1Sa 13 | NdeIBE | STEP | USawuli waba yinkosi eleminyaka engamatshumi amathathu ubudala bakhe, njalo wabusa u-Israyeli iminyaka engamatshumi amane lambili.

1 Samuel 13

USamuyeli ukhuza uSawuli

1 USawuli waba yinkosi eleminyaka engamatshumi amathathu ubudala bakhe, njalo wabusa u-Israyeli iminyaka engamatshumi amane lambili.

2 USawuli wakhetha abantu abayizinkulungwane ezintathu ko-Israyeli; abayizinkulungwane ezimbili babelaye eMikhimashi laselizweni lezintaba eleBhetheli, njalo abayinkulungwane babeloJonathani eGibheya koBhenjamini. Bonke abasalayo wababuyisela emakhaya abo.

3 UJonathani wahlasela inkamba yamabutho amaFilisti eGebha, njalo amaFilisti akuzwa lokho. Lapho-ke uSawuli wathi kakukhaliswe icilongo kulo lonke ilizwe wathi, “AmaHebheru kawezwe!” 4 Ngakho u-Israyeli wonke wayizwa indaba yokuthi: “USawuli usehlasele inkamba yamabutho amaFilisti, njalo u-Israyeli khathesi useliphunga elinuka kubi kumaFilisti.” Njalo abantu babizwa ukuba bayehlanganyela loSawuli eGiligali. 5 AmaFilisti abuthana ukuthi alwe lo-Israyeli ngezinqola zempi eziyizinkulungwane ezithathu, labatshayeli bazo abayizinkulungwane eziyisithupha kanye lamabutho ayemanengi njengetshebetshebe ekhunjini lolwandle. Ahamba ayamisa eMikhimashi, empumalanga kweBhethi Aveni.

6 Kwathi abantu bako-Israyeli bebona ukuthi umumo wabo wawusumubi lokuthi ibutho labo lalicindezelwe kanzima, bacatsha ezimbalwini lasemajukujukwini, laphakathi kwamatshe, emilindini lasemigodini. 7 Amanye amaHebheru aze achaphela elizweni lakoGadi kanye leGileyadi. USawuli wasala eGileyadi, njalo wonke amabutho ayelaye ayeqhuqha ngenxa yokwesaba. 8 Walinda izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, isikhathi esasimiswe nguSamuyeli; kodwa uSamuyeli kezanga eGiligali; yikho abantu bakaSawuli baqalisa ukuchitheka. 9 Ngakho wathi, “Ngilethelani umnikelo wokutshiswa leminikelo yobuzalwane.” USawuli wanikela umnikelo wokutshiswa. 10 Kwathi khonokho nje eqeda ukunikela, uSamuyeli wafika, uSawuli waphuma wayambingelela.

11 USamuyeli wabuza wathi, “Kuyini osukwenzile na?” USawuli waphendula wathi, “Kuthe ngibona abantu sebechitheka, lokuthi kawufikanga ngesikhathi esimisiweyo, kanye lokuthi amaFilisti abebuthana eMikhimashi,

12 ngacabanga ngathi, ‘Khathesi amaFilisti azakuzangihlasela eGiligali, njalo kangicelanga umusa kuJehova.’ Ngakho ngizwe ngicindezeleka ukuba nginikele umnikelo wokutshiswa.”

13 USamuyeli wathi, “Wenze ubuthutha. Kawuwugcinanga umlayo uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho akupha wona; aluba ubukwenzile lokho, ubezamisa umbuso wakho phezu kuka-Israyeli kokuphela. 14 Kodwa umbuso wakho kawuyikuqhubeka; uJehova usedinge umuntu amthandayo ngenhliziyo yakhe wambeka ukuba ngumbusi wabantu bakhe, ngoba wena kawuwugcinanga umlayo kaJehova.”

15 Emva kwalokho uSamuyeli wasuka eGiligali waya eGibheya koBhenjamini, uSawuli wasebala abantu ababelaye. Babengaba ngamakhulu ayisithupha.

U-Israyeli ongelazikhali

16 USawuli lendodana yakhe uJonathani kanye labantu ayelabo babehlala eGibheya koBhenjamini, amaFilisti emise izihonqo eMikhimashi. 17 Amaqembu abahlaseli aphuma ezihonqweni zamaFilisti engamaviyo amathathu. Elinye laqonda e-Ofira eduze leShuwali,

18 elinye laqonda eBhethi Haroni, kwathi elesithathu laqonda endaweni esemngceleni ngaphezu kweSigodi saseZebhoyimi malungana lenkangala.

19 Akulamkhandi wensimbi owayengatholakala kulo lonke elako-Israyeli, ngoba amaFilisti ayethe, “Mhlawumbe amaHebheru azakwenza izinkemba kumbe imikhonto.”

20 Ngakho u-Israyeli wonke waya kumaFilisti ukuyalola amakhuba akhe, lamamatoki, lamahloka kanye lezinsikela. 21 Imbadalo yokulolisa amakhuba lamamatoki yayingokubili kokuthathu kweshekeli, njalo ingokukodwa kokuthathu kweshekeli ukulola amafologwe lamahloka kanye lokucijisa izijujo.

22 Ngakho ngosuku lwempi akulabutho elaliloSawuli loJonathani elalilenkemba kumbe umkhonto esandleni salo; uSawuli loJonathani kuphela yibo ababelakho.

UJonathani uhlasela amaFilisti

23 Ngalesisikhathi amaFilisti ayesephume aya emkhandlwini waseMikhimashi.