UDavida uthandwa nguJonathani, uzondwa nguSawuli

18Kwasekusithi eseqedile ukukhuluma loSawuli, umphefumulo kaJonathani wabotshelwa emphefumulweni kaDavidaa; uJonathani wasemthanda njengomphefumulo wakheb. 2 USawuli wasemthatha ngalolosuku, kaze amvumela ukubuyela endlini kayisec. 3 UJonathani loDavida basebesenza isivumelwano ngoba wamthanda njengomphefumulo wakhe. 4 UJonathani wasezikhulula ibhatshi ayeligqokile, walinika uDavida, lezembatho zakhe, kuze kube senkembeni yakhe, kuze kube sedandilini lakhe, njalo kuze kube sebhantini lakhe.

5 UDavida wasephuma waya loba ngaphi lapho uSawuli amthuma khona, waziphatha ngenhlakanipho, uSawuli waze wambeka phezu kwamadoda empi. Njalo wayelungile emehlweni abantu bonke njalo lemehlweni ezinceku zikaSawuli.

6 Kwasekusithi ekufikeni kwabo, uDavida esebuye ekubulaleni umFilisti, abesifazana baphuma emizini yonke yakoIsrayeli, behlabela, begida, ukuhlangabeza uSawuli inkosid ngezigubhu, ngentokozo, langamachachoe. 7 Abesifazana basebevumelana bedlala bathif: USawuli utshayile izinkulungwane zakheg, kodwa uDavida izinkulungwane zakhe ezingamatshumi. 8 USawuli wasethukuthela kakhulu, lalelolizwi lalilibi emehlweni akhe, wathi: Banike uDavida izinkulungwane ezingamatshumi, kodwa mina banginika izinkulungwane; usesalelwe ngumbuso kuphelah. 9 USawuli wasemqaphela uDavida kusukela kulolosuku kusiya phambili.

10 Kwasekusithi kusisa umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu wafika ngamandla phezu kukaSawulii, waprofetha phakathi kwendluj; uDavida wasetshaya ichacho ngesandla sakhe njengensuku ngensukuk; njalo kwakulomkhonto esandleni sikaSawulil. 11 USawuli wasewuphosa umkhonto wathi: Ngizammbandakanya uDavida ngitsho emdulinim. Kodwa uDavida wavika kabili esuka phambi kwakhe.

12 USawuli wayemesaba-ke uDavidan ngoba iNkosi yayilayeo, kodwa yayisisukile kuSawulip. 13 Ngakho uSawuli wasemsusa kuye, wambeka waba yinduna yakhe yabayizinkulungwane; njalo wayephuma engena phambi kwabantuq. 14 UDavida waseziphatha ngenhlakanipho endleleni zakhe zonke, leNkosi yayilayer. 15 Lapho uSawuli ebona ukuthi waziphatha ngenhlakanipho enkulu, wamesaba. 16 Kodwa uIsrayeli wonke loJuda bamthanda uDavida, ngoba wayephuma engena phambi kwabos.

17 USawuli wasesithi kuDavida: Khangela, indodakazi yami endala uMerabit, ngizakunika yona ibe ngumkakhou; kuphela bana liqhawe kimi, ulwe izimpi zeNkosiv. Ngoba uSawuli wathi: Isandla sami kasingabi phezu kwakhe, kodwa isandla samaFilisti kasibe phezu kwakhew. 18 Kodwa uDavida wathi kuSawuli: Ngingubani mina? Lempilo yami iyini, losendo lukababa koIsrayeli, ukuthi ngibe ngumkhwenyana wenkosix? 19 Kodwa kwathi ngesikhathi uMerabi indodakazi kaSawuli ayezanikwa ngaso uDavida, wayesenikwe uAdriyeliy umMehola ukuba ngumkakhez. 20 UMikhali indodakazi kaSawuli wamthanda-ke uDavida; basebemtshela uSawuli, lalolodaba lwaluqondile emehlweni akhea. 21 USawuli wasesithi: Ngizamnika yena ukuze abe ngumjibila kuyeb, lokuze isandla samaFilisti simelane layec. Ngakho uSawuli wathi kuDavida: Ngokwesibili uzakuba ngumkhwenyana wami lamuhlad.

22 USawuli waselaya inceku zakhe wathi: Khulumani loDavida ngensitha lithi: Khangela, inkosi iyathokoza ngawe, lazo zonke inceku zayo ziyakuthanda; ngakho-ke woba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. 23 Izinceku zikaSawuli zasezikhuluma lawomazwi endlebeni zikaDavida. UDavida wasesithi: Kuyinto elula yini emehlweni enu ukuba ngumkhwenyana wenkosi, lokhu mina ngingumuntu ongumyanga lodelelekayoe? 24 Lenceku zikaSawuli zamtshela zisithi: UDavida wakhuluma ngalindlela. 25 USawuli wasesithi: Lizakutsho njalo kuDavida lithi: Inkosi kayiloyisi lobolo, kodwa amajwabu aphambili alikhulu amaFilistif, ukuze kuphindiselwe ezitheni zenkosig. Kodwa uSawuli wacabanga ukwenza uDavida awe ngesandla samaFilistih. 26 Lapho inceku zakhe zimtshela uDavida lawomazwi, udaba lwalulungile emehlweni kaDavida ukuthi abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosii. Kodwa insuku zazingakagcwalisekij. 27 Ngakho uDavida wasukuma wahamba, yena labantu bakhe, basebetshaya phakathi kwamaFilisti amadoda angamakhulu amabilik; uDavida waseletha amajwabu awo aphambili, wawasa enkosini ephelele ukuze abe ngumkhwenyana wenkosi. USawuli wasemnika uMikhali indodakazi yakhe ukuthi abe ngumkakhel.

28 USawuli wasebona wazi ukuthi iNkosi iloDavida, loMikhali indodakazi yakhe yamthandam. 29 Njalo uSawuli waya lokhu emesaba kakhulu uDavidan; njalo uSawuli waba yisitha sikaDavida zonke izinsukuo. 30 Iziphathamandla zamaFilisti zaseziphumap; kwasekusithi seziphumile uDavida waziphatha ngenhlakanipho okwedlula zonke izinceku zikaSawuli, laze laduma kakhulu ibizo lakheq.