1 Samuel 14

1Ngelinye ilanga uJonathani indodana kaSawuli wathi ejaheni elalithwele izikhali zakhe, “Woza, kasiye enkambeni yebutho lamaFilisti ngakwelinye icele.” Kodwa kamtshelanga uyise.

2USawuli wayehlala emaphethelweni eGibheya ngaphansi kwesihlahla sephomegranathi eMigironi. Amadoda ayelaye ayengaba ngamakhulu ayisithupha, 3phakathi kwawo kulo-Ahija, owayegqoke isigqoko samahlombe. Wayeyindodana yomfowabo ka-Ikhabhodi u-Ahithubi indodana kaFinehasi, indodana ka-Eli umphristi kaJehova eShilo. Kakho owayesazi ukuthi uJonathani wayehambile.

4Eceleni ngalinye lomkhandlu ayehlose ukuwuchapha ukuze ayefika enkambeni yebutho lamaFilisti kwakuleliwa; elinye lalithiwa yiBhozezi elinye liyiSene. 5Elinye iliwa lalingasenyakatho ngokuya eMikhimashi, elinye lingasezansi ngokuya eGebha.

6UJonathani wathi ejaheni elalithwala izikhali zakhe, “Woza, kasikhuphukele enkambeni yalabayana abantu abangasokanga. Engxenye uJehova uzasimela, ngoba akulalutho olungavimbela uJehova ekukhululeni, loba kungabanengi kumbe abalutshwana.”

7Umthwali wezikhali zakhe wathi, “Yenza konke olakho engqondweni yakho. Qhubeka, mina ngilawe ngenhliziyo langomphefumulo.”

8UJonathani wasesithi, “Ngakho-ke, woza sikhuphuke siqonde kulabaya abantu senze ukuba basibone. 9Bangathi kithi, ‘Manini khonapho size sifike kini, sizahlala lapho esikhona singayi kubo. 10Kodwa bangathi, ‘Wozani kithi,’ sizakhwela siye phezulu ngoba lokho kuzakuba yisibonakaliso sethu sokuthi uJehova usebanikele ezandleni zethu.”

11Ngakho bobabili bazibonakalisa enkambeni yamabutho amaFilisti. AmaFilisti athi, “Khangelani, amaHebheru asehohoba ephuma emilindini abecatshe kuyo.”

12Amadoda ayesenkambeni yamabutho amemeza uJonathani lomthwali wezikhali zakhe athi, “Wozani kithi sizalifundisa isifundo.”

13Ngakho uJonathani wathi kumthwali wezikhali zakhe, “Khwela ungilandele; uJehova usebanikele esandleni sika-Israyeli.” UJonathani wakhwela, esebenzisa izandla lezinyawo zakhe, lomthwali wezikhali zakhe ekhonapho ngemuva kwakhe. AmaFilisti awa phambi kukaJonathani, njalo umthwali wezikhali zakhe walandela ebulala abantu ngemuva kwakhe. 14Ngalokho kuhlasela kokuqala uJonathani lomthwali wezikhali zakhe babulala abantu abangamatshumi amabili endaweni ayayingaba yingxenye yendima.

U-Israyeli ubhuqa amaFilisti

15Emva kwalokho ibutho lonke latshaywa luvalo – ababesezihonqweni lababesegangeni, lalabo ababesezinkambeni zamabutho lamaqembu abahlaseli – iphansi lanyikinyeka. Kwakuyikuthuthumela okwakulethwe nguNkulunkulu.

16Abalindi bakaSawuli eGibheya ko-Bhenjamini babona ibutho lihlakazekela ezinhlangothini zonke. 17USawuli wasesithi ebantwini ababelaye, “Qoqani amabutho libone ukuthi ngubani ongekho.” Sebekwenzile, ababengekho nguJonathani lomthwali wezikhali zakhe.

18USawuli wasesithi ku-Ahija, “Letha ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu.” (Ngalesisikhathi lalikuma-Israyeli.) 19Kwathi uSawuli esakhuluma lomphristi, ukuxokozela ezihonqweni zamaFilisti kwakhula kakhulu kakhulukazi. Ngakho uSawuli wathi kumphristi, “Susa isandla sakho.”

20Emva kwalokho uSawuli labantu bakhe bonke babuthana basebesiya empini. Bafica amaFilisti ephakathi kwesiyaluyalu esipheleleyo, egalelana ngezinkemba zawo.

21AmaHebheru ayelamaFilisti kuqala ehambe lawo ezihonqweni zawo abuyela kwabako-Israyeli ababeloSawuli loJonathani.

22Kwathi lapho bonke abako-Israyeli ababecatshe elizweni lezintaba elako-Efrayimi sebezwile ukuthi amaFilisti ayesebaleka empini bangena, baxotshana lawo. 23UJehova wamhlenga kanjalo u-Israyeli ngalolosuku, njalo ukulwa kwaya ngale kweBhethi Aveni.

UJonathani udla inyosi

24Ngalolosuku abantu bako-Israyeli babedanile ngoba uSawuli wayebophe abantu ngesifungo esithi, “Uthukiwe lowomuntu odla ukudla kungakahlwi, ngingakaphindiseli ezitheni zami!” Ngakho akukho butho elanambitha ukudla. 25Ibutho lonke langena ehlathini, lapho okwakulenyosi phansi khona.

26Ekungeneni kwabo ehlathini, babona uluju lujuluka, kodwa kakho owaludlayo, ngoba babesesaba isifungo. 27Kodwa uJonathani wayengezwanga ukuthi uyise wayebophe abantu ngesifungo, welula isiduku somqwayi ayewuphethe wawuhloma ohlangeni loluju. Waphakamisela isandla sakhe emlonyeni wakhe, amehlo akhazimula. 28Lapho-ke omunye wamabutho wamtshela wathi, “Uyihlo ubophe ibutho ngesifungo esinzima, esithi, ‘Uthukiwe lowomuntu odla ukudla lamhla!’ Yikho nje abantu bemdambiyana.”

29UJonathani wathi, “Ubaba usedalele ilizwe uhlupho. Khangela ukuthi amehlo ami athe dlwe ekunambitheni kwami okuncane koluju lolu. 30Kade kuzakuba ngcono kakhulu aluba lamhla abantu bebedlile enye yempango abayithethe ezitheni zabo. Ukubulawa kwamaFilisti kade kungayikuba kukhulu kulalokhu na?”

31Ngalolosuku, emva kokuba ama-Israyeli esebulele amaFilisti kusukela eMikhimashi kusiyafika e-Ayijaloni, ayesediniwe.

32Baphuthuma impango, kwathi sebethethe izimvu lezinkomo kanye lamathole, bazibulala khonapho bazidla kanye legazi. 33Omunye wasesithi kuSawuli, “Khangela abantu benza isono kuJehova ngokudla inyama elegazi.” Yena wathi, “Selephule ukuthenjwa. Giqelani ilitshe elikhulu ngapha khathesi nje.” 34Wasesithi, “Yanini phakathi kwabantu libatshele lithi, ‘Lowo lalowo wenu kangilethele izinkomo lezimvu zakhe azibulalele lapha azidle. Lingenzi isono kuJehova ngokudla inyama eseselegazi.” Ngakho ngalobobusuku umuntu wonke waletha inkabi yakhe wayihlabela khonapho. 35USawuli wasesakhela uJehova i-alithare; wayeqala ukwenza lokhu.

36USawuli wathi, “Kasehleni silandele amaFilisti ebusuku siwaphange kuze kuse, singatshiyi lalinye lawo liphila.” Bathi, “Yenza lokho okubona kulungile kuwe.” Kodwa umphristi wathi, “Kasibuzeni uNkulunkulu lapha.”

37USawuli wabuza uNkulunkulu wathi, “Ngehle ngilandele amaFilisti na? Uzawanikela esandleni sika-Israyeli na?” Kodwa uNkulunkulu kamphendulanga ngalolosuku.

38Ngakho uSawuli wathi, “Wozani lapha, lonke lina bakhokheli bebutho, sidinge ukuthi yisono bani esenziwe lamhla. 39Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uJehova ohlenga u-Israyeli ephila, lanxa sisendodaneni yami uJonathani, kumele ife.” Kodwa akukho lamunye wabantu owatsho ilizwi.

40USawuli wasesithi kubo bonke abako-Israyeli, “Manini laphayana; mina lendodana yami uJonathani sizakuma ngapha.” Abantu baphendula bathi, “Yenza lokho okukhanya kulungile kuwe.”

41Emva kwalokho uSawuli wakhuleka kuJehova, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli wathi, “Ngipha impendulo eqondileyo.” UJonathani loSawuli badliwa yinkatho, abantu bagezeka.

42USawuli wasesithi, “Phosani inkatho phakathi kwami loJonathani indodana yami.” UJonathani wabanjwa.

43USawuli wasesithi kuJonathani, “Ngitshela lokho okwenzileyo.” Ngakho uJonathani wamtshela wathi, “Nginambithe uluju nje kuphela ngesihloko somqwayi wami. Khathesike kumele ngife na?”

44USawuli wathi, “UNkulunkulu kangijezise, kube nzima kakhulu, uma ungafi, Jonathani.”

45Kodwa abantu bathi kuSawuli, “UJonathani kumele afe yini – yena olethe lokhukuhlengwa okukhulu ko-Israyeli na? Hatshi bo! Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uJehova ekhona, akulanwele lwekhanda lakhe oluzawela phansi, ngoba lokhu ukwenze lamhla ngosizo lukaNkulunkulu.” Ngakho abantu bamhlenga uJonathani, kasabulawanga.

46USawuli wayekela ukuxotshana lamaFilisti, njalo amaFilisti abuyela elizweni lakibo.

47Kwathi uSawuli esebusa ko-Israyeli, walwa lezitha zabo inxa zonke: iMowabi, ama-Amoni, i-Edomi, amakhosi aseZobha kanye lamaFilisti. Loba kungaphi lapho aya khona, wababhuqa.

48Walwa ngesibindi wehlula ama-Amaleki, wakhulula u-Israyeli ezandleni zalabo ababebaphangile.

Abendlu kaSawuli

49Amadodana kaSawuli ayengu-Jonathani, lo-Ishivi kanye loMalikhi-Shuwa. Ibizo lendodakazi yakhe endala lalinguMerabi, elencane linguMikhali. 50Ibizo lomkakhe lalingu-Ahinowami indodakazi ka-Ahimawazi. Umlawuli webutho likaSawuli wayengu-Abhineri indodana kaNeri, uNeri wayengumfowabo kayise kaSawuli. 51UKhishi uyise kaSawuli, loNeri uyise ka-Abhineri babengamadodana ka-Abhiyeli.

52Kuzo zonke izinsuku zikaSawuli kwakulempi enzima lamaFilisti, njalo loba kungaphi uSawuli abona khona indoda elamandla kumbe elesibindi, wayingenisa ebuthweni lakhe.