1 Samuel 20

UDavida loJonathani

1UDavida wabaleka eNayiyothi eRama waya kuJonathani wabuza wathi, “Kanti ngenzeni na? Icala lami ngelani na? Uyihlo ngimone kanjani, okwenza afune ukungibulala?”

2UJonathani waphendula wathi, “Hatshi bo! Kawuyikufa! Khangela, ubaba kenzi lutho, olukhulu loba oluncane, engangitshelanga. Kungani engangifihlela lokhu na? Akunjalo!”

3Kodwa uDavida wenza isifungo wathi, “Uyihlo ukwazi kakuhle ukuthi mina sengithole umusa kuwe njalo usezitshele wathi, ‘UJonathani akumelanga akwazi lokhu hlezi ezwe ubuhlungu.’ Ikanti ngeqiniso elinjengoba uJehova ekhona lanjengoba lawe ukhona, kulenyathelo elilodwa nje phakathi kwami lokufa.”

4UJonathani wathi kuDavida, “Loba kuyini ofuna ukuthi ngikwenze, ngizakwenzela khona.”

5Ngakho uDavida wathi, “Khangela, kusasa kulomkhosi wokuthwasa kwenyanga, njalo ngimele ngidle lenkosi; kodwa yekela ngiyecatsha egangeni kuze kube kusihlwa phambi kwakusasa. 6Uma uyihlo ezangiswela, mtshele uthi, ‘UDavida ucele imvumo kimi ngokutshiseka ukuba aphuthume ukuya eBethilehema, idolobho lakibo, ngoba umhlatshelo wesizwana sonke sakibo uyenziwa khona.’ 7Angathi, ‘Kulungile,’ inceku yakho kayiyikuba sengozini. Kodwa angavuka ulaka woba leqiniso ukuthi uzimisele ukwenza okubi kimi. 8Kodwa wena, bonakalisa isisa encekwini yakho ngoba uyenzise isivumelwano lawe phambi kukaJehova. Nxa ngilecala, ngibulala wena ngokwakho! Kungani ungiqhubela kuyihlo na?”

9UJonathani wathi, “Hatshi bo! Kambe aluba bengilolwazi oluncane ukuthi ubaba uzimisele ukwenza okubi kuwe, kade ngingasoze ngikutshele na?”

10UDavida wabuza wathi, “Ngubani ozangitshela uma uyihlo ekuphendula kubi na?”

11UJonathani wathi, “Woza, kasiye egangeni.” Ngakho baya khonale bobabili.

12UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida, “Ngifunga ngoJehova ka-Israyeli, impela ubaba ngizakuba sengimzwile ngalesisikhathi phambi kwakusasa! Uma elomusa kuwe, kambe kangiyikuthumela ilizwi ngikwazise na?

13Kodwa uma ubaba ehlose ukwenza okubi kuwe, uJehova kangijezise, kube nzima kakhulu, uma ngingakwazisi njalo ngikususe kungekho ngozi. Sengathi uJehova angaba lawe njengoba kade elobaba. 14Kodwa ngibonise umusa ongapheliyo onjengokaJehova isikhathi sonke ngisaphila, ukuze ngingabulawa, 15njalo ungasusi umusa wakho kwabendlu yakwethu lanxa uJehova eseziqede du zonke izitha zikaDavida ebusweni bomhlaba.”

16Ngakho uJonathani wenza isivumelwano labendlu kaDavida, esithi, “Sengathi uJehova angazethesa amacala izitha zikaDavida.”

17UJonathani wabuya wamfungisa futhi uDavida isifungo sakhe ngenxa yothando lwakhe kuye, ngokuba wayemthanda njengokuzithanda kwakhe.

18UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida, “Kusasa kulomkhosi wokuThwasa kweNyanga. Uzasweleka ngoba isihlalo sakho sizakuba singelamuntu. 19Phambi kwakusasa, sekuzakuhlwa, yana lapho owacatsha khona ekuqaliseni kwaloluhlupho, ulinde elitsheni e-Ezeli. 20Mina ngizatshokela imitshoko emithathu eceleni kwalo angathi ngitshokela kwengihlose kukho. 21Emva kwalokho ngizathuma umfana ngithi, ‘Hamba uyefuna imitshoko.’ Ngingathi kuye, ‘Khangela, imitshoko ingakuleli icele lakho, ilethe lapha,’ lapho-ke woza, ngoba ngeqiniso elinjengoba uJehova ekhona, uphephile, akulangozi.

22Kodwa ngingathi emfaneni, ‘Khangela, imitshoko ingale kwakho,’ lapho-ke kumele uhambe, ngoba uJehova uthe suka uhambe.

23Njalo mayelana lendaba wena lami esiyikhulumileyo – khumbula, uJehova ungufakazi phakathi kwakho lami nini lanini.”

24Ngakho uDavida wacatsha egangeni, njalo kwathi umkhosi wokuThwasa kweNyanga usufikile, inkosi yahlala phansi yadla.

25Yayihlezi endaweni yayo yezikhathi zonke phansi komduli, maqondana loJonathani, u-Abhineri ehlezi eduze loSawuli, kodwa indawo kaDavida yayingelamuntu. 26USawuli katshongo lutho mhlalokho, ngoba wacabanga wathi, “Mhlawumbe kulento ethile eyehlele kuDavida yamenza waba ngongahlambulukanga ngokomkhuba – ngeqiniso kahlambulukanga.”

27Kodwa ngelanga elilandelayo, ilanga lesibili lenyanga, indawo kaDavida yayingelamuntu futhi. Lapho-ke uSawuli wathi endodaneni yakhe uJonathani, “Kungani indodana kaJese ingezanga ekudleni, izolo kumbe lamuhla na?”

28UJonathani waphendula wathi, “UDavida ucele imvumo kimi ngokutshiseka ukuba aye eBhethilehema. 29Uthe, ‘Ngivumela ngihambe ngoba abendlu yakwethu balomkhosi womhlatshelo edolobheni njalo umnewethu ungilaye ukuba ngibe khona. Uma ngithole umusa kuwe, ngivumela ngihambe ngiyebona abafowethu.’ Yikho nje engezanga ukuzakudla lenkosi.”

30Ulaka lukaSawuli lwavutha kuJonathani wathi kuye, “Wena ndodana yomfazi olihlongandlebe lolenkani! Uthi kangazi yini ukuthi wena ususekelane lendodana kaJese okulihlazo kuwe njalo okulihlazo lakunyoko owakuzalayo na? 31Nxa indodana kaJese isekhona kulo umhlaba, wena kawuyikuma kumbe umbuso wakho. Ngakho thumela ilizwi umlethe kimi, ngoba umele afe!”

32UJonathani wabuza uyise wathi, “Kungani kumele abulawe? Wenzeni na?”

33Kodwa uSawuli waphosa umkhonto wakhe kuye ukuba ambulale. Ngakho uJonathani wakwazi ukuthi uyise wayehlose ukubulala uDavida.

34UJonathani wasuka etafuleni ethukuthele kakhulu; ngosuku lwesibili lwenyanga kazange adle, ngoba wayebuhlungu ngehlazo uyise ayephatha ngalo uDavida.

35Ekuseni uJonathani waphuma waya egangeni ukuyabonana loDavida. Wayelomfana omncinyane, 36njalo wathi emfaneni, “Gijima uyedobha imitshoko engiyitshokayo. Umfana esagijima, watshokela umtshoko ngale kwakhe.

37Kwathi umfana esefike lapho umtshoko kaJonathani owawuwele khona, uJonathani wammemeza wathi, “Umtshoko kawukho ngale kwakho na?” 38Wabuye wamemeza wathi, “Phuthuma! Hamba ngokuphangisa! Ungemi!” Umfana wadobha umtshoko wabuyela enkosini yakhe. 39(Umfana wayengazi lutho ngakho konke lokhu; kusazi uJonathani loDavida kuphela.)

40Emva kwalokho uJonathani wanika umfana izikhali zakhe wathi, “Hamba, zithwale ubuyele lazo edolobheni.”

41Umfana esehambile uDavida wasukuma eceleni langaseningizimu kwelitshe, wakhothama kathathu phambi kukaJonathani, ubuso bakhe bukhangele phansi. Emva kwalokho bangana, bakhala bendawonye – kodwa uDavida wakhala kakhulu.

42UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida, “Hamba ngokuthula, ngoba sifungelane ubungane omunye komunye ebizweni likaJehova sisithi, ‘UJehova ungufakazi phakathi kwami lawe, laphakathi kwenzalo yakho leyami nini lanini.” ’ UDavida wasesuka, loJonathani wasebuyela edolobheni.