Isahluko 9
1
Kwakukhona umuntu wakwaBenjamini ogama lakhe lalinguKishi indodana ka-Abiyeli kaSerori kaBekhorati ka-Afiya, indodana yowakwaBenjamini, iqhawe elinamandla.
2
Wayenendodana egama layo lalinguSawule, insizwa enhle; kwakungekho muntu omuhle kunaye phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli; kusukela emahlombe akhe kuya phezulu wayemude kunabo bonke abantu.
3
Izimbongolo zikaKishi uyise kaSawule zalahleka. UKishi wathi kuSawule indodana yakhe: “Thatha enye yezinceku, usuke, uye kufuna izimbongolo.”
4
Wadabula izintaba zakwa-Efrayimi, wadabula izwe laseShalisha, kepha abazifumananga; base bedabula izwe laseShahalimi, nalapho zazingekho; wadabula izwe labakwaBenjamini, kepha kabazifumana.
5
Sebefikile ezweni laseSufi, uSawule wathi kuyo inceku yakhe eyayinaye: “Woza sibuye, funa ubaba aziyeke izimbongolo, enqene ngathi.”
6
Yathi kuye: “Bheka, kukhona kulo muzi umuntu kaNkulunkulu, umuntu ohloniphekayo; konke akushoyo kuyakwenzeka impela; masiye khona, mhlawumbe angasitshela indlela esihamba ngayo.”
7
Wayesethi uSawule kuyo inceku yakhe: “Kepha bheka, uma siya khona, siyakulethani kulowo muntu na? Ngokuba isinkwa siphelile ezitsheni zethu; akukho nto esingayiyisa kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu; sinani, pho, na?”
8
Inceku yabuye yamphendula uSawule, yathi: “Ngiphethe esandleni sami okwesine kweshekeli lesiliva; lokhu ngiyakumnika khona lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu ukuba asitshele indlela yethu.”
9
Endulo kwa-Israyeli, lapho umuntu ebeyakubuza kuNkulunkulu, washo wathi: “Woza siye kumboni;” ngokuba lo othiwa umprofethi manje wabizwa kuqala ngokuthi umboni.
10
USawule wayesethi kuyo inceku yakhe: “Lihle izwi lakho; woza sihambe.” Base beya emzini lapho lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu wayekhona.
11
Besakhuphuka ummango womuzi bafumana amantombazana eyakukha amanzi; bathi kuwo: “Umboni ukhona na?”
12
Abaphendula athi: “Ukhona; nangu ngaphambi kwakho; shesha kodwa, ngokuba ufikile namuhla emzini, lokhu abantu benomhlatshelo namuhla endaweni ephakemeyo;
13
ekungeneni kwenu emzini niyakumfumana, engakenyukeli endaweni ephakemeyo ukuyokudla; ngokuba abantu abayikudla engakafiki, lokhu nguye obusisa umhlatshelo, andukuba abamenyiweyo badle. Ngalokho-ke, khuphukani manje, ngokuba niyakumfumana ngalesi sikhathi.”
14
Benyukela emzini; besangena emzini, bheka, uSamuweli waphumela kubo ukuyakwenyukela endaweni ephakemeyo.
15
UJehova wayemambulele uSamuweli ngayizolo, uSawule engakafiki, ethi:
16
“Kusasa ngalesi sikhathi ngiyakuthuma kuwe umuntu wasezweni lakwaBenjamini; uyakumgcoba abe ngumholi wabantu bami u-Israyeli, asindise abantu bami esandleni samaFilisti, ngokuba ngibonile abantu bami, lokhu ukukhala kwabo kufikile kimi.”
17
USamuweli esembonile uSawule, uJehova wathi kuye: “Nangu umuntu engakhuluma ngaye kuwe, ngathi: ‘Lo uyakubusa abantu bami.’ ”
18
USawule wayesesondela kuSamuweli esangweni, wathi: “Ake ungitshele ukuthi iphi indlu yomboni.”
19
USamuweli wamphendula uSawule, wathi: “Yimi engingumboni; khuphuka phambi kwami, uye endaweni ephakemeyo, ngokuba niyakudla nami namuhla; ekuseni ngiyakukumukisa, ngikutshele konke okusenhliziyweni yakho.
20
Izimbongolo zakho esezinezinsuku ezintathu zilahlekile, ungabeki inhliziyo yakho kuzo, ngokuba zitholiwe. Ngokukabani konke okunxanelekayo kwa-Israyeli na? Akusikho okwakho nokwendlu yonke kayihlo na?”
21
USawule waphendula wathi: “Angisiye owakwaBenjamini yini, owesincane sezizwe zakwa-Israyeli, na? Nomndeni wakithi awumncane yini kuyo yonke imindeni yesizwe sakwaBenjamini na? Ukhulumelani kimi ngale ndlela na?”
22
USamuweli wamthatha uSawule nenceku yakhe, wabangenisa endlini yokudlela, wabahlalisa endaweni engumqoka phakathi kwabamenyiweyo, kungathi abangamashumi amathathu.
23
USamuweli wathi kumpheki: “Letha isabelo engakunika sona engasho kuwe ngaso ukuthi: Sibeke ngakuwe.”
24
Umpheki waphakamisa umlenze nokwakuphezu kwawo, wawubeka phambi kukaSawule. USamuweli wathi: “Nakhu ohlinzekwe ngakho. Kubeke phambi kwakho, udle, ngokuba kugcinelwe wena kuze kufike lesi sikhathi, njengalokho ngithe ngimemile abantu.” USawule wayesedla noSamuweli ngalolo suku.
25
Sebehlile endaweni ephakemeyo bangena emzini; wakhuluma noSawule ophahleni lwendlu.
26
Bavuka ekuseni; kwathi kusantwela, uSamuweli wabiza uSawule esophahleni lwendlu, wathi: “Vuka ukuba ngikumukise.” Wayesevuka uSawule, baphuma bobabili, baya phandle, yena noSamuweli.
27
Besehlela ngasekugcineni komuzi, uSamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Yisho kuyo inceku ukuba idlule phambi kwethu — yadlula-ke — kepha yima wena manje ukuba ngikuzwise izwi likaNkulunkulu.”