1 Samuweli 23

¹Kwabikwa kuDavide ukuthi: “Bheka, amaFilisti ayalwa neKeyila, aphanga izibuya.”

²Ngalokho uDavide wabuza kuJehova, wathi: “Ngiye ngibulale lawo maFilisti na?” UJehova wathi kuDavide: “Hamba uwabulale amaFilisti, usindise iKeyila.”

³Abantu bakaDavide bathi kuye: “Bheka, siyesaba lapha kwaJuda; kakhulu kangakanani, uma siya eKeyila, silwe nezimpi zamaFilisti na?”

⁴UDavide waphinda wabuza kuJehova. UJehova wamphendula wathi: “Suka wehlele eKeyila, ngokuba ngiyakunikela amaFilisti esandleni sakho.”

⁵UDavide nabantu bakhe baya eKeyila, balwa namaFilisti, bathumba izinkomo zawo, bawaceka ngokuceka okukhulu. Wayesebasindisa uDavide abaseKeyila.

⁶Kwathi lapho u-Abiyathara indodana ka-Ahimeleki ebaleka eya kuDavide eKeyila, wehla, ingubo yamahlombe isesandleni sakhe.

⁷Kwabikwa kuSawule ukuthi uDavide ufikile eKeyila. Wayesethi uSawule: “UNkulunkulu umkhaphele esandleni sami, ngokuba uzivalele ngokungena emzini onamasango nemigoqo.”

⁸USawule wabiza abantu bonke, baye empini, behlele eKeyila, bavimbezele uDavide nabantu bakhe.

⁹UDavide wazi ukuthi uSawule uceba okubi ngaye; wathi ku-Abiyathara umpristi: “Letha ingubo yamahlombe.”

¹⁰Wayesethi uDavide: “Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, inceku yakho izwile nokuzwa ukuthi uSawule ufuna ukuza eKeyila ukuba achithe umuzi ngenxa yami.

¹¹Abantu baseKeyila bayakungikhaphela yini esandleni sakhe na? USawule uyakwehla njengalokho inceku yakho izwile na? Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ake uyitshele inceku yakho.” Wathi uJehova: “Uyakwehla.”

¹²Wayesethi uDavide: “Abantu baseKeyila bayakungikhaphela mina nabantu bami esandleni sikaSawule na?” Wathi uJehova: “Bayakukukhaphela.”

¹³Wayesesuka uDavide nabantu bakhe kungathi abangamakhulu ayisithupha, baphuma eKeyila, bahamba lapho bebenokuhamba khona. Kwabikwa kuSawule ukuthi uDavide ubalekile eKeyila; wayeseyeka ukuphuma.

¹⁴UDavide wahlala ehlane ezinqabeni, wahlala ezintabeni ezisehlane laseZifi. USawule wamfuna zonke izinsuku, kepha uNkulunkulu akamnikelanga esandleni sakhe.

¹⁵UDavide wabona ukuthi uSawule uphumele ukufuna ukuphila kwakhe; uDavide wayesehlane laseZifi eHoreshi.

¹⁶Kwasuka uJonathani indodana kaSawule, waya kuDavide eHoreshi, waqinisa isandla sakhe kuNkulunkulu.

¹⁷Wathi kuye: “Ungesabi, ngokuba isandla sikaSawule ubaba asiyikukufumana; wena uyakuba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli, mina ngikwelame; noSawule ubaba uyakwazi lokho.”

¹⁸Benza isivumelwano bobabili phambi kukaJehova; uDavide wahlala eHoreshi, uJonathani waya endlini yakhe.

¹⁹Kwase kwenyuka abaseZifi, baya kuSawule eGibeya, bathi: “UDavide akacashi yini kithi ezinqabeni zaseHoreshi entabeni yaseHakhila elingaseningizimu kwasehlane na?

²⁰Ngalokho yehla, nkosi, uma kuyisifiso senhliziyo yakho ukwehla, thina simkhaphele esandleni senkosi.”

²¹USawule wathi: “Manibusiswe, ngokuba ningihawukele.

²²Manihambe, niqinise, nazi, nibone indawo yakhe lapho kukhona unyawo lwakhe nokuthi ubonwe ngubani khona, ngokuba ngitsheliwe ukuthi unobuqili impela.

²³Bhekani, nizazi zonke izindawo zokucasha, lapho ecasha khona, nibuyele kimi nineqiniso; ngiyakuhamba nani; kuyakuthi uma ekhona ezweni, ngimfice phakathi kwayo yonke imindeni yakwaJuda.”

²⁴Base besuka, baya eZifi phambi kukaSawule; kepha uDavide nabantu bakhe babesehlane laseMahoni e-Araba ngaseningizimu kwasehlane.

²⁵USawule nabantu bakhe baya ukumfuna. UDavide watshelwa; wehlela-ke eweni, wahlala ehlane laseMahoni. USawule ekuzwa, wamxosha uDavide ehlane laseMahoni.

²⁶USawule wahamba ngalapha kwentaba, uDavide nabantu bakhe bahamba ngale kwentaba; uDavide washesha wahamba ngokumesaba uSawule, ngokuba uSawule nabantu bakhe bahaqa uDavide nabantu bakhe ukuba bababambe.

²⁷Kepha kwafika isithunywa kuSawule, sithi: “Shesha ufike, ngokuba amaFilisti angenele izwe.”

²⁸Wayesebuya uSawule ekumxosheni uDavide, wahamba ukuhlangabezana namaFilisti; ngalokho babiza leyo ndawo ngokuthi iSela Hamalekoti.

²⁹UDavide wakhuphuka lapho, wahlala ezinqabeni zase-Eni Gedi.