Isahluko 18
1
Kwathi eseqedile ukukhuluma kuSawule, inhliziyo kaJonathani yanamathela enhliziyweni kaDavide, uJonathani wamthanda njengenhliziyo yakhe.
2
USawule wamthatha ngalolo suku, akabe esamvumela ukubuyela endlini kayise.
3
OJonathani noDavide benza isivumelwano, ngokuba wamthanda njengenhliziyo yakhe.
4
UJonathani wakhumula ingubo ayenayo, wayinika uDavide, nezinye izambatho zakhe kwaze kwaba nenkemba yakhe, nomnsalo wakhe, nebhande lakhe.
5
UDavide waphuma, waya nomaphi lapho uSawule emthuma khona, waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha; uSawule wambeka phezu kwamadoda empi; wayemuhle emehlweni abantu bonke nasemehlweni ezinceku zikaSawule.
6
Kwathi ekufikeni kwabo, uDavide esebuya ekubulaleni umFilisti, abesifazane baphuma emizini yonke yakwa-Israyeli, behlabelela besina, ukuba bamhlangabeze uSawule inkosi ngezigubhu, nangokuthokoza, nangezinkenenezo.
7
Abesifazane bavumelana ngokudlala, bathi: “USawule ubulele izinkulungwane zakhe, kepha uDavide izinkulungwane zakhe eziyishumi.”
8
USawule wathukuthela kakhulu, laba libi lelo zwi emehlweni akhe; wathi: “Bamnike uDavide izinkulungwane eziyishumi, kepha mina banginike izinkulungwane nje; sekumsalele umbuso kuphela.”
9
USawule wambheka uDavide kusukela kulolo suku kuya phambili.
10
Kwathi ngangomuso umoya omubi owavela kuNkulunkulu wamehlela uSawule, wabheva phakathi kwendlu; uDavide wayebetha ngesandla sakhe njengokwenza kwakhe izinsuku ngezinsuku; uSawule wayenomkhonto wakhe esandleni sakhe.
11
USawule wawuciba umkhonto, ngokuba wathi: “Ngiyakumbhujela uDavide odongeni.” Kepha uDavide washalaza phambi kwakhe kabili.
12
USawule wamesaba uDavide, ngokuba uJehova wayenaye, kepha wayesukile kuSawule.
13
Ngalokho uSawule wamsusa kuye, wambeka abe yinduna yakhe yenkulungwane; wayephuma engena phambi kwabantu.
14
UDavide waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha kuzo zonke izindlela zakhe; uJehova wayenaye.
15
Lapho uSawule ebona ukuthi waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha, wamesaba.
16
Kepha wonke u-Israyeli noJuda bamthanda uDavide, ngokuba wayephuma engena phambi kwabo.
17
USawule wathi kuDavide: “Bheka, indodakazi yami enkulu uMerabi ngiyakukunika yona ibe ngumkakho; yiba yiqhawe lami kuphela, ulwe izimpi zikaJehova.” Ngokuba uSawule wathi: “Isandla sami masingabi phezu kwakhe, kepha isandla samaFilisti masibe phezu kwakhe.”
18
UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Mina ngingubani, kuyini ukuphila kwami, nomndeni kababa uyini kwa-Israyeli ukuba ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi?”
19
Kepha kwathi ngesikhathi uMerabi indodakazi kaSawule ebeyakunikwa uDavide, wanikwa ku-Adriyeli waseMehola abe ngumkakhe.
20
UMikhali indodakazi kaSawule wamthanda uDavide; bamtshela uSawule, kwaba kuhle emehlweni akhe.
21
Wayesethi uSawule: “Ngiyakumnika yena ukuba abe lugibe kuye, isandla samaFilisti sibe phezu kwakhe.” Ngalokho uSawule wathi kuDavide: “Uyakuba ngumkhwenyana wami ngokwesibili namuhla.”
22
USawule wayaleza izinceku zakhe ngokuthi: “Khulumani noDavide ngasese, nithi: ‘Bheka, inkosi yenamile ngawe, nazo zonke izinceku zayo ziyakuthanda; ngalokho yiba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi.’ ”
23
Izinceku zikaSawule zakhuluma lawo mazwi ezindlebeni zikaDavide. UDavide wathi: “Kuyinto elula emehlweni enu ukuba ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, lokhu ngingumuntu ompofu nodelelikileyo na?”
24
Izinceku zikaSawule zamtshela zathi: “Wakhuluma kanjalo uDavide.”
25
USawule wathi: “Niyakusho kanje kuDavide, nithi: ‘Inkosi ayifuni ilobolo, kuphela amajwabu ayikhulu amaFilisti ukuba kuphindiswe ezitheni zenkosi.’ ” USawule wacabanga ukumwisa uDavide ngesandla samaFilisti.
26
Izinceku zakhe zamtshela uDavide lawo mazwi, kwaba kuhle emehlweni kaDavide ukuba abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, kepha izinsuku zazingakapheleli;
27
uDavide wasuka waya, yena nabantu bakhe, wabulala kuwo amaFilisti abantu abangamakhulu amabili; uDavide waletha amajwabu abo, bawayisa enkosini ephelele ukuba abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. USawule wayesemnika uMikhali indodakazi yakhe abe ngumkakhe.
28
USawule wabona, wazi ukuthi uJehova unoDavide; uMikhali indodakazi kaSawule wamthanda.
29
USawule wayesemesaba uDavide kakhulu; uSawule wayeyisitha sikaDavide sonke isikhathi.
30
Kwase kuphuma izikhulu zamaFilisti; kwathi njalo uma zisaphuma, uDavide waziphatha ngokuhlakanipha kakhulu kunazo zonke izinceku zikaSawule, laze laduma kakhulu igama lakhe.