1 Samuel 16

USamuyeli Ugcoba UDavida

1 Uthixo wathi kuSamuyeli, “Koze kube nini ulilela uSawuli, lokhu mina ngimalile ekubeni yinkosi yako-Israyeli? Gcwalisa uphondo lwakho ngamafutha uhambe; ngiyakuthuma kuJese eBhethilehema. Sengikhethe enye yamadodana akhe ukuba yinkosi.”

2Kodwa uSamuyeli wathi, “Ngingahamba kanjani na? USawuli uzakuzwa ngakho angibulale.”

Uthixo wathi, “Thatha ithokazi uhambe lalo uthi, ‘Ngilande ukuzahlabela uThixo.’ 3Biza uJese eze emhlatshelweni, mina ngizakutshengisa ozakwenza. Uzangigcobela lowo engizamphawula.”

4USamuyeli wenza lokho okwakutshiwo nguThixo. Kwathi efika eBhethilehema abadala bomuzi bamhlangabeza beqhaqhazela. Bambuza bathi, “Uza ngokuthula na?”

5USamuyeli waphendula wathi, “Ye, ngokuthula; ngilande ukuzanikela umhlatshelo kuThixo. Zingcweliseni lihambe lami emhlatshelweni.” Emva kwalokho wangcwelisa uJese lamadodana akhe wasebabizela emhlatshelweni.

6Ekufikeni kwabo uSamuyeli wabona u-Eliyabi wacabanga wathi, “Impela ogcotshiweyo kaThixo umi lapha phambi kukaThixo.”

7Kodwa uThixo wathi kuSamuyeli, “Ungakhangeli isimo sakhe loba ubude bakhe, ngoba ngimalile. Uthixo kakhangeli izinto ezikhangelwa ngabantu. Abantu bakhangela isimo somuntu, kodwa uThixo ukhangela inhliziyo.”

8UJese wabiza u-Abhinadabi wamdlulisa phambi kukaSamuyeli. Kodwa uSamuyeli wathi, “Lalo uThixo kamkhethanga.” 9UJese wedlulisa uShama eduzane, kodwa uSamuyeli wathi, “Layenalo uThixo kamkhethanga.” 10UJese wadlulisa amadodana akhe ayisikhombisa phambi kukaSamuyeli, kodwa uSamuyeli wathi kuye, “Laba uThixo kabakhethanga.” 11Ngakho wabuza uJese wathi, “La yiwo wonke amadodana olawo na?”

UJese waphendula wathi, “Kusekhona encinyane, kodwa yelusa izimvu.”

USamuyeli wathi, “Thuma omunye ayembiza; kasiyikuhlala phansi aze afike.”

12Ngakho wathuma omunye wayalethwa. Wayebomvana, ebukeka njalo elesimo esihle.

Uthixo wasesithi, “Sukuma umgcobe; nguye.”

13Ngakho uSamuyeli wathatha uphondo lwamafutha wamgcoba labanewabo bekhona; njalo kusukela ngalelolanga kusiya phambili, uMoya kaThixo wafika kuDavida ulamandla. Emva kwalokho uSamuyeli waya eRama.

UDavida Emsebenzini KaSawuli

14Ngalesosikhathi uMoya kaThixo wawususukile kuSawuli, umoya omubi owavela kuThixo usumhlukuluza.

15Izinceku zikaSawuli zathi kuye, “Khangela, umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu uyakuhlukuluza. 16Akuthi inkosi yethu ilaye izinceku zayo ezilapha ukuba ziyidingele umuntu okwaziyo ukutshaya ichacho. Uzalitshaya lapho umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu ufika kuwe; uzakuzwa ngcono.”

17Ngakho uSawuli wathi ezincekwini zakhe, “Dingani umuntu otshaya kuhle limlethe kimi.”

18Enye yezinceku zakhe yaphendula yathi, “Ngibone indodana kaJese waseBhethilehema ekwaziyo ukutshaya ichacho. Iyindoda elesibindi elibutho futhi. Ikhuluma kuhle njalo ilijaha elibukekayo. LoThixo uyivikele.”

19USawuli wathuma izithunywa kuJese wathi, “Thumela kimi indodana yakho uDavida, owelusa izimvu.” 20Ngakho uJese wathatha ubabhemi ethwele izinkwa, umgodla wewayini lezinyane lembuzi wakuthumela lendodana yakhe uDavida kuSawuli.

21UDavida wafika kuSawuli wangena emsebenzini wakhe uSawuli wamthanda kakhulu, njalo uDavida waba ngomunye wabathwali bezikhali zakhe. 22USawuli wathumela ilizwi kuJese, elithi, “Vumela uDavida ukuba ahlale emsebenzini wami, ngoba ngiyathokoza ngaye.”

23Kwakusithi umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu ungafika kuSawuli, uDavida athathe ichacho lakhe alitshaye. Lapho-ke uSawuli wayephumula; ezwe ngcono, lomoya omubi usuke kuye.