1 Ekubuseni kukaDavida kwaba lendlala iminyaka emithathu ilandelana; ngakho uDavida wabuza uThixo. UThixo wathi, “Kungenxa kaSawuli lendlu yakhe enindwe ngegazi; kungenxa yokuthi yena wabulala amaGibhiyoni.”

2 Inkosi yabiza amaGibhiyoni yakhuluma lawo. (AbaseGibhiyoni babengasiyo ngxenye ka-Israyeli kodwa babengabasalayo bama-Amori, abako-Israyeli babefunge ukubayekela, kodwa uSawuli ngenxa yokutshisekela kwakhe u-Israyeli loJuda wafuna ukubaqeda du.) 3 UDavida wabuza amaGibhiyoni wathi, “Kuyini engingalenzela khona na? Ngingakwenza njani ukubuyisana ukuze libusise ilifa likaThixo na?”

4 AmaGibhiyoni amphendula athi, “Kasilalo ilungelo lokufuna isiliva loba igolide kuSawuli kumbe kwabendlu yakhe, lelungelo lokubulala umuntu ko-Israyeli kasilalo.”

UDavida wabuza wathi, “Pho lifuna ukuthi ngilenzeleni?”

5 Bayiphendula inkosi bathi, “Umuntu owasichithayo waceba okubi ngathi saze satshabalala njalo kasaze saba lendawo loba ngaphi ko-Israyeli, 6 kasinikwe abenzalo yakhe besilisa abayisikhombisa ukuba babulawe balengiswe phambi kukaThixo eGibhiya kaSawuli, okhethiweyo kaThixo.”

Ngakho inkosi yathi, “Ngizalinika bona.”

7 Kodwa uMefibhoshethi indodana kaJonathani, indodana kaSawuli, inkosi yamtshiya ngenxa yesifungo phambi kukaThixo phakathi kukaDavida loJonathani indodana kaSawuli. 8 Kodwa inkosi yathatha u-Arimoni loMefibhoshethi amadodana amabili endodakazi ka-Ayiya uRizipha, ayemzale loSawuli, kanye lamadodana amahlanu endodakazi kaSawuli uMerabi, ayewazale lo-Adiriyeli indodana kaBhazilayi waseMehola. 9 Yabanikeza kumaGibhiyoni, ababulala abachaya eqaqeni phambi kukaThixo. Bonke beyisikhombisa bafela ndawonye; babulawa ngezinsuku zakuqala zokuvuna, ukuvunwa kwebhali kuqalisa nje.

10 URizipha indodakazi ka-Ayiya wathatha isaka wazendlalela lona edwaleni. Kusukela ekuqaliseni kokuvuna izulu laze lana livela emazulwini linetha izidumbu, kavumelanga izinyoni zasemoyeni ukuba zizithinte emini loba izinyamazana zeganga ebusuku. 11 Kwathi uDavida esetshelwe ngokwakwenziwe yindodakazi ka-Ayiya uRizipha, umfazi kaSawuli weceleni, 12 wahamba wayathatha amathambo kaSawuli lawendodana yakhe uJonathani ebantwini baseJabheshi Giliyadi. (Babewathathe ensitha enkundleni kazulu eBhethi-Shani, lapho amaFilistiya ayewachaye khona emva kokubulala kwawo uSawuli eGilibhowa.) 13 UDavida wawathatha khonapho amathambo kaSawuli lawendodana yakhe uJonathani, lamathambo alabo ababebulawe babuye bachaywa abuthwa.

14 Amathambo kaSawuli lawendodana yakhe uJonathani bawangcwaba ethuneni likasekaSawuli uKhishi, eZela koBhenjamini, benza konke njengokulaya kwenkosi. Emva kwalokho uNkulunkulu wayiphendula imikhuleko eyenzelwa ilizwe.

15 Kwaphinda kwaba lempi futhi phakathi kwamaFilistiya lo-Israyeli. UDavida wahamba labantu bakhe ukuyakulwa lamaFilistiya, wasedinwa. 16 U-Ishibhi-Bhenobi, omunye wabenzalo kaRafa, isihloko somkhonto wakhe wethusi esasilobunzima obungamashekeli angamakhulu amathathu, njalo ehlome ngenkemba entsha, wathi uzabulala uDavida. 17 Kodwa u-Abhishayi indodana kaZeruya wamhlenga uDavida; wamcakazela phansi umFilistiya lowo wambulala. Abantu bakaDavida bafunga kuye bathi, “Kawuyikuhamba lathi futhi empini, ukuze isibane sika-Israyeli singacitshwa.”

18 Ngokuqhubeka kwesikhathi kwaba lenye impi futhi lamaFilistiya, eGobi. Ngalesosikhathi uSibhekhayi umHushathi wabulala uSafi, omunye wabosendo kaRafa.

19 Kweyinye impi lamaFilistiya njalo eGobi, u-Elihanani indodana kaJayiri umBhethilehema wabulala umfowabo kaGoliyathi umGithi, owayelomkhonto owawuloluthi olunjengogodo lomaluki.

20 Kanti njalo kwenye impi eyalwelwa eGathi, kwakulendoda enkulu kakhulu ileminwe eyisithupha esandleni ngasinye lamazwane ayisithupha enyaweni ngalunye, sekubalwa konke ndawonye kungamatshumi amabili lane. Laye wayengowosendo lukaRafa. 21 Kwathi echothoza u-Israyeli, uJonathani indodana kaShimeya, umfowabo kaDavida, wambulala.

22 Abane laba babengabosendo lukaRafa eGathi, bonke babulawa nguDavida lamabutho akhe.

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