Isahluko 24
1
Kwathi uSawule esebuyile ekuxosheni amaFilisti, kwabikwa kuye ukuthi: “Bheka, uDavide usehlane lase-Eni Gedi.”
2
USawule wayesethatha abantu abayizinkulungwane ezintathu abakhethiweyo kuye wonke u-Israyeli, wahamba ukumfuna uDavide nabantu bakhe emaDwaleni amaGogo.
3
Wafika ezibayeni zezimvu ngasendleleni, lapho kukhona umhume; uSawule wangena khona ukuba embese izinyawo zakhe. UDavide nabantu bakhe babehlezi emuva emhumeni.
4
Abantu bakaDavide bathi kuye: “Bheka, nantu usuku uJehova asho ngalo kuwe ukuthi: ‘Bheka, ngiyakunikela isitha sakho esandleni sakho, wenze kuso okuhle emehlweni akho.’ ” Wayesesuka uDavide, wasika ngasese umphetho wengubo kaSawule.
5
Kwathi ngasemuva uDavide wahlabeka enhliziyweni, ngokuba wayesikile umphetho wengubo kaSawule.
6
Wathi kubantu bakhe: “Makube kude nami, Jehova, ukuba ngenze okunjalo kuyo inkosi yami, ogcotshiweyo kaJehova, ngelulele isandla sami kuye, lokhu engogcotshiweyo kaJehova.”
7
UDavide wabathiya ngalawo mazwi, akabavumelanga ukuba bamvukele uSawule. USawule wasuka emhumeni, wahamba.
8
Naye uDavide wasuka ngasemuva, waphuma emhumeni, wamemeza emva kukaSawule, ethi: “Nkosi yami, nkosi!” USawule wabheka emuva, uDavide wakhothamela phansi ngobuso, wakhuleka.
9
UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Ulalelelani amazwi abantu abathi: ‘Bheka, uDavide ufuna ukukulimaza’?
10
Bheka, namuhla amehlo akho abonile ukuthi uJehova wayekunikele esandleni sami emhumeni; abanye bathi mangikubulale, kepha ngakuhawukela, ngathi: ‘Angiyikwelulela isandla sami kuyo inkosi yami, ngokuba ingogcotshiweyo kaJehova.’
11
Futhi, baba, bheka, yebo, bheka, umphetho wengubo yakho usesandleni sami, ngokuba lokhu ngasika umphetho wengubo yakho ngingakubulalanga, yazi, ubone ukuthi akukho bubi nasiphambeko esandleni sami, angonanga kuwe, noma uqamekela ukuphila kwami ukuba ukuthathe.
12
UJehova makahlulele phakathi kwami nawe, uJehova angiphindisele kuwe, kepha isandla sami asiyikuba phezu kwakho.
13
Kunjengesaga sasendulo esithi: ‘Kwababi kuvela okubi;’ ngalokho isandla sami asiyikuba phezu kwakho.
14
“Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli iphumele ukulandela bani na? Uxosha bani na? Uxosha inja efileyo, intwakumba eyodwa nje.
15
UJehova makabe ngumahluleli, ahlulele phakathi kwami nawe, abheke, angimele, angikhulule esandleni sakho.”
16
Kwathi uDavide eseqedile ukukhuluma lawo mazwi kuSawule, uSawule wathi: “Yizwi lakho leli, ndodana yami Davide, na?” USawule wadazuluka, wakhala.
17
Wayesethi kuDavide: “Ulungile kunami, ngokuba wena ungiphindisele ngokuhle, kepha mina ngikuphindisele ngokubi.
18
Ulandile namuhla ukuthi ungenzele okuhle, njengokuba, lapho uJehova ebenginikele esandleni sakho, awungibulalanga.
19
Ngokuba uma umuntu efica isitha sakhe, uyasivumela ukuba sihambe ngendlela enhle na? UJehova makakuphindisele ngokuhle ngokwenzileyo kimi namuhla.
20
Manje bheka, ngiyazi ukuthi uyakuba yinkosi impela, nombuso wakwa-Israyeli uyakuqiniswa esandleni sakho.
21
Ngalokho ngifungele uJehova ukuthi awuyikunquma inzalo yami emva kwami nokuthi awuyikwesula igama lami endlini kababa.”
22
UDavide wafunga kuSawule; uSawule wagoduka, kepha uDavide nabantu bakhe bakhuphukela enqabeni.