1Samuel (15/31)  

1. USamuweli wasesithi kuSawuli: I Nkosi yangithuma ukuthi ngikugcobe ube yinkosi phezu kwabantu bayo, phezu kukaIsrayeli; ngakho-ke lalela ilizwi lamazwi e Nkosi.
2. Itsho njalo i Nkosi yamabandla ithi: Ngizaphindisela lokho uAmaleki akwenza kuIsrayeli, ukuthi wema njani emelene laye endleleni ekwenyukeni kwakhe eGibhithe.
3. Hamba-ke uyetshaya uAmaleki, utshabalalise konke alakho; ungamyekeli, kodwa ubulale kusukela kowesilisa kusiya kowesifazana, kusukela kusane kusiya komunyayo, kusukela enkabini kusiya emvini, kusukela ekameleni kusiya kubabhemi.
4. USawuli wasebiza abantu, wababala eTelayimi, izinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amabili abahamba ngenyawo, lamadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi akoJuda.
5. USawuli wasefika emzini kaAmaleki, wacathama esigodini.
6. USawuli wasesithi kumaKeni: Hambani, lisuke, lehle liphume phakathi kwamaAmaleki, hlezi ngilibhubhise kanye lawo; ngoba lina lenza umusa kubo bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli ekwenyukeni kwabo bephuma eGibhithe. Ngakho amaKeni asuka aphuma phakathi kwamaAmaleki.
7. USawuli wasetshaya amaAmaleki, kusukela eHavila uze uyefika eShuri ephambi kweGibhithe.
8. Wambamba uAgagi inkosi yamaAmaleki ephila; labo bonke abantu wabatshabalalisa ngobukhali benkemba.
9. Kodwa uSawuli labantu bamyekela uAgagi, lokuhle kakhulu kwezimvu lokwenkomo, lokulandelayo, lamawundlu, lakho konke okuhle; kabathandanga ukukutshabalalisa, kodwa yonke into edelelekayo lecakileyo bayitshabalalisa.
10. Kwasekufika ilizwi le Nkosi kuSamuweli lisithi:
11. Sengizisola ngokuthi ngambeka uSawuli waba yinkosi; ngoba ubuyele emuva ekungilandeleni, kaqinisanga amazwi ami. USamuweli wasethukuthela, wakhala e Nkosi ni ubusuku bonke.
12. USamuweli wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu ukuhlangabeza uSawuli; kwasekutshelwa uSamuweli kuthiwa: USawuli usefikile eKharmeli; khangela-ke, uzimisele insika, wabhoda, wedlula, wehlela eGiligali.
13. USamuweli wasefika kuSawuli; uSawuli wathi kuye: Kawubusiswe yi Nkosi; ngiliqinisile ilizwi le Nkosi.
14. USamuweli wasesithi: Kuyini pho lokhukukhala kwezimvu endlebeni zami, lokubhonsa kwenkomo engikuzwayo?
15. USawuli wasesithi: Babuye lazo kumaAmaleki; ngoba abantu bayekele okuhle kakhulu kwezimvu lokwenkomo ukuze bahlabele i Nkosi uNkulunkulu wakho; kodwa okuseleyo sikutshabalalisile.
16. USamuweli wasesithi kuSawuli: Yekela, ngikutshele ukuthi i Nkosi itheni kimi kulobubusuku. Wasesithi kuye: Khuluma.
17. USamuweli wasesithi: Angithi, lapho usemncinyane emehlweni akho, waba yinhloko yezizwe zakoIsrayeli, le Nkosi yakugcoba waba yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli?
18. I Nkosi ikuthumile-ke ngendlela yathi: Hamba uyetshabalalisa izoni, amaAmaleki, ulwe lawo aze aphele.
19. Pho, kungani ungalilalelanga ilizwi le Nkosi, kodwa waphaphela impango, wenza okubi emehlweni e Nkosi?
20. USawuli wasesithi kuSamuweli: Isibili ngililalele ilizwi le Nkosi, ngihambile ngendlela i Nkosi ebingithume ngayo, ngibuyile loAgagi inkosi yakoAmaleki, njalo ngitshabalalisile amaAmaleki.
21. Kodwa abantu bathethe okwempango, izimvu lenkomo, okuhle kwezinto ebezizatshabalaliswa, ukuze bahlabele i Nkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eGiligali.
22. Kodwa uSamuweli wathi: Kambe i Nkosi iyathokoza ngeminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, njengekulaleleni ilizwi le Nkosi? Khangela, ukulalela kungcono kulomhlatshelo, lokuqaphelisa kulamahwahwa ezinqama.
23. Ngoba umvukela uyisono sokuvumisa, lobuqholo buyisiphambeko lokukhonza izithombe. Ngoba ulalile ilizwi le Nkosi, layo ikwalile ukuthi ungabi yinkosi.
24. USawuli wasesithi kuSamuweli: Ngonile; ngoba ngeqile umlayo we Nkosi lamazwi akho; ngoba ngesaba abantu, ngakho ngalalela ilizwi labo.
25. Ngakho-ke ake uthethelele isono sami, ubuyele lami, ukuze ngikhonze i Nkosi.
26. Kodwa uSamuweli wathi kuSawuli: Kangiyikubuyela lawe ngoba ulalile ilizwi le Nkosi, layo i Nkosi ikwalile ukuthi ungabi yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli.
27. Kuthe uSamuweli etshibilika ukuthi ahambe, wabamba umphetho wesembatho sakhe, sasesidabuka.
28. USamuweli wasesithi kuye: I Nkosi iwudabule kuwe lamuhla umbuso wakoIsrayeli, yawunika umakhelwane wakho ongcono kulawe.
29. Futhi-ke uBukhosi bukaIsrayeli kabuqambi manga, kabuzisoli, ngoba kabusimuntu ukuthi buzisole.
30. Wasesithi: Ngonile, ake ungihloniphe khathesi phambi kwabadala babantu bakithi laphambi kukaIsrayeli, ubuyele lami, ukuthi ngikhonze i Nkosi uNkulunkulu wakho.
31. Ngakho uSamuweli wabuyela elandela uSawuli; uSawuli wayikhonza-ke i Nkosi.
32. USamuweli wasesithi: Msondezeni kimi uAgagi inkosi yakoAmaleki. UAgagi wasesiya kuye ethuthumela; uAgagi wathi: Isibili ukubaba kokufa sekudlulile.
33. USamuweli wasesithi: Njengoba inkemba yakho yemuke abesifazana abantwana, ngokunjalo unyoko uzakwemukwa abantwana phakathi kwabesifazana. USamuweli wasemhlahlela uAgagi phambi kwe Nkosi eGiligali.
34. USamuweli wasesiya eRama, loSawuli wenyukela endlini yakhe eGibeya kaSawuli.
35. USamuweli kaphindanga wambona uSawuli kwaze kwaba lusuku lokufa kwakhe, kodwa uSamuweli wamlilela uSawuli; le Nkosi yazisola ngokuthi yayimbekile uSawuli abe yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli.

  1Samuel (15/31)