1 USamuyeli 16

1 INkosi yasisithi kuSamuweli: Koze kube nini umlilela uSawuli lokhu mina ngimalile ekubeni yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli? Gcwalisa uphondo lwakho ngamafutha, uhambe; ngizakuthuma kuJese umBhethelehema, ngoba ngizibonele emadodaneni akhe inkosi.

2 USamuweli wasesithi: Ngizahamba njani? Uba uSawuli ekuzwa, uzangibulala. INkosi yasisithi: Thatha ithokazi lenkomo esandleni sakho uthi: Ngizehlabela iNkosi.

3 Ubizele uJese emhlatshelweni; mina ngizakwazisa ozakwenza; uzangigcobela lowo engizamutsho kuwe.

4 USamuweli wasesenza lokho iNkosi ekutshiloyo, wafika eBhethelehema. Abadala bomuzi basebethuthumela ukumhlangabeza bathi: Ukufika kwakho kulokuthula yini?

5 Wasesithi: Ukuthula; ngize ukuhlabela iNkosi; zingcweliseni, lize lami emhlatshelweni. Wasengcwelisa uJese lamadodana akhe, wababizela emhlatshelweni.

6 Kwasekusithi ekufikeni kwabo, wakhangela uEliyabi wathi: Isibili ogcotshiweyo wayo uphambi kweNkosi.

7 Kodwa iNkosi yathi kuSamuweli: Ungakhangeli isimo sakhe lobude besithombo sakhe, ngoba ngimalile, ngoba kakunjengokubona komuntu, ngoba umuntu ubona okuphambi kwamehlo, kodwa iNkosi ibona enhliziyeni.

8 UJese wasebiza uAbinadaba, wamedlulisa phambi kukaSamuweli, kodwa wathi: Laye lo iNkosi kayimkhethanga.

9 UJese wasedlulisa uShama, kodwa wathi: Laye lo iNkosi kayimkhethanga.

10 UJese wasedlulisa amadodana akhe ayisikhombisa phambi kukaSamuweli. Kodwa uSamuweli wathi kuJese: INkosi kayibakhethanga laba.

11 USamuweli wasesithi kuJese: Abafana sebephelile yini? Wasesithi: Kusasele icinathunjana; khangela-ke, liyelusa izimvu. USamuweli wasesithi kuJese: Thuma ulithathe, ngoba kasiyikuhlala phansi lize lifike lapha.

12 Wasethuma walingenisa. Lona-ke lalibomvana lilamehlo amahle lokukhangeleka okuhle. INkosi yasisithi: Sukuma, uligcobe, ngoba yilo leli.

13 USamuweli wasethatha uphondo lwamafutha, waligcoba phakathi kwabafowabo; uMoya weNkosi wasefika ngamandla phezu kukaDavida kusukela kulolosuku kusiya phambili. USamuweli wasesukuma waya eRama.

14 Kodwa uMoya weNkosi wasuka kuSawuli, lomoya omubi ovela eNkosini wamhlukuluza.

15 Izinceku zikaSawuli zasezisithi kuye: Ake ukhangele, umoya omubi kaNkulunkulu uyakwesabisa.

16 Ake itsho inkosi yethu kunceku zakho eziphambi kwakho ukuthi zidinge umuntu okwaziyo ukutshaya ichacho; kuzakuthi-ke lapho umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu uphezu kwakho, uzatshaya ngesandla sakhe ukuze kube kuhle kuwe.

17 Ngakho uSawuli wathi ezincekwini zakhe: Ake lingibonele umuntu otshaya kuhle, limlethe kimi.

18 Omunye wamajaha wasephendula wathi: Khangela, ngibone indodana kaJese umBhethelehema, ekwaziyo ukutshaya, futhi eliqhawe elilamandla, lendoda yempi, lehlakaniphileyo endabeni, futhi indoda ebukekayo, leNkosi ilayo.

19 Ngakho uSawuli wathuma izithunywa kuJese, wathi: Thuma kimi uDavida indodana yakho osezimvini.

20 UJese wasethatha ubabhemi, ethwele isinkwa, lembodlela yewayini, lezinyane lembuzi elilodwa, wakuthumela ngesandla sikaDavida indodana yakhe kuSawuli.

21 UDavida wasefika kuSawuli, wema phambi kwakhe; wasemthanda kakhulu, wasesiba ngumthwali wezikhali zakhe.

22 USawuli wasethumela kuJese esithi: UDavida ake eme phambi kwami, ngoba uthole umusa emehlweni ami.

23 Kwakusithi-ke lapho umoya ovela kuNkulunkulu uphezu kukaSawuli, uDavida athathe ichacho atshaye ngesandla sakhe, ukuze uSawuli avuseleleke abe ngcono, lomoya omubi usuke kuye.