1 Samuweli 9:1-27

Kwakukhona umuntu wakoBhenjamini ogama lakhe linguKishi, indodana ka-Abiyeli, indodana kaSerori, indodana kaBegorati, indodana ka-Afiya, umBenjamini, iqhawe. Wayenendodana igama layo linguSawule, insizwa enhle nebukekayo; kwakungekho muntu omuhle kunaye phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli; kusukela emahlombe akhe kuya phezulu wayemude kunabo bonke abantu. Izimbongolo zikaKishi uyise kaSawule zabhubha. UKishi wathi kuSawule indodana yakhe: “Thatha enye yezinceku, uzilungise, uye ukufuna izimbongolo; Wadabula izintaba zakwa-Efrayimi, wadabula izwe laseSalisa, kepha abazitholanga; badabula izwe laseSalimi, kepha zazingekho; wadabula izwe lakwaBenjamini, kepha abawafumananga. Lapho sebefikile ezweni laseSufi, uSawule wathi encekwini yakhe eyayinaye: “Woza sibuyele emuva; ukuthi ubaba akayeki ukunakekela izimbongolo nokusicabangela. Wathi kuye: “Bheka, kukhona kulo muzi umuntu kaNkulunkulu, ungumuntu ohloniphekayo; konke akushoyo kuyenzeka impela; asihambe siye khona manje; mhlawumbe angasikhombisa indlela okufanele sihambe ngayo. USawuli wasesithi encekwini yakhe: Kodwa khangela, uba sihamba, sizalethani kulowomuntu? ngoba isinkwa sezitsheni zethu sesiphelile, njalo kakukho sipho esingasiletha kumuntu kaNkulunkulu yini esinayo. Inceku yabuye yamphendula uSawule, yathi: “Bheka, ngisesesandleni sakho okwesine kweshekeli lesiliva; lokhu ngiyakumnika umuntu kaNkulunkulu ukuba asitshele indlela yethu. (Esikhathini sokuqala kwa-Israyeli, lapho umuntu eyobuza kuNkulunkulu, wayethi: “Woza, siye umboni; ngokuba lowo othiwa umprofethi manje wayethiwa uMboni kuqala.) USawuli wasesithi encekwini yakhe: Ukhulume kuhle; woza sihambe Basuka baya emzini lapho kwakunomuntu kaNkulunkulu. Kwathi bekhuphuka intaba beya emzini, bafumana amantombazane aphuma ukuyokha amanzi, athi kuwo: “Umboni ukhona na?” Baphendula bathi: “Ukhona; bhekani, uphambi kwenu; sheshani, ngokuba ifikile namuhla emzini; ngoba namuhla kukhona umhlatshelo wabantu phezulu. Ngokushesha nje lapho ningena emzini, niyomthola masinyane ngaphambi kokuba akhuphukele endaweni ephakeme ukuze adle; ngoba abantu abayikudla aze afike, ngoba ubusisa umhlatshelo; ngasemuva badla abamenyiweyo. Sukuma manje; ngoba ngalesisikhathi lizamthola. Base benyukela emzini, bengena emzini, uSamuweli waphuma ukuwahlangabeza ekhuphukela endaweni ephakemeyo. UJehova wamtshela uSamuweli endlebeni yakhe ngosuku olwandulela ukufika kukaSawule, wathi: Kusasa ngalesi sikhathi ngiyakuthuma kuwe umuntu wasezweni lakwaBenjamini, umgcobe abe ngumbusi phezu kwabantu bami u-Israyeli, ukuze asindise abantu bami esandleni samaFilisti; ngoba ngikubonile. Lapho uSamuweli ebona uSawule, uJehova wathi kuye: “Nangu umuntu engangikhulume ngaye kuwe! Uyobusa phezu kwabantu bami. USawule wayesefika kuSamuweli esangweni, wathi: “Ngitshele ukuthi iphi indlu yomboni; USamuweli wamphendula uSawule, wathi: “Ngingumboni; khiphani phambi kwami endaweni ephakemeyo; ngoba namuhla uzodla Nami, futhi kusasa ngizokukhulula futhi ngikutshele konke okusenhliziyweni yakho. Izimbongolo zakho esezikulahlekile ezinsukwini ezintathu ezedlule, ungazinaki; ngoba zatholwa. Futhi phezu kukabani zonke izifiso zika-Israyeli? Akukhona kuwe nakuyo yonke indlu yakho? USawule waphendula wathi: “Angisiye owakwaBenjamini yini, omncane wezizwe zakwa-Israyeli na? nesizukulwane sami sibe sincane kuzo zonke izizukulwana zesizwe sakwaBenjamini? pho kungani ukhuluma nami kanjalo? USamuweli wayesemthatha uSawule nenceku yakhe, wabangenisa endlini yokuphumula, wabahlalisa endaweni ephakemeyo phakathi kwabamenyiweyo, kungathi abantu abangamashumi amathathu. USamuweli wasesithi kumpheki: Letha isabelo engakunika sona, engakutshela ngaso: Sibeke kuwe. Umpheki wathatha ihlombe nalokho okwakuphezu kwalo, wakubeka phansi phambi kukaSawule. USamuweli wathi: “Bheka, okusele; Kubeke phambi kwakho, udle, ngokuba kuze kube manje kugcinelwe wena kusukela ngathi: Ngimemile abantu. Ngakho uSawule wadla noSamuweli ngalolo suku. Behla endaweni ephakemeyo beza emzini, uSamuweli wakhuluma kuSawule phezu kwendlu. Basebevuka ekuseni kakhulu, kwathi sekuntsukwini uSamuweli wabiza uSawuli phezu kwendlu, wathi: Vuka, ukuze ngikuyeke uhambe. USawule wayesemqeda, baphuma bobabili, yena noSamuweli. Kwathi behlela ekupheleni komuzi, uSamuweli wathi kuSawule: UNkulunkulu.