1 Samuweli 18:1-30

Kwathi eseqedile ukukhuluma loSawuli, umphefumulo kaJonathani wanamathela emphefumulweni kaDavida; uJonathani wamthanda njengomphefumulo wakhe. USawule wamthatha ngalolo suku, akamvumelanga ukuba aye endlini kayise. UJonathani noDavide benza isivumelwano, ngokuba wayemthanda njengomphefumulo wakhe. UJonathani wakhumula ingubo ayeyigqokile, wayinika uDavide, nezingubo zakhe kuze kufike enkembeni yakhe, kwaze kwafika kumnsalo wakhe, nasebhandeni lakhe. UDavide waphuma nomaphi lapho uSawule emthuma khona, wenza ngokuhlakanipha; uSawule wammisa phezu kwamadoda empi, waba muhle emehlweni abo bonke abantu nasemehlweni ezinceku zikaSawule. Lapho befika, lapho uDavide ebuya ekubulaleni umFilisti, abesifazane baphuma emizini yonke yakwa-Israyeli, behlabelela futhi besina ukuhlangabeza inkosi uSawule ngezigubhu nokujabula nezinsimbi zokubethwa. Abesifazane baphendulana bedlala, bathi: “USawule ubulele izinkulungwane zakhe, uDavide amashumi ezinkulungwane zakhe.” USawuli wathukuthela kakhulu, lelizwi laba libi kuye; uthi: Banika uDavide izinkulungwane eziyishumi, banginika izinkulungwane kuphela; futhi yini angaba nayo ngaphezu kombuso? USawule wambheka uDavide kusukela ngalolo suku kuqhubeke. Kwathi ngangomuso umoya omubi kaNkulunkulu wehlela uSawule, waprofetha phakathi kwendlu; uDavide wabetha ngesandla sakhe njengakuqala, kwakukhona umkhonto esandleni sikaSawule. USawule wawuphonsa umkhonto; ngoba wathi: Ngizamtshaya uDavida ngalo emdulini. UDavide wasuka kabili ebusweni bakhe. USawule wamesaba uDavide, ngokuba uJehova wayenaye, wasuka kuSawule. Ngakho uSawule wamsusa kuye, wambeka umbusi wenkulungwane; waphuma, wangena phambi kwabantu. UDavide waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha kuzo zonke izindlela zakhe; uJehova wayenaye. Ngakho lapho uSawule ebona ukuthi uhlakaniphe kakhulu, wamesaba. Kepha wonke u-Israyeli noJuda bamthanda uDavide, ngokuba wayengena ephuma phambi kwabo. USawule wathi kuDavide: “Bheka, indodakazi yami endala uMerabi ngiyakukunika yona ibe ngumkakho; vele ube nesibindi ngami, ulwe izimpi zikaJehova. Ngokuba uSawule wathi: “Isandla sami masingabi phezu kwakhe, kepha isandla samaFilisti masimelane naye.” UDavida wasesithi kuSawuli: Ngingubani mina? futhi iyini impilo yami noma inzalo kababa kwa-Israyeli ukuba ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi? Kodwa ngesikhathi uMerabi indodakazi kaSawuli ephiwa uDavida, wanikwa u-Adriyeli umMeholathi abe ngumkakhe. UMikhali indodakazi kaSawule wathanda uDavide; USawuli wasesithi: Ngizamnika yena, ukuze abe lugibe kuye, abe yisandla samaFilisti phezu kwakhe. USawuli wasesithi kuDavida: Uzakuba ngumkhwenyana wami lamuhla kokukodwa kwakho kokubili. USawule wayala izinceku zakhe, wathi: “Khulumani kuDavide ngasese nithi: ‘Bheka, inkosi ithokozile ngawe, nezinceku zayo zonke ziyakuthanda; bese kuba umkhwenyana wenkosi manje. Izinceku zikaSawule zakhuluma lawa mazwi ezindlebeni zikaDavide. UDavide wathi: “Kuyinto elula kuwe ukuba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, lokhu mina ngithiwe ngimpofu nomncane na? Izinceku zikaSawule zamtshela zathi: “Usho kanje uDavide. USawule wathi: “Niyakusho kanje kuDavide, nithi: ‘Inkosi ayifuni ilobolo, kepha amajwabu ayikhulu amaFilisti ukuba aphindisele ezitheni zenkosi. Kodwa uSawule wacabanga ukumyeka uDavide awe ngesandla samaFilisti. Izinceku zakhe zamtshela uDavide lawo mazwi, kwaba kuhle kuDavide ukuba abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, kepha izinsuku zazingakapheli. UDavide wazilungiselela, wahamba yena nabantu bakhe, wabulala kumaFilisti amadoda angamakhulu amabili; uDavida waletha amajwabu awo, basebenika inkosi indaba zonke, ukuze abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. USawule wamnika uMikhali indodakazi yakhe ibe ngumkakhe. USawule wabona, wazi ukuthi uJehova wayenoDavide nokuthi uMikhali indodakazi kaSawule wayemthanda. USawule wamesaba kakhulu uDavide; uSawule waba yisitha sikaDavide kulo lonke. Zase ziphuma izikhulu zamaFilisti, zaphuma, uDavide waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha ngaphezu kwazo zonke izinceku zikaSawule; ukuze igama lakhe libe likhulu.