Ubuqhawe bukaJonathani

14Kwasekusithi ngolunye usuku, uJonathani indodana kaSawuli wathi emfaneni othwala izikhali zakhe: Woza sichaphele ebuthweni lenqaba yamaFilisti elingaphetsheya ngale. Kodwa kamtshelanga uyise. 2 USawuli wayehlala-ke ephethelweni leGibeyaa ngaphansi kwesihlahla sepomegranati*b esiseMigironic; labantu ababelaye babengaphose babe ngamadoda angamakhulu ayisithuphad; 3 loAhiya, indodana kaAhitubi, umfowabo kaIkabodi, indodana kaPhinehasi, indodana kaElie, umpristi weNkosi eShilof, wayembethe i-efodi*. Kodwa abantu babengazi ukuthi uJonathani uhambileg.

4 Laphakathi kwemikhandlo, lapho uJonathani ayezama ukuchapha khona ukuya ebuthweni lenqaba yamaFilisti, kwakuledwala elicijileyo nganeno, ledwala elicijileyo ngaphetsheya; njalo ibizo lelinye laliyiBozezi, lebizo lelinye laliyiSeneh. 5 Elinye iliwa laligxile enyakatho maqondana leMikimashii, lelinye ngeningizimu maqondana leGebaj. 6 UJonathani wasesithi emfaneni othwala izikhali zakhe: Woza sichaphele ebuthweni lenqaba elalaba abangasokangak; mhlawumbe iNkosi izasisebenzela, ngoba kakulasenqabelo eNkosini ukusindisa ngabanengi loba ngabalutshwanal. 7 Umthwali wezikhali zakhe wasesithi kuye: Yenza konke okusenhliziyweni yakho; phambuka, khangela ngilawe njengokwenhliziyo yakho. 8 UJonathani wasesithi: Khangela, sizachaphela kulabobantu sizibonakalise kibo. 9 Uba bekhuluma njalo kithi besithi: Manini mpo, size sifike kini; sizakuma-ke endaweni yethu, singenyukeli kibo. 10 Kodwa uba bekhuluma njalo kithi besithi: Yenyukelani kithi; sizakwenyuka-ke, ngoba iNkosi ibanikele esandleni sethum; lalokhu kuzakuba yisibonakaliso kithin. 11 Ngakho bobabili bazibonakalisa ebuthweni lenqaba yamaFilisti; amaFilisti asesithi: Khangelani, amaHebheru asephuma emilindini abecatshe kiyoo. 12 Amadoda ebutho lenqaba asephendula oJonathani lomthwali wezikhali zakhe athi: Yenyukelani kithi, sizalitshengisa ulutho. UJonathani wasesithi kumthwali wezikhali zakhe: Yenyuka ungilandele, ngoba iNkosi iwanikele esandleni sikaIsrayeli. 13 UJonathani wasekhwela ngezandla zakhe langenyawo zakhe, lomthwali wezikhali zakhe emva kwakhe. Asesiwa phambi kukaJonathani, lomthwali wezikhali zakhe wawabulala emva kwakhe. 14 Ukutshaya kokuqala atshaya ngakho uJonathani lomthwali wezikhali zakhe kwakungaba phose ngamadoda angamatshumi amabili, ensimini elingana lengxenye yendima yesipani. 15 Kwasekusiba khona ukuthuthumela enkambeni, egangeni, laphakathi kwabantu bonke; ibutho lenqaba labachithi labo bathuthumela, lomhlaba wanyikinyeka, kwasekusiba yikuthuthumela okukhulup.

16 Abalindi bakaSawuli eGibeya yakoBhenjaminiq basebebona ukuthi, khangela, ixuku lancibilikar lihamba litshayelana phansis. 17 USawuli wasesithi ebantwini ababelaye: Ake libale, libone ukuthi ngubani osuke kithi. Kwathi sebebalile, khangela, uJonathani lomthwali wezikhali zakhe babengekho. 18 USawuli wasesithi kuAhiya: Letha lapha umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu. Ngoba umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu ngalolosuku wawukubantwana bakoIsrayeli. 19 Kwasekusithi uSawuli esakhuluma lompristi, umsindo owawusenkambeni yamaFilisti waqhubeka wanda. USawuli wasesithi kumpristi: Buyisela isandla sakhot. 20 USawuli labo bonke abantu ababelaye basebebizelwa ndawonye bafika empini, khangela-ke, inkemba yalowo lalowo yayimelene lomakhelwane wakheu, isiyaluyalu esikhulu kakhuluv. 21 LamaHebheru ayelamaFilisti njengakuqala, enyukela lawo enkambeni inhlangothi zonke, ngitsho lawo aphenduka ukuthi abe loIsrayeli owayeloSawuli loJonathaniw. 22 Kwathi amadoda wonke akoIsrayeli ayecatshex entabeni yakoEfrayimiy esezwile ukuthi amaFilisti ayabaleka, ngitsho lawo awanamathela ewalandela empini. 23 Ngokunjalo iNkosi yamsindisa uIsrayeli ngalolosukuz; lempi yedlulela eBeti-Avenia.

24 Amadoda akoIsrayeli asekhathala ngalolosukub, ngoba uSawuli wafungisa abantu esithi: Kaqalekiswe umuntu odla ukudla kuze kube ntambama, ukuze ngiziphindiselele ezitheni zami. Ngakho kakho ebantwini owanambitha ukudlac. 25 Bonke abelizwe basebefika ehlathinid; njalo kwakuloluju phezu kobuso bomhlabathie. 26 Lapho abantu bengena ehlathini, khangela, uluju lwathonta; kodwa kakho loyedwa owasa isandla sakhe emlonyeni wakhe, ngoba abantu besaba isifungof. 27 Kodwa uJonathani wayengezwanga lapho uyise efungisa abantu; ngakho welula isihloko somqwayi owawusesandleni sakhe, wasigxamuza ehlangeni lwenyosi, wasesisa isandla sakhe emlonyeni wakhe, lamehlo akhe aqaqabuka. 28 Omunye wabantu wasephendula wathi: Uyihlo ubafungisile lokubafungisa abantu esithi: Uqalekisiwe umuntu odla ukudla lamuhla. Abantu basebephele amandlag. 29 UJonathani wasesithi: Ubaba ulihluphile ilizwe; ake libone ukuthi amehlo ami aseqaqabuke njani, ngoba nginambithe ingcosana yaloluluju. 30 Kudlula kangakanani aluba abantu bebedlile lokudla lamuhla okwempango yezitha zabo abayitholayo? Ngoba khathesi ukubulala kakubanga kukhulu phakathi kwamaFilisti. 31 Basebetshaya amaFilisti ngalolosuku kusukela eMikimashih kuze kube seAjalonii. Abantu basebephele amandla kakhulu. 32 Abantu basebetheleka empangweni; bathatha izimvu, lezinkabi, lamathole enkomo, bakuhlabela emhlabathinij; abantu bakudla kanye legazik. 33 Basebemtshela uSawuli besithi: Khangela, abantu bayona eNkosini ngokudla kanye legazi. Wasesithi: Lenze ngokungathembeki; giqelani kimi ilitshe elikhulu lamuhla. 34 USawuli wasesithi: Zihlakazeni phakathi kwabantu lithi kibo: Sondezani kimi, ngulowo lalowo inkabi yakhe, langulowo lalowo imvu yakhe, lizihlabele lapha, lidle; njalo lingoni eNkosini ngokudla kanye legazil. Ngakho bonke abantu basondeza, ngulowo lalowo inkabi yakhe ngesandla sakhe ngalobobusuku, bazihlaba khona. 35 USawuli waseyakhela iNkosi ilathi; kwakulilathi lokuqala alakhela iNkosim.

36 USawuli wasesithi: Asehleni silandele amaFilisti ebusuku, siwaphange kuze kube yikukhanya kokusa, singatshiyi lamuntu kiwo. Basebesithi: Yenza konke okuhle emehlweni akho. Kodwa umpristi wathi: Asisondeleni lapha kuNkulunkulun. 37 USawuli wasebuza kuNkulunkulu wathi: Ngehle ngilandele amaFilisti yini? Uzawanikela esandleni sikaIsrayeli yini? Kodwa kamphendulanga ngalolosukuo. 38 USawuli wasesithi: Sondelani lapha lonke bakhokheli babantu, lazi libone ukuthi lesisono sikukuphi lamuhlap. 39 Ngoba kuphila kukaJehova owasindisa uIsrayeliq, lanxa kungaba kuJonathani indodana yami, isibili uzakufa lokufa. Kodwa kakho loyedwa owamphendulayo ebantwini bonke. 40 Wasesithi kuIsrayeli wonke: Banini nganxanye lina, mina-ke loJonathani indodana yami sizakuba nganxanye. Abantu basebesithi kuSawuli: Yenza okuhle emehlweni akho. 41 Ngakho uSawuli wathi eNkosini uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Phana opheleleyor. UJonathani loSawuli basebebanjwa, kodwa abantu baphunyukas. 42 USawuli wasesithi: Yenzani inkatho yokuphosa phakathi kwami loJonathani indodana yami. UJonathani wasebanjwa. 43 USawuli wasesithi kuJonathani: Ngitshela okwenzileyot. UJonathani wasemtshela wathi: Oqotho nginambithe ngesihloko somqwayi obusesandleni sami imbijana yoluju; khangela ngilapha, sengizakufau! 44 USawuli wasesithi: UNkulunkulu kenze njalo langokunjalo engezelelev; ngoba uzakufa lokufa, Jonathaniw. 45 Kodwa abantu bathi kuSawuli: Uzakufa yini uJonathani, owenze lolusindiso olukhulu koIsrayeli? Kakube khatshana! Kuphila kukaJehovax, kakuyikuwela emhlabathini lolulodwa unwele lwekhanda lakhe, ngoba usebenze loNkulunkulu lamuhla. Ngakho abantu bamhlenga uJonathani ukuthi angafiy. 46 USawuli wasesenyuka esuka ekulandeleni amaFilisti; amaFilisti asesiya endaweni yawo.

47 USawuli wasethatha ubukhosi phezu kukaIsrayeli, walwa emelene lezitha zakhe zonke inhlangothi zonke, emelene loMowabi, njalo emelene labantwana bakoAmoniz, njalo emelene loEdoma, njalo emelene lamakhosi eZobaa, njalo emelene lamaFilisti; laloba ngaphi lapho aphendukela khona wayejezisa. 48 Wenza ngobuqhawe wasetshaya amaAmalekib, wakhulula uIsrayeli esandleni somphangi wakhe.

49 Lamadodana kaSawuli ayengoJonathani loIshivi, loMaliki-Shuwac; lamabizo amadodakazi akhe amabili yila: Ibizo lezibulo lalinguMerabid, lebizo lencinyane linguMikhalie. 50 Lebizo lomkaSawuli lalinguAhinowama indodakazi kaAhimahazi; lebizo lenduna yebutho lakhe lalinguAbhineri indodana kaNerif, uyise omncinyane kaSawulig. 51 Njalo uKishi wayenguyise kaSawulih, loNeri uyise kaAbhineri wayeyindodana kaAbiyelii. 52 Njalo kwakukhona impi enzima lamaFilisti zonke izinsuku zikaSawuli; lapho uSawuli ebona indoda elamandla loba iqhawe, wayezibuthela yonaj.