Isahluko 13
1
USawule wabusa umnyaka; esebusile iminyaka emibili kwa-Israyeli.
2
USawule wazikhethela abantu abayizinkulungwane ezintathu kwa-Israyeli; izinkulungwane ezimbili zazinoSawule eMikimashi nasentabeni yaseBetlehema, nenkulungwane yayinoJonathani eGibeya lakwaBenjamini; abanye abantu wabamukisa, kwaba yilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe.
3
UJonathani wachitha ikhanda lamaFilisti elaliseGeba, amaFilisti akuzwa. USawule wabetha icilongo ezweni lonke, wathi: “Makezwe amaHeberu.”
4
Wonke u-Israyeli wezwa kuthiwa uSawule uchithile ikhanda lamaFilisti nokuthi u-Israyeli uyanengeka kuwo amaFilisti. Abantu babuthwa ukuba bamlandele uSawule, baye eGiligali.
5
AmaFilisti abuthana ukuba alwe no-Israyeli: izinqola eziyizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu, nabamahhashi abayizinkulungwane eziyisithupha, nabantu abangangesihlabathi esisogwini lolwandle ngobuningi; benyuka bamisa eMikimashi ngasempumalanga kwaseBeti Aveni.
6
Lapho abantu bakwa-Israyeli bebona ukuthi basengcingweni, ngokuba bacindezelwa kakhulu, abantu bacasha emihumeni, nasemahlozini, nasemaweni, nasezinqabeni, nasemigodini.
7
NamaHeberu ayewelile iJordani ukuya ezweni lakwaGadi nakwelakwaGileyadi; kepha uSawule wayeseseGiligali; abantu bonke bamlandela bethuthumela.
8
Wahlala izinsuku eziyisikhombisa njengesikhathi esimisiwe nguSamuweli, kepha uSamuweli akafikanga eGiligali; abantu bahlakazeka kuye.
9
USawule wayesethi: “Lethani kimi umnikelo wokushiswa neminikelo yokuthula.” Wanikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa.
10
Kwathi eseqedile ukunikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa, bheka, uSamuweli wafika; uSawule waphuma ukumhlangabeza ukuba ambingelele.
11
USamuweli wathi: “Wenzeni na?” USawule wathi: “Njengokuba ngabona ukuthi abantu bahlakazekile kimi, nokuthi awufikanga ngesikhathi esimisiweyo, nokuthi amaFilisti abuthene eMikimashi,
12
ngathi: ‘Manje amaFilisti ayakwehlela kimi eGiligali ngingakhulekanga;’ ngase ngiziphoqa, nganikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa.”
13
USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Wenze ngobuwula, awugcinanga umyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho akuyala ngawo, ngokuba uJehova ubeseyakuqinisa umbuso wakho kwa-Israyeli kuze kube phakade.
14
Kepha manje umbuso wakho awuyikuqhubeka; uJehova usezifunele umuntu ngokwenhliziyo yakhe; uJehova ummisile abe ngumholi wabantu bakhe, ngokuba ungagcinanga lokho uJehova akuyala ngakho.”
15
USamuweli wayesesuka, wakhuphuka eGiligali, waya eGibeya lakwaBenjamini. USawule wabala abantu abafumaniseka bekuye, kungathi abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha.
16
OSawule noJonathani indodana yakhe nabantu ababe naye bahlala eGeba lakwaBenjamini, kepha amaFilisti amisa eMikimashi.
17
Abaphangi baphuma ekamu lamaFilisti ngezigaba ezintathu; esinye isigaba sahamba ngendlela eya e-Ofira ezweni laseShuhali;
18
esinye isigaba sahamba ngendlela eya eBeti Horoni; esinye isigaba sahamba ngendlela eya emkhawulweni obheka esigodini saseSeboyimi ngasehlane.
19
Kwakungekho mkhandi ezweni lonke lakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba amaFilisti athi: “Funa amaHeberu azenzele izinkemba nemikhonto.”
20
Bonke abakwa-Israyeli behlela kuwo amaFilisti, kwaba yilowo nalowo ukuba alole umese wakhe, nempumulo yakhe, nembazo yakhe, nesikela lakhe;
21
imali yayiyipimi ngezimpumulo nangezimfoloko, nenxenye yesithathu yeshekeli ngezimbazo nangokulungisa izincijo zezinkabi.
22
Kwathi ngosuku lokulwa akwabakho nkemba namkhonto esandleni samuntu owayenoSawule noJonathani; kodwa koSawule noJonathani indodana yakhe kwakukhona.
23
Ikhanda lamaFilisti laphuma, laya ngasentubeni yaseMikimashi.