Isahluko 14
1
Kwathi ngosuku oluthile uJonathani indodana kaSawule wathi odibini oluphethe izikhali zakhe: “Woza siwele, siye ekhandeni lamaFilisti elingaphesheya.” Kepha akamtshelanga uyise.
2
USawule wahlala emaphethelweni aseGibeya phansi kompomegranati oseMigroni; abantu ababe naye babe ngamakhulu ayisithupha;
3
u-Ahiya indodana ka-Ahithubi, umfowabo ka-Ikabodi indodana kaFinehasi ka-Eli, umpristi kaJehova eShilo, wayembethe ingubo yamahlombe. Abantu babengazi ukuthi uJonathani uhambile.
4
Phakathi kwezintuba uJonathani afuna ukuwela ngazo ukuya ekhandeni lamaFilisti kwakukhona ugedla lwesiwa ngalapha nogedla lwesiwa ngalapha; igama lolunye laliyiBosesi, negama lolunye laliyiSene.
5
Olunye ugedla lwaluphakeme ngasenyakatho phambi kweMikimashi, nolunye ngaseningizimu phambi kweGeba.
6
UJonathani wathi odibini lwakhe oluphethe izikhali zakhe: “Woza siwele, siye ekhandeni lalabo abangasokile; ingabe uJehova uyakusisebenzela, ngokuba akukho okumthiyayo uJehova ukuba asindise ngabaningi noma ngabayingcosana.”
7
Ophethe izikhali zakhe wathi kuye: “Yenza konke okusenhliziyweni yakho: hamba, bheka, nginawe njengenhliziyo yakho.”
8
Wayesethi uJonathani kuye: “Bheka, siyakuwela, siye kulabo bantu, sizibonakalise kubo.
9
Uma bethi kithi: ‘Hlalani size sifike kini,’ khona siyakuma endaweni yethu, singenyukeli kubo.
10
Kepha uma bethi: ‘Yenyukelani kithi,’ siyakwenyuka, ngokuba uJehova ubanikele esandleni sethu; lokhu kuyakuba yisibonakaliso kithi.”
11
Bobabili bazibonakalisa kulo ikhanda lamaFilisti; amaFilisti ayesethi: “Bhekani, amaHeberu aphuma emigodini acashe kuyo.”
12
Abantu basekhandeni bamphendula uJonathani nodibi lwakhe, bathi: “Khuphukelani kithi, siyakunifundisa indaba.” UJonathani wayesethi odibini oluphethe izikhali zakhe: “Khuphuka emva kwami, ngokuba uJehova ubanikele esandleni sakwa-Israyeli.”
13
UJonathani wakhuphuka ngezandla zakhe nangezinyawo zakhe, nodibi lwakhe emva kwakhe; bawa phambi kukaJonathani, nodibi lwezikhali zakhe lwababulala emva kwakhe.
14
Lokho kuceka kokuqala abakwenzayo uJonathani nodibi lwezikhali zakhe kwakungabantu kungathi amashumi amabili ebangeni elingathi inxenye ye-eka lensimu.
15
Kwaba khona ukuthuthumela ekamu, nasendle, naphakathi kwabantu bonke; ikhanda nabaphangi bathuthumela nabo, nomhlaba wazamazama, kwaze kwaba ngukuthuthumela okukhulu.
16
Abalindi bakaSawule eGibeya lakwaBenjamini babona, bheka, isixuku sahlakazeka, saya ngalapha nangalapha.
17
USawule wayesethi kubantu ababe naye: “Balani manje, nibone ukuthi ngubani omukile kithi.” Babala, bheka, uJonathani nodibi lwezikhali zakhe babengekho.
18
USawule wathi ku-Ahiya: “Letha umphongolo kaNkulunkulu.” Ngokuba umphongolo kaNkulunkulu wawukhona ngaleso sikhathi kwabakwa-Israyeli.
19
Kwathi uSawule esakhuluma kumpristi, umsindo owawusekamu lamaFilisti waqhubeka, wanda; uSawule wathi kumpristi: “Susa isandla sakho.”
20
USawule nabo bonke abantu ababe naye babuthana, baya ekulweni; bheka, yilowo nalowo washaya omunye ngenkemba, kwaba khona ukungquzuka okukhulu kakhulu.
21
AmaHeberu ayenamaFilisti kuqala nawo akhuphukela ekamu nxazonke, aphendukela kwabakwa-Israyeli ababe noSawule noJonathani.
22
Abantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli ababecashile ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi sebezwile ukuthi amaFilisti abaleka, nabo bawaxosha ekulweni.
23
UJehova wasindisa u-Israyeli ngalolo suku; ukulwa kwadlulela eBeti Aveni.
24
Abantu bakwa-Israyeli babecindezelwa ngalolo suku, kepha uSawule wafungisa abantu, wathi: “Makaqalekiswe umuntu odla ukudla kungakahlwi, ngingakaziphindiseli ezitheni zami.” Akwabakho muntu owezwa ukudla.
25
Abantu bonke beza ehlathini; kwakukhona izinyosi phansi.
26
Abantu sebengenile ehlathini, bheka, izinyosi zaconsa, kepha akwabakho muntu obeka isandla emlonyeni, ngokuba abantu besaba isifungo.
27
Kepha uJonathani akezwanga lapho uyise efungisa abantu; ngalokho welula isihloko senduku esesandleni sakhe, wasicwilisa ezinyosini, wabeka isandla emlonyeni; ayeseqabuka amehlo akhe.
28
Kwase kuthatha omunye wabantu, wathi: “Uyihlo wabafungisa nokubafungisa abantu, ethi: ‘Makaqalekiswe umuntu odla ukudla namuhla.’ Abantu babephelile amandla.”
29
Wayesethi uJonathani: “Ubaba uhluphile izwe; ake nibone ukuthi amehlo ami aseqabukile, ngokuba ngizwe ingcosana yalezi zinyosi.
30
Kakhulu kangakanani, uma abantu bebedlile impela impango yezitha zabo abayifumanayo, ngokuba nga engabulawanga kakhulu amaFilisti na?”
31
Babulala amaFilisti ngalolo suku kusukela eMikimashi kuze kube se-Ajaloni; abantu baphela amandla kakhulu.
32
Abantu batheleka empangweni, bathatha izimvu, nezinkabi, namankonyane, bakubulalela phansi; abantu bakudla kanye negazi.
33
Base bemtshela uSawule, bethi: “Bheka, abantu bayona kuJehova ngokudla okunegazi.” Wathi: “Nenze kabi; gingqelani kimi itshe elikhulu namuhla.”
34
Wathi uSawule: “Hlakazekelani phakathi kwabantu, nithi kubo: ‘Lethani kimi, kube yilowo nalowo inkabi yakhe, nalowo imvu yakhe, nizihlabe lapha, nidle, ningoni kuJehova ngokudla okunegazi.’ ” Bonke abantu baletha, kwaba yilowo nalowo inkabi yakhe ngalobo busuku ngesandla sakhe, bazihlaba khona.
35
USawule wamakhela uJehova i-altare; kwakuyi-altare lokuqala amakhela lona uJehova.
36
USawule wathi: “Masehle, silandele amaFilisti ebusuku, siwaphange kuze kuse, singashiyi noyedwa kuwo.” Bathi: “Yenza konke okuhle emehlweni akho.” Umpristi wayesethi: “Masisondele lapha kuNkulunkulu.”
37
USawule wabuza kuNkulunkulu wathi: “Ngehle ngilandele amaFilisti na? Uyakuwanikela esandleni sakwa-Israyeli na?” Kepha akamphendulanga ngalolo suku.
38
USawule wathi: “Sondelani lapha nina nonke zinhloko zabantu, nazi, nibone ukuthi bekuyisiphi lesi sono sanamuhla.
39
Ngokuba, kuphila kukaJehova osindisa u-Israyeli, nokuba sikuJonathani indodana yami, uyakufa nokufa.” Kepha akwabakho noyedwa owamphendulayo.
40
Wayesethi ku-Israyeli wonke: “Buyelani nganhlanye nina, mina noJonathani indodana yami siyakubuyela nganhlanye.” Abantu bathi kuSawule: “Yenza okuhle emehlweni akho.”
41
Ngalokho uSawule wathi kuJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: “Malivele iqiniso.” OJonathani noSawule badliwa yinkatho, kepha abantu baphunyuka.
42
USawule wathi: “Yenzani inkatho phakathi kwami noJonathani indodana yami.” Wadliwa uJonathani.
43
USawule wayesethi kuJonathani: “Ngitshele okwenzileyo.” UJonathani wamtshela wathi: “Impela ngezwa ingcosana yezinyosi ngesihloko senduku eyayisesandleni sami; bheka, sengizakufa.”
44
USawule wathi: “Makenze njalo uNkulunkulu, enezele futhi, ngokuba uyakufa nokufa, Jonathani!”
45
Abantu bathi kuSawule: “Uyakufa yini uJonathani okwenzile lokho kusindisa okukhulu kwa-Israyeli na? Makube kude; kuphila kukaJehova, akuyikuwela phansi nolulodwa unwele lwekhanda lakhe, ngokuba usebenzile noNkulunkulu namuhla.” Abantu bamhlenga ukuba angafi.
46
USawule wayesenyuka ebuya ekulandeleni amaFilisti; aya endaweni yawo.
47
USawule esethathile umbuso wakwa-Israyeli walwa nazo zonke izitha zakhe nxazonke, noMowabi, nabantwana bakwa-Amoni, no-Edomi, namakhosi aseSoba, namaFilisti; nomaphi lapho ebheka khona, wayehlula.
48
Wenza okobuqhawe, wanqoba ama-Amaleki, wamophula u-Israyeli esandleni sabaphangi.
49
Amadodana kaSawule ayengoJonathani, no-Ishivi, noMaliki Shuwa; amagama amadodakazi akhe amabili yilawa: igama lenkulu lalinguMerabi, igama lencane lalinguMikhali.
50
Igama lomkaSawule lalingu-Ahinohama indodakazi ka-Ahimahazi; igama lenduna yempi yakhe lalingu-Abineri indodana kaNeri uyisekazi kaSawule.
51
UKishi uyise kaSawule noNeri uyise ka-Abineri babe ngamadodana ka-Abiyeli.
52
Kwakukhona ukulwa okunzima namaFilisti zonke izinsuku zikaSawule; lapho uSawule ebona iqhawe nendoda enamandla wazithathela bona.