1 USamuyeli wasethatha umfuma wamafutha wawathela ekhanda likaSawuli wasemanga, esithi, “Uthixo kakugcobanga ukuba ngumbusi welifa lakhe na? 2 Ekusukeni kwakho kimi lamhla, uzahlangana lamadoda amabili eduze kwengcwaba likaRasheli, eliseZeliza esemngceleni wakoBhenjamini. Azakuthi kuwe, ‘Obabhemi obuyebadinga sebetholakele. Khathesi uyihlo kasacabangi ngabo kodwa usekhathazeka ngawe. Uyabuza esithi, “Ngizakwenzanjani ngendodana yami na?” ’

3 Uzahamba-ke usuka lapho uze ufike esihlahleni esikhulu saseThabhori. Amadoda amathathu aya kuNkulunkulu eBhetheli azahlangana lawe khonapho. Enye izathwala amazinyane embuzi amathathu, enye izinkwa ezintathu lenye umgodla wewayini. 4 Azakubingelela akuphe izinkwa ezimbili, ozazamukela kuwo.

5 Emva kwalokho, uzakuya eGibhiya kaNkulunkulu lapho okulesilindo sebutho lamaFilistiya khona. Lapho usubanga emzini, uzahlangana lodwendwe lwabaphrofethi besehla bevela endaweni ephakemeyo, phambi kwabo kutshaywa imiqangala lamagedla lemifece kanye lemihubhe, njalo bazakuba bephrofetha. 6 UMoya kaThixo uzakwehlela phezu kwakho ngamandla, lawe uzaphrofetha labo, njalo uzaguqulwa ube ngomunye umuntu. 7 Izibonakaliso lezi zingagcwaliseka, yenza loba yini okubona kufanele ukuba ukwenze, ngoba uNkulunkulu ulawe.

8 Hamba ungandulele eGiligali. Ngizakuza kuwe impela ngizenikela umhlatshelo weminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yobuzalwane. Kodwa kuzamele ulinde insuku eziyisikhombisa ngize ngifike kuwe ngikutshele okumele ukwenze.”

9 Kwathi uSawuli ephenduka esesuka kuSamuyeli, uNkulunkulu waguqula inhliziyo kaSawuli, njalo zonke izibonakaliso lezi zagcwaliseka mhlalokho. 10 Bathi befika eGibhiya, udwendwe lwabaphrofethi lwabahlangabeza; uMoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela phezu kwakhe ngamandla, laye wahlanganyela ekuphrofitheni kwabo. 11 Kwathi labo ababevele bemazi bembona esephrofitha labaphrofethi, babuzana besithi, “Kuyini kanti lokhu osekwenzakale endodaneni kaKhishi? USawuli laye ungomunye wabaphrofethi na?”

12 Umuntu owayehlala lapho waphendula wathi, “Uyise wabo ngubani na?” Ngakho kwaba yisitsho ukuthi: “USawuli laye ungomunye wabaphrofethi na?” 13 Kwathi uSawuli eseyekele ukuphrofetha, wasesiya endaweni ephakemeyo.

14 Ngalesosikhathi uyise omncane kaSawuli wambuza kanye lenceku yakhe wathi, “Kanti kade lingaphi?”

USawuli waphendula wathi, “Kade sidinga obabhemi. Kodwa kuthe sibona ukuthi kabatholakali, sasesisiya kuSamuyeli.”

15 Uyise omncane kaSawuli wasesithi, “Ngitshela ukuthi uSamuyeli utheni kuwe.”

16 USawuli waphendula wathi, “Uqinise kithi ukuthi obabhemi sebebonakele.” Kodwa kamtshelanga uyise omncane okwakutshiwo nguSamuyeli ngobukhosi.

17 USamuyeli wabizela abantu bako-Israyeli kuThixo eMizipha 18 wathi kubo, “Nanku okutshiwo yiThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: ‘Ngakhupha u-Israyeli eGibhithe, njalo ngalikhulula esandleni seGibhithe lakuyo yonke imibuso eyayilincindezela.’ 19 Kodwa khathesi selimalile uNkulunkulu wenu, olihlengayo ezingozini zenu zonke lasezinsizini. Njalo selithe, ‘Hatshi, sibekele inkosi ezasibusa.’ Ngakho-ke khathesi zibonakaliseni phambi kukaThixo ngezizwana zenu langezinsendo zenu.”

20 Kwathi uSamuyeli esezilethe eduze zonke izizwana zako-Israyeli, isizwana sikaBhenjamini sakhethwa. 21 Emva kwalokho waletha isizwana sikaBhenjamini phambili, usendo ngosendo, kwakhethwa usendo lukaMathiri. Ekucineni kwakhethwa uSawuli, indodana kaKhishi. Kodwa kwathi sebemdinga akaze abonakala. 22 Ngakho babuza njalo kuThixo bathi, “Umuntu lo uke wafika lapha na?”

UThixo wathi, “Ye, usezifihle phakathi kwezimpahla.”

23 Bagijima bayamkhipha, njalo kwathi esemi phakathi kwabantu, wayemude kulabo bonke. 24 USamuyeli wasesithi ebantwini bonke, “Liyambona yini umuntu osekhethwe nguThixo? Kakho lamunye onjengaye phakathi kwabantu bonke bako-Israyeli.”

Abantu baklabalala besithi, “Impilo ende enkosini!”

25 USamuyeli wachaza ebantwini imithetho yobukhosi. Wayiloba emqulwini wayibeka phambi kukaThixo. Emva kwalokho wabachitha abantu, ngulowo lalowo waya emzini wakhe.

26 USawuli laye waya kibo eGibhiya ephelekezelwa ngabantu abangamaqhawe uNkulunkulu ayethinte inhliziyo zabo. 27 Kodwa ezinye izidlwangudlwangu zathi, “Umuntu lo angasikhulula kanjani na?” Zameyisa kazaze zamlethela zipho. Kodwa uSawuli wazithulela.

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