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1 Ke kwabakho indlala ngemihla kaDavide iminyaka yamithathu, umnyaka ngomnyaka. UDavide wafuna ubuso bukaYehova. Wathi uYehova, Kungenxa kaSawule, nangenxa yendlu yamagazi akhe, ngenxa enokuba wabulala abaseGibheyon.2 Ukumkani wababiza ke abaseGibheyon, wathi kubo (ke kaloku abaseGibheyon babengengabonyana bakaSirayeli, babengamaqongqolo ama-Amori; oonyana bakaSirayeli babewaqinisise ngesifungo; uSawule wafuna ukuwabulala ngokuzondelela kwakhe amaSirayeli namaYuda):3 wathi ke uDavide kwabaseGibheyon, Ndinenzele ntoni na? Ndicamagushe ngantoni na, ukuze nilisikelele ilifa likaYehova?4 Bathi abaseGibheyon kuye, Akunathi ukubiza isilivere negolide kuSawule nakwindlu yakhe; akunathi ukubulala umntu kwaSirayeli. Wathi kubo, Nithi ke, mandinenzele ntoni na?5 Bathi kukumkani, Indoda eyasigqibayo, eyagqiba kwelokuba sitshatyalaliswe, singemi emdeni wonke wakwaSirayeli,6 makunikelwe kuthi isixhenxe samadoda koonyana bayo, siwabethelele eminqamlezweni kuYehova eGibheha kaSawule, umnyulwa kaYehova. Wathi ukumkani, Ndowanikela mna.7 Ke ukumkani wamsindisa uMefibhoshete, unyana kaYonatan, unyana kaSawule, ngenxa yesifungo sikaYehova esibe siphakathi kwabo, phakathi koDavide noYonatan unyana kaSawule.8 Ukumkani wathabatha oonyana ababini bakaRitspa intombi ka-Aya, awayizalela uSawule, uArmoni noMefibhoshete; noonyana abahlanu bakaMeribha intombi kaSawule, awabazalela uAdriyeli unyana kaBharzilayi waseMehola.9 Wabanikela esendleni sabaseGibheyon, ababethelela eminqamlezweni entabeni phambi koYehova, sawa kunye isixhenxe eso. Babulawa bona ngeemini zokuqala zokuvuna, ekuqaleni kokuvunwa kwerhasi.

10 URitspa, intombi ka-Aya, wathabatha ingubo erhwexayo, wazanekela eweni, esusela ekuqaleni kokuvuna, wezisa ekuthululweni kwamanzi ezulwini phezu kwabo; akavuma ukuba iintaka zezulu zithi vu phezu kwabo emini, namarhamncwa asendle ebusuku.11 Waxelelwa uDavide awakwenzayo uRitspa intombi ka-Aya, ishweshwe likaSawule.12 UDavide waya, wawathabatha amathambo kaSawule, namathambo kaYonatan unyana wakhe, kubemi baseYabheshe yeGiliyadi, ababewabile endaweni yembutho yaseBhete-shan, apho amaFilisti abebaxhome khona, mini amaFilisti ambulalayo uSawule eGilibhowa;13 wawanyusa khona amathambo kaSawule namathambo kaYonatan unyana wakhe, bawabutha namathambo abo babebethelelwe eminqamlezweni;14 amathambo kaSawule noYonatan unyana wakhe bawangcwabela ezweni lakwaBhenjamin eTsela, engcwabeni likaKishe uyise; bakwenza konke abewise umthetho ngako ukumkani. Wandula wathandazeka ke uYehova ngenxa yelizwe.

15 Kwabuya kwabakho ukulwa kwamaFilisti namaSirayeli, wehla uDavide enabakhonzi bakhe, balwa namaFilisti; watyhafa uDavide.16 Wathi uIshbhi-bhenobhi, obengowoonyana bakaRafa, obunzima bentshuntshe yakhe bebungamakhulu omathathu obhedu ubunzima bayo, enxibe ikrele elitsha, waba womxabela uDavide.17 UAbhishayi unyana kaTseruya wamnceda, wamxabela umFilisti lowo, wambulala. Aza amadoda kaDavide amfungela esithi, Uze ungabuyi uphume nathi uye ekulweni, ucime isibane samaSirayeli.18 Kwathi emveni kokuba njalo, kwabuya kwabakho ukulwa namaFilisti eGobhi; oko uSibhekayi umHusha wamxabelayo uSafu, obengowoonyana bakaRafa.19 Kwabuya kwabakho ukulwa namaFilisti eGobhi, apho uElihanan, unyana kaYahare-oregim waseBhetelehem, wamxabelayo uLami, umzalwana kaGoliyati waseGati, oluthi lwentshuntshe yakhe lwalungangomthi wabaluki.20 Kwabuya kwabakho ukulwa eGati. Kwakho ndoda iyingxilimbela, ibineminwe emithandathu sandleni sinye, namazwane amathandathu lunyaweni lunye, amashumi amabini anamane ngenani; nayo ibizalwa nguRafa.21 Yawangcikiva amaSirayeli, wayixabela uYonatan unyana kaShimeha, umkhuluwa kaDavide.22 Abo bobane bazalwa nguRafa eGati; bawa ngesandla sikaDavide, nangesandla sabakhonzi bakhe.