1 KaSamuweli Chapter 23

1. Kwaxelwa kuDavide, kwathiwa, Nanga amaFilisti esilwa neKehila; ayazidywida izanda.

2. UDavide wabuza kuYehova, wathi, Ndiye na ndiwachithe la maFilisti? Wathi uYehova kuDavide, Yiya uwachithe amaFilisti, uyisindise iKehila.

3. Athi amadoda akwaDavide kuye, Nanku thina sisoyika, sikwaYuda apha. Sobeka phi na, xa sithe saya eKehila, ezintlwini zamaFilisti?

4. Waphinda uDavide, wabuza kuYehova kanjalo. Wamphendula uYehova, wathi, Suka uhle, uye eKehila; ngokuba ndiya kuwanikela amaFilisti esandleni sakho.

5. Waya ke uDavide namadoda akwakhe eKehila, walwa namaFilisti, wayiqhuba imfuyo yawo, wawabulala kakhulu. Wabasindisa ke uDavide abemi beKehila.

6. Kwathi, ekubalekeni kuka-Abhiyatare, unyana ka-Ahimeleki, kuDavide eKehila, wehla ene-efodi esandleni sakhe.

7. Kwaxelwa kuSawule, ukuba uDavide ufikile eKehila. Wathi uSawule, UThixo umlahlele esandleni sam; ngokuba uzivalele ngokungena emzini oneengcango nemivalo.

8. USawule wababizela ndawonye emfazweni bonke abantu, ukuba behle baye eKehila, bangqinge uDavide namadoda akhe.

9. Wazi uDavide ukuba uSawule umenzela ububi, wathi kuAbhiyatare umbingeleli, Zisa iefodi leyo.

10. Wathi uDavide, Yehova, Thixo kaSirayeli, uvile ngenene umkhonzi wakho, ukuba uSawule ufuna ukuza eKehila, ukuba awonakalise lo mzi ngenxa yam.

11. Abemi beKehila bondinikela na esandleni sakhe? Wohla na uSawule, njengoko avileyo umkhonzi wakho? Yehova, Thixo kaSirayeli, khawumxelele umkhonzi wakho. Wathi uYehova, Uya kuhla.

12. Wathi uDavide, Abemi beKehila bondinikela na mna namadoda am esandleni sikaSawule? Wathi uYehova, Bokunikela.

13. Wesuka uDavide namadoda akhe, bekumakhulu amathandathu amadoda, baphuma eKehila, bahamba apho bangahamba khona. Waxelelwa uSawule ukuba uDavide usabile eKehila; wayeka, akaphuma.

14. Wahlala ke uDavide entlango ezimboniselweni, wahlala ezintabeni entlango yeZifi. USawule wamfuna imihla yonke; uThixo akamnikela esandleni sakhe.

15. Wabona uDavide ukuba uSawule uphume eza kufuna umphefumlo wakhe. UDavide ebesentlango yeZifi entshinyeleni yehlathi.

16. Wesuka uYonatan unyana kaSawule, waya kuDavide entshinyeleni yehlathi. Wasomeleza isandla sakhe kuThixo, wathi kuye,

17. Musa ukoyika, ngokuba isandla sikaSawule ubawo asiyi kukufumana. Wena uya kuba ngukumkani kumaSirayeli, mna ndibe nganeno kwakho; kananjalo uSawule ubawo uyakwazi kakuhle oku.

18. Benza umnqophiso bobabini phambi koYehova. UDavide wahlala entshinyeleni yehlathi apho, uYonatan waya endlwini yakhe.

19. Benyuka abaseZifi, baya kuSawule eGibheha, besithi, UDavide akazizimeze kuthi yini na ezimboniselweni, entshinyeleni yehlathi, endulini yeHakila esekunene kwenkangala?

20. Kaloku yihla, kumkani, ngokomnqweno wonke womphefumlo wakho ukuhla; kunathi ukumnikela esandleni sokumkani.

21. Wathi uSawule, Nisikelelwe nguYehova; ngokuba ninofefe kum.

22. Khaniye nigqale okunye, nazi, nibone indawo yakhe, apho unyawo lwakhe lukhona, nokuba ngubani na ombone khona; ngokuba kuthiwa kum, Asikuko nokuba unobuqhophololo;

23. nibone nazi iindawo zonke zokuzimela, aya kuzimela kuzo, nibuyele kum niqiqile; ndohamba nani. Kothi, ukuba ukho kweli lizwe, ndimfune ndimfumane phakathi kwamawaka onke akwaYuda.

24. Besuka ke baya eZifi phambi koSawule. UDavide namadoda akhe wayesentlango yeMahon, eArabha, ngasekunene kwenkangala.

25. Wahamba uSawule namadoda akhe ukuya kumfuna. Bamxelela uDavide. Wehla ke waya engxondorheni, wahlala entlango yeMahon. Weva uSawule, wamsukela uDavide entlango yeMahon.

26. Wahamba uSawule ngeli cala lentaba; wahamba uDavide namadoda akhe ngelaa cala lentaba. UDavide wemka buphuthuphuthu, ngokoyika uSawule; ke uSawule namadoda akhe babemrhawula uDavide namadoda akhe, ukuba bababambe.

27. Ke kaloku kwafika umthunywa kuSawule, esithi, Khawuleza uze, ngokuba amaFilisti alingenele ilizwe.

28. Wabuya ke uSawule ekumsukeleni uDavide, waya kuwahlangabeza amaFilisti. Ngenxa yokokwathiwa loo ndawo yiSelahamalekoti.

29. Wenyuka apho uDavide, wahlala ezimboniselweni zase-Engedi.