nokuncane nje okubi engazi ukuthi kuhlongozwa ngubaba ngawe, bengingeke yini ngikutshele ngakho na?” UDavide wayesethi kuJonathani: “Ngubani oyakungitshela, uma mhlawumbe uyihlo ekuphendule kabi na?” UJonathani wathi kuDavide: “Woza siye endle.” Baphuma bobabili, baya endle. UJonathani wathi kuDavide: “Ngiyethembisa ngoSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ukuthi nxa ngimbuza ubaba ngalesi sikhathi kusasa noma ngomhlomunye, uma ekhuluma okuhle ngawe Davide, ngiyakuthumela kuwe ngikwazise. USimakade makenze kanjalo kuJonathani, kuphindwe futhi uma ubaba ehlose ukukwenza okubi ngingakwazisi lokho, bese ngikuvumela ubaleke ukuze uphephe. USimakade makabe nawe, njengalokhu ayenobaba. Uma ngisaphila ngikhombise isihawu sikaSimakade, kodwa uma ngifa, ungayeki ukwenzela abendlu yami ububele, ngisho noma uSimakade eseziqothule zonke izitha zikaDavide emhlabeni.” UJonathani wayesenza isivumelwano nabendlu kaDavide, wathi: “Sengathi uSimakade angaziqeda nya izitha zikaDavide.” UJonathani waphinda wamfungisa mayelana nokumthanda kwakhe, ngokuba wayemthanda njengoba ezithanda yena. UJonathani wayesethi kuye: “Kusasa ngukwethwasa kwenyanga; uyobonakala ukuthi awukho, isihlalo sakho sizohlala singenamuntu. Kuyothi ngosuku lwesithathu, bese wehla masinyane, uye kuleyo ndawo owawucashe kuyo ngosuku lwesigameko leso; uhlale ngasetsheni e-Ezeli. Ngiyociba imicibisholo emithathu ngaseceleni kwalo, kube sengathi ngiciba inkololo. Uyabona, ngiyothumela umfana, ngithi kuye: ‘Hamba ucinge imicibisholo.’ Uma ngithi kumfana: ‘Bheka, inganeno kwakho, yithathe,’ ubokuza ngokuba uyobe uphephile, kungekho ngozi; ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade. Kepha uma ngithi kumfana: ‘Bheka, imicibisholo ingale kwakho,’ hamba, ngokuba uSimakade ukuhambisile. Mayelana nodaba esilukhulumile, uyabona-ke, uSimakade uphakathi kwami nawe kuze kube phakade.” UDavide waphuthuma wayocasha endle. Kwakungukwethwasa kwenyanga. Inkosi yahlala phansi ukuze idle. Inkosi yahlala esihlalweni sayo njengakwezinye izikhathi, isihlalo esingasodongeni; uJonathani wema, u-Abhineri wahlala ngaseceleni kukaSawule, kodwa indawo kaDavide yayingenamuntu. Ngalolo lusuku uSawule akashongo lutho, ngokuba wacabanga, wathi: “Hleze kukhona okuthile okumehlele; akahlambulukile, impela akahlambulukile.” Kwathi ngosuku olulandelayo lokwethwasa kwenyanga, indawo kaDavide isalokhu ingenamuntu, uSawule wathi kuJonathani, indodana yakhe: “Kungani indodana kaJese ingafikanga esidlweni izolo nanamuhla na?” UJonathani wamphendula uSawule, wathi: “UDavide wangicela impela ukuba aye eBhethlehema, wathi: ‘Ngivumele ukuba ngihambe, ngokuba umndeni wakithi unomhlatshelo emzini; umfowethu ungiyalile ukuba ngibe khona. Manje-ke uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, vuma ngihambe ngiyobona abafowethu.’ Yingakho-ke engafikanga etafuleni lenkosi.” Intukuthelo kaSawule yayisimvuthela uJonathani, wathi kuye: “Wena, ndodana yowesifazane owonakele noyisihlubuki! Uthi angazi ukuthi wena ukhethe indodana kaJese kunoyihlo, nehlazo lakho nehlazo lobunqunu bukanyoko na? Ngokuba ngazo zonke izinsuku indodana kaJese isaphila emhlabeni awuyukuzinza wena nombuso wakho. Ngalokho thumela umlande eze kimi, ngoba kufanele ukuba afe.” UJonathani wamphendula uSawule uyise, wathi kuye: “Uyobulawelwani? Wenzeni na?” USawule wamciba ngomkhonto efuna ukumgwaza ngawo; uJonathani wase azi ukuthi uyise uhlose ukubulala uDavide. UJonathani wasuka etafuleni ethukuthele; akadlanga kudla ngosuku lwesibili lwenyanga, ngokuba wayenosizi ngenxa kaDavide, kwazise uyise wayemhlazisile. Kwathi ngakusasa ekuseni uJonathani waphuma, waya endle ngesikhathi ababenqumelene sona noDavide; wayehamba nomfana omncane. Wathi kumfana wakhe: “Gijima, ufune imicibisholo engiyicibileyo.” Esagijima umfana, uJonathani waciba umcibisholo phambi kwakhe. Esefikile umfana lapho umcibisholo wawucitshelwe khona nguJonathani, uJonathani wamemeza engasemuva komfana, wathi: “Umcibisholo awungaphambi kwakho na?” Waqhubeka uJonathani wamemeza engasemuva komfana, ethi: “Shesha, uphuthume, ungemi.” Umfana kaJonathani wayiqoqa imicibisholo, weza nayo kumniniwakhe. Umfana wayengazi lutho, leyo ndaba yayaziwa kuphela nguJonathani noDavide. UJonathani wanika umfana wakhe izikhali zakhe, wathi kuye: “Hamba, uziyise emzini.” Esehambile umfana, uDavide wavuka ngaseningizimu, wawa phansi ngobuso bakhe, wakhothama kathathu; bangana, bakhala, yilowo nalowo ekhalela umngani wakhe, uDavide wakhala kakhulu. UJonathani wathi kuDavide: “Hamba kahle, lokhu sobabili sifunge igama likaSimakade, sathi: ‘USimakade uzokuba phakathi kwami nawe naphakathi kozalo lwami nozalo lwakho kuze kube phakade.’ ” Wayesesukuma uDavide, wahamba, uJonathani wangena emzini.