1Samuel (30/31)  

1. Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesithathu, lapho uDavida labantu bakhe befika eZikilagi, amaAmaleki ayehlasele iningizimu, leZikilagi, ayitshaya iZikilagi, ayitshisa ngomlilo,
2. athumba abesifazana ababephakathi kwayo; kusukela komncinyane kuze kube komkhulu kawabulalanga muntu, kodwa abaqhuba, ahamba ngendlela yawo.
3. Lapho uDavida labantu bakhe befika emzini, khangela, wawutshisiwe ngomlilo, labomkabo, lamadodana abo lamadodakazi abo sebethunjiwe.
4. UDavida labantu ababelaye basebephakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi akaze abakhona kubo amandla okukhala.
5. OmkaDavida bobabili labo babethunjiwe, uAhinowama umJizereyelikazi loAbigayili umkaNabali weKharmeli.
6. UDavida wasecindezeleka kakhulu, ngoba abantu babekhuluma ngokumkhanda ngamatshe, ngoba umphefumulo wabantu bonke wawubuhlungu, ngulowo lalowo ngenxa yamadodana langenxa yamadodakazi akhe. Kodwa uDavida waziqinisa nge Nkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe.
7. UDavida wasesithi kuAbhiyatha umpristi indodana kaAhimeleki: Akungilethele lapha i-efodi*. UAbhiyatha waseyiletha i-efodi kuDavida.
8. UDavida wasebuza e Nkosi ni esithi: Ngixotshane laleliviyo yini? Ngizalifica yini? Yasisithi kuye: Xotsha, ngoba uzalifica lokulifica, u ba khulule loku ba khulula.
9. Ngakho uDavida wahamba, yena labantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha ababelaye, bafika esifuleni iBesori lapho abasalayo bahlala khona.
10. Kodwa uDavida waxotsha, yena labantu abangamakhulu amane; ngoba abangamakhulu amabili basala, ababekhathele kakhulu ukuthi babengelakuchapha isifula iBesori.
11. Basebefica umGibhithe emmangweni, bamletha kuDavida, bamnika ukudla, wadla, bamnathisa amanzi;
12. bamnika ucezu lwesinkwa somkhiwa lamahlukuzo amabili ezithelo zevini ezonyisiweyo. Kwathi esedlile umoya wabuyela kuye, ngoba wayengadlanga kudla, enganathanga manzi, insuku ezintathu lobusuku obuthathu.
13. UDavida wasesithi kuye: Ungokabani? Uvela ngaphi? Wasesithi: Ngilijaha leGibhithe, inceku yomAmaleki, lenkosi yami ingitshiyile ngoba bengigula okwensuku ezintathu.
14. Thina besihlasela iningizimu yamaKerethi, lakwelakoJuda, leningizimu yakoKalebi, leZikilagi sayitshisa ngomlilo.
15. UDavida wasesithi kulo: Ungangehlisela kuleloviyo yini? Laselisithi: Funga kimi ngoNkulunkulu ukuthi kawuyikungibulala, njalo kawuyikunginikela esandleni senkosi yami, besengikwehlisela kuleloviyo.
16. Selimehlisile, khangela, babehlakazekile ebusweni bomhlaba wonke, besidla, benatha, begidela impango enkulu ababeyithethe elizweni lamaFilisti lelizweni lakoJuda.
17. UDavida wasebatshaya kusukela libantubahle kwaze kwaba kusihlwa kosuku olulandelayo lwabo. Njalo kakuphunyukanga muntu kubo, ngaphandle kwamajaha angamakhulu amane, agada amakamela, abaleka.
18. UDavida wasekhulula konke amaAmaleki ayekuthethe, labomkakhe bobabili uDavida wabakhulula.
19. Njalo kakusilelanga lutho kubo kusukela komncinyane kuze kube komkhulu, kuze kube semadodaneni lemadodakazini, lempangweni, ngitsho lakuphi ababezithathele khona; uDavida wakubuyisa konke.
20. UDavida wasethatha zonke izimvu lenkomo. Baziqhuba phambi kwenkomo lezo, bathi: Le yimpango kaDavida.
21. UDavida wasefika kulabobantu abangamakhulu amabili ababekhathele kakhulu ukuthi babengelakulandela uDavida, abathi kabahlale esifuleni seBesori; basebephuma ukumhlangabeza uDavida lokuhlangabeza abantu ababelaye. Lapho uDavida esondela kubantu, wababuza impilakahle.
22. Basebephendula bonke abantu ababi labakaBheliyali phakathi kwabantu ababehambe loDavida bathi: Njengoba bengahambanga lathi, kasiyikubanika empangweni esiyikhululileyo, ngaphandle kwakuleyo laleyondoda umkayo labantwana bayo, ukuthi babakhokhele bahambe.
23. Kodwa uDavida wathi: Kaliyikwenza njalo, bafowethu, ngalokho i Nkosi esiphe khona, esilondolozileyo, yanikela esandleni sethu iviyo eleza lamelana lathi.
24. Pho, ngubani ozalilalela kuloludaba? Ngoba njengesabelo salowo owehlela empini sinjalo isabelo salowo ohlala lempahla; bazakwabela na ngokulinganayo.
25. Kwasekusiba njalo kusukela mhlalokho kusiya phambili, ukuthi wakwenza kwaba yisimiso lesimiselo koIsrayeli kuze kube lamuhla.
26. UDavida esefikile eZikilagi, wathumela okwempango kubadala bakoJuda, kubo abangane bakhe, esithi: Khangela, isibusiso senu esivela empangweni yezitha ze Nkosi.
27. KwabeseBhetheli, lakwabaseRamothi yeningizimu, lakwabaseJatiri,
28. lakwabaseAroweri, lakwabaseSifimothi, lakwabaseEshithemowa,
29. lakwabaseRakali, lakwabasemizini yamaJerameli, lakwabasemizini yamaKeni,
30. lakwabaseHorma, lakwabaseBorashani, lakwabaseAthaki,
31. lakwabaseHebroni, lendaweni zonke lapho uDavida ahamba khona besiya le lale, yena labantu bakhe.

  1Samuel (30/31)