1 USamuweli 9:1-27

Kwakukhona umuntu kwaBhenjamini ogama lakhe kunguKishi, indodana ka-Abhiyeli kaZerori kaBhekhorathi ka-Afiya, indodana yowakwaBhenjamini, iqhawe elinamandla. Wayenendodana igama layo kunguSawule, insizwa enhle; kwakungekho muntu omuhle kunaye phakathi kwabantu bakwa-Israyeli. Kusukela emahlombe akhe kuya phezulu wayemude kunabo bonke abantu. Izimbongolo zikaKishi, uyise kaSawule, zalahleka. UKishi wathi kuSawule, indodana yakhe: “Thatha enye yezinceku uvuke nihambe niyofuna izimbongolo.” Wadabula kwelezintaba kwa-Efrayimi, wadabula eShalisha, kodwa abazifumananga, base bedabula eShahalimi; nalapho zazingekho. Wadabula kwaBhenjamini, kepha kabazitholanga. Kwathi lapho befika eZufi, uSawule wathi encekwini yakhe eyayihamba naye: “Woza, siphindele emuva, funa ubaba ayeke ukukhathazeka ngezimbongolo, bese ekhathazeka ngathi.” Yathi kuye: “Bheka, kukhona umuntu kaNkulunkulu kulo muzi, umuntu ohloniphekile; konke akukhulumayo kuyakwenzeka impela. Masiye khona, mhlawumbe angasitshela indlela esihamba ngayo.” USawule wayesethi encekwini yakhe: “Uma siya lapho, siyakumnikani lowo muntu na? Isinkwa siphelile emigodleni yethu, akusekho sipho esingasiyisa kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu; sisenani na?” Inceku yabuye yamphendula uSawule, yathi: “Uyabona-ke, ngiphethe esandleni sami okwesine kweshekeli lesiliva; lokhu ngiyakumnika khona lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu ukuba asitshele mayelana nendlela yethu.” Inceku yathi, kudala kwa-Israyeli noma ngubani owayeya ukuyobuza kuNkulunkulu, wayethi: “Woza siye kumboni.” Ngokuba lowo okuthiwa ngumphrofethi manje kuqala wayebizwa ngomboni. USawule wayesethi encekwini yakhe: “Lihle izwi lakho, woza sihambe.” Baya emzini lapho kwakukhona umuntu kaNkulunkulu. Besakhuphuka ummango bephikelele emzini bahlangana namantombazane eyokukha amanzi, bathi kuwo: “Ukhona yini umboni na?” Abaphendula athi: “Ukhona, bhekani nangu phambi kwenu. Nokho sheshani ngokuba ufike namuhla emzini, ngoba abantu benomhlatshelo namuhla endaweni ephakemeyo. Lapho ningena nje emzini niyomfumana, engakenyukeli endaweni ephakemeyo ukuyokudla; ngokuba nabantu abayukudla engakafiki, ngoba nguye obusisa umhlatshelo andukuba abamenyiweyo badle. Khuphukani khona manje, nizomthola ngalesi sikhathi.” Benyukela emzini; kuthe besangena khona, uSamuweli wazithela kubo, lapho ephuma enyukela endaweni ephakemeyo. USimakade wayemambulele ngayizolo uSamuweli, engakafiki uSawule, wathi: “Kusasa ngalesi sikhathi ngizothumela kuwe umuntu wakwaBhenjamini; uyakumgcoba abe ngumholi wabantu bami u-Israyeli. Uyobasindisa abantu bami esandleni samaFilisti, ngokuba ngibabonile abantu bami, nokukhala kwabo sekufinyelele kimi.” USamuweli esembonile uSawule, uSimakade wathi kuye: “Nangu-ke umuntu engikhulume ngaye kuwe, ngathi: ‘Lo uyakubusa abantu bami.’ ” USawule wayesesondela kuSamuweli esangweni, wathi: “Ake ungitshele ukuthi iphi indlu yomboni.” USamuweli wamphendula uSawule, wathi: “Yimi engingumboni; khuphuka phambi kwami, uye endaweni ephakemeyo, ngokuba niyakudla nami namuhla; ekuseni ngiyakukudedela uhambe, ngikutshele konke okusenhliziyweni yakho. Mayelana nezimbongolo zakho ezilahlekile ezinsukwini ezintathu ezedlule, ungabe usayibeka inhliziyo yakho kuzo, ngokuba sezitholakele. Ngokuba libekwe kubani kanti ithemba lika-Israyeli, uma kungekuwe nakubo bonke abendlu kayihlo na?” USawule waphendula wathi: “Angisiye yini owakwaBhenjamini, isizwana esincane ezizwaneni zakwa-Israyeli na? Umndeni wami awumncane yini kuyo yonke imindeni yezizwana zakwaBhenjamini na? Ukhulumelani kimi ngale ndlela na?” USamuweli wathatha uSawule nenceku yakhe wangena nabo endlini yokudlela, wabahlalisa endaweni ephambili, phakathi kwababemenyiwe; kwakungamadoda angama-30. USamuweli wathi kumpheki: “Letha isabelo engakunika sona engasho kuwe ngaso ukuthi: ngigcinele sona.” Umpheki waphakamisa umlenze nokwakuphezu kwawo, wawubeka phambi kukaSawule. USamuweli wathi: “Nakhu ohlinzekwe ngakho. Kubeke phambi kwakho, udle, ngokuba kugcinelwe wena kuze kufike lesi sikhathi, njengalokhu ngithe ngimeme abantu.” USawule wayesedla noSamuweli ngalolo lusuku. Sebehlile endaweni ephakemeyo, bangena emzini. USamuweli waxoxa noSawule besophahleni lwendlu. Bavuka ekuseni kuseluvindi, uSamuweli wambiza uSawule ophahleni lwendlu, wathi kuye: “Vuka khona ngizokumukisa.” Wavuka-ke uSawule. Baphuma bobabili baya phandle, uSamuweli noSawule. Kwathi besehlela ngasemaphethelweni omuzi, uSamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Tshela inceku yakho ukuba yedlule ihambe phambi kwethu.” Yase yedlula. “Yima wena ukuze ngikutshele izwi elikhulunywe nguNkulunkulu.”