1 Samuel 17

UDavida loGoliyathi

1Ngalesosikhathi amaFilisti aqoqa amabutho awo ukuba alwe impi, asebuthana eSokho koJuda. Enza izihonqo e-Efesi Damimi, phakathi kweSokho le-Azekha.

2USawuli labako-Israyeli bamisa izihonqo eSigodini sase-Ela, bahela ukuba balwe impi lamaFilisti. 3AmaFilisti ayegqize kolunye uqaqa abako-Israyeli labo bekolunye, kulesigodi phakathi kwabo.

4Iqhawe elalithiwa nguGoliyathi, owayevela eGathi, waphuma ezihonqweni zamaFilisti. Ubude bakhe babuzingalo eziyisithupha lesandla. 5Wayelengowane yethusi ekhanda lakhe, egqoke ibhatshi lokuvikela elethusi elaliyizinkulungwane ezinhlanu zamashekeli ubunzima balo, 6emibaleni yakhe wayegqoke imigwamazi yethusi, emhlane egaxe umkhonto wethusi. 7Uluthi lomkhonto wakhe lwalunjengogodo lomaluki, ubunzima besihloko sawo sensimbi bungamashekeli angamakhulu ayisithupha. Umthwali wehawu lakhe wayehamba phambidlana kwakhe.

8UGoliyathi wema wamemezela kumaviyo ako-Israyeli esithi, “Kungani liphumele ukuzavivela ukulwa impi na? Kanje mina kangisumFilisti yini, njalo lina kalisizo zinceku zikaSawuli na? Khethani umuntu ehlele kimi.

9Nxa esanelisa ukulwa angibulale, sizakuba yizigqili zenu; kodwa ngingamehlula ngimbulale lizakuba yizigqili zethu lisikhonze.”

10UmFilisti wabuya wathi, “Lamhlanje ngiyaweyisa amaviyo ako-Israyeli! Ngiphani umuntu siqondane silwe.” 11Ekuzweni amazwi omFilisti, uSawuli labo bonke abako-Israyeli besaba bathuthumela.

12UDavida wayeyindoda yom-Efrathi owayethiwa nguJese, owayengowase Bhethilehema koJuda. UJese wayelamadodana aficami-bili, njalo ngezinsuku zikaSawuli wayesemdala eseluphele kakhulu. 13Amadodana amathathu amadala kaJese ayelandele uSawuli empini: Izibulo kwakungu-Eliyabi; owesibili kungu-Abhinadabi; owasithathu kunguShama.

14UDavida wayengomncane wabo. Abathathu abadala balandela uSawuli, 15kodwa uDavida wasuka kuSawuli wabuyela ukuba ayekwelusa izimvu zikayise eBhethilehema.

16Okwezinsuku ezingamatshumi amane umFilisti wayesiya phambili nsuku zonke ekuseni lakusihlwa ajame.

17UJese wasesithi kuDavida indodana yakhe, “Thathela abanewenu ihefa lamabele akhanzingiweyo leli kanye lezinkwa lezi ezilitshumi uphuthume ezihonqweni zabo.

18Hamba lalezizinkwa zetshizi ezilitshumi kumlawuli weviyo labo. Bona ukuthi abanewenu banjani, ubuye lesiqiniselo esivela kubo. 19BaloSawuli kanye labantu bonke bako-Israyeli eSigodini sase-Ela, besilwa lamaFilisti.”

20Ekuseni kakhulu uDavida watshiya umhlambi wezimvu ulomalusi, wathwala umthwalo wasuka wahamba, njengokulaya kukaJese. Wafika ezihonqweni ibutho liphuma ukuba liye ezindaweni zalo zempi, likhuza isaga sempi. 21U-Israyeli lamaFilisti babeviva amabutho abo ekhangelene. 22UDavida watshiya izinto zakhe kumgcini wezimpahla, wagijimela kumaviyo empi wayabingelela abanewabo. 23Esabakhulumisa, uGoliyathi, iqhawe lamaFilisti elaseGathi, waphuma kuviyo lakhe, wamemezela ukweyisa kwakhe kwenjayelo, loDavida wakuzwa. 24Kwathi abako-Israyeli bebona umuntu lowo, bonke bambalekela ngokwesaba okukhulu.

25Abako-Israyeli babekade besithi, “Liyambona yini umuntu lo ukuthi uqhubeka njani elokhu ephuma? Uyaphuma ukuba eyise u-Israyeli. INkosi izamnika inotho enengi umuntu ozambulala. Izamnika lendodakazi yayo ukuba ayithathe, ikhulule labendlu kayise emithelweni ko-Israyeli.”

26UDavida wabuza indoda eyayimi phansi kwakhe wathi, “Kuyini okuzakwenzelwa umuntu obulala umFilisti lo asuse lehlazo leli ku-Israyeli na? Ungubani umFilisti lo ongasokanga oweyisa amabutho kaNkulunkulu ophilayo na?”

27Bakutsho futhi kuye ababekade bemtshela khona bathi, “Nanku okuzakwenzelwa umuntu ombulalayo.”

28Kwathi lapho uEliyabi, umnewabo omdala kaDavida, emuzwa ekhuluma lalawomadoda, wamthukuthelela kakhulu wambuza wathi, “Uzefunani lapha na? Njalo izimvu leziyana ezilutshwana uzitshiye lobani enkangala na? Ngiyakwazi ukuthi uzikhukhumeza njani kanye lokuthi inhliziyo yakho imbi kanjani, ulande ukuzabona impi nje kuphela.”

29UDavida wathi, “Manje sengenzeni kanti? Angivunyelwa yini ukukhuluma?”

30Emva kwalokho waphendukela komunye, watsho lutho lunye, umuntu lowo wamphendula njengakuqala. 31Okwakutshiwo nguDavida kwazwakala njalo kwabikwa kuSawuli, uSawuli wathi kabizwe.

32UDavida wathi kuSawuli, “Akungabi lomuntu ophelelwa lithemba ngenxa yomFilisti lo; inceku yakho izakuyakulwa laye.”

33USawuli waphendula wathi, “Kawanelisi ukuyamelana lomFilisti lo ulwe laye; wena ungumfana nje, yena kade waba ngumuntu wokulwa kusukela ebutsheni bakhe.”

34Kodwa uDavida wathi kuSawuli, “Inceku yakho yayiselusa izimvu zikayise. Kwathi kufike isilwane kumbe ibhere lajwamula imvu emhlambini, 35ngalilandela, ngalitshaya ngahlenga imvu emlonyeni walo. Lathi liyangihlasela ngalidumela ngoboya balo, ngalitshaya ngalibulala. 36Inceku yakho seyabulala kokubili isilwane lebhere; umFilisti lo ongasokanga uzakuba njengokunye kwakho, ngoba weyise amabutho kaNkulunkulu ophilayo. 37UJehova owangikhululayo ezinzitsheni zesilwane lasezinzitsheni zebhere uzangikhulula esandleni somFilisti lo.” USawuli wathi kuDavida, “Hamba, uJehova kabe lawe.”

38Emva kwalokho uSawuli wagqokisa uDavida ibhatshi lakhe. Wamgqokisa lesivikelo sensimbi kanye lengowane yethusi ekhanda lakhe. 39UDavida wabophela inkemba yakhe ebhatshini wazama ukuhambahamba, ngoba wayengazejwayelanga. Wathi kuSawuli, “Angingeke ngihambe ngigqoke lokhu, ngoba angikwejwayelanga.” Ngakho wakukhupha.

40Emva kwalokho wathatha umqwayi wakhe, wakhetha amatshe abutshelezi amahlanu esifuleni. Wawabeka esikhwameni somxhaka wakhe wokwelusa, njalo ephethe isavutha wamlanda umFilisti.

41Ngasikhathi sinye, umFilisti, umthwali wehawu lakhe ephambi kwakhe, wayelokhu esondela eduze kukaDavida. 42Wamkhangela uDavida wabona ukuthi wayengumfana nje, ebomvana emuhle, wameyisa. 43Wasesithi kuDavida, “Kanti ngiyinja yini, usiza kimi uphethe izinti?” UmFilisti waqalekisa uDavida ngabonkulunkulu bakibo. 44Wathi, “Woza lapha, ngizanika izinyoni zasemoyeni lezinyamazana zeganga inyama yakho!”

45UDavida wathi kumFilisti, “Wena uzemelana lami ngenkemba lomkhonto kanye lomdikadika, kodwa mina ngizemelana lawe ngebizo likaJehova uSomandla, uNkulunkulu wamabutho ka-Israyeli wena omeyisayo.

46Lamhla uJehova uzakunikela kimi, ngizakulahla phansi ngiqume ikhanda lakho. Lamhlanje izinyoni zasemoyeni lezinyamazana zasemhlabeni ngizazinika izidumbu zebutho lamaFilisti, njalo umhlaba wonke uzakwazi ukuthi kuloNkulunkulu ko-Israyeli. 47Bonke labo ababuthene lapha bazakwazi ukuthi uJehova kahlengi ngenkemba loba ngomkhonto, ngoba impi ngekaJehova, njalo lonke uzalinikela ezandleni zethu.”

48Kwathi umFilisti esondela eduze ukuba amhlasele, uDavida ngokuphangisa wagijimela phambili endaweni yokulwela ukuba amhlangabeze. 49UDavida wangenisa isandla sakhe emxhakeni wakhe wathatha ilitshe, waliphosa ngesavutha latshaya umFilisti ebunzini. Ilitshe latshona ebunzini lakhe, wadilikela phansi ngobuso.

50UDavida wamnqoba kanjalo umFilisti ngesavutha langelitshe; engelankemba esandleni sakhe wamlahla phansi umFilisti wambulala.

51UDavida wagijima wema phezu kwakhe. Wabamba inkemba yomFilisti wayihwatsha esikhwameni sayo. Esembulele, waquma ikhanda lakhe ngenkemba. Kwathi amaFilisti ebona ukuthi iqhawe lawo laselifile, aphenduka abaleka. 52Lapho-ke abantu bako-Israyeli labakoJuda babungazela besiya phambili bememeza, baxotshana lamaFilisti baze bayafika entubeni lasemasangweni ase-Ekhroni. Abafileyo bakibo babelucaca emgwaqweni waseShayarayimi kusiya eGathi lase-Ekhroni.

53Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebephendukile ekuxotsheni amaFilisti, baphanga izihonqo zawo. 54UDavida wathatha ikhanda lomFilisti, walisa eJerusalema, wabeka izikhali zomFilisti ethenteni lakhe.

55Kwathi uSawuli ekhangele eDavida esiyahlangana lomFilisti, wathi ku-Abhineri, umlawuli webutho, “Abhineri, ijaha leliyana liyindodana kabani na?” U-Abhineri waphendula wathi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uphila, nkosi, angazi.”

56Inkosi yasisithi, “Buza ukuthi ijaha leli liyindodana kabani.”

57Kwathi khonokho nje uDavida esevela ekubulaleni umFilisti, uAbhineri wamthatha wamusa kuSawuli, uDavida elokhu ephethe ikhanda lomFilisti.

58USawuli wambuza wathi, “Uyindodana kabani, jaha?” UDavida wathi, “Ngiyindodana yenceku yakho uJese waseBhethilehema.”