1 Ngalesosikhathi amaFilistiya aqoqa amabutho awo ukuba alwe impi, asebuthana eSokho koJuda. Enza izihonqo e-Efesi Damimi, phakathi kweSokho le-Azekha. 2 USawuli labako-Israyeli bamisa izihonqo eSigodini sase-Ela, bahlela ukuba balwe impi lamaFilistiya. 3 AmaFilistiya ayemi kolunye uqaqa abako-Israyeli labo bekolunye, kulesigodi phakathi kwabo.

4 Iqhawe elalithiwa nguGoliyathi, owayevela eGathi, waphuma ezihonqweni zamaFilistiya. Ubude bakhe babuzingalo eziyisithupha lesandla. 5 Wayelengowane yethusi ekhanda lakhe, egqoke ibhatshi lokuvikela elethusi elaliyizinkulungwane ezinhlanu zamashekeli ubunzima balo, 6 emibaleni yakhe wayegqoke imigwamazi yethusi, emhlane egaxe umkhonto wethusi. 7 Uluthi lomkhonto wakhe lwalunjengogodo lomaluki, ubunzima besihloko sawo sensimbi bungamashekeli angamakhulu ayisithupha. Umthwali wehawu lakhe wayehamba phambidlana kwakhe.

8 UGoliyathi wema wamemezela emaviyweni ako-Israyeli esithi, “Kungani liphumele ukuzakulwa impi na? KangisumFilistiya yini, njalo lina kalisizo zinceku zikaSawuli na? Khethani umuntu azeqondana lami. 9 Nxa ezakulwa angibulale, sizakuba yizigqili zenu; kodwa ngingamehlula ngimbulale, lizakuba yizigqili zethu lisikhonze.” 10 UmFilistiya wabuya wathi, “Lamhlanje ngiyaweyisa amaviyo ako-Israyeli! Ngiphani umuntu siqondane silwe.” 11 Ekuzweni amazwi omFilistiya, uSawuli labo bonke abako-Israyeli besaba bathuthumela.

12 UDavida wayeyindoda yomʼEfrathi owayethiwa nguJese, owayengowase Bhethilehema koJuda. UJese wayelamadodana ayisificaminwembili, njalo ngezinsuku zikaSawuli wayesemdala eseluphele kakhulu. 13 Amadodana amathathu amadala kaJese ayelandele uSawuli empini: Izibulo kwakungu-Eliyabi; owesibili kungu-Abhinadabi; owesithathu kunguShama. 14 UDavida wayengomncane wabo. Abathathu abadala balandela uSawuli, 15 kodwa uDavida wasuka kuSawuli wabuyela ukuba ayekwelusa izimvu zikayise eBhethilehema.

16 Okwensuku ezingamatshumi amane umFilistiya wayesiya phambili nsuku zonke ekuseni lakusihlwa ajame.

17 UJese wasesithi kuDavida indodana yakhe, “Thathela abanewenu ihefa lomumbu okhanzingiweyo kanye lezinkwa lezi ezilitshumi uzise masinyane ezihonqweni zabo. 18 Hamba lalezizinkwa zetshizi ezilitshumi kumlawuli weviyo labo. Bona ukuthi abanewenu banjani, ubuye lesiqiniselo esivela kubo. 19 BaloSawuli kanye labantu bonke bako-Israyeli eSigodini sase-Ela, besilwa lamaFilistiya.”

20 Ekuseni kakhulu uDavida watshiya umhlambi wezimvu ulomelusi, wathwala umthwalo wasuka wahamba, njengokulaya kukaJese. Wafika ezihonqweni ibutho liphuma ukuba liye ezindaweni zalo zempi, limemeza isaga sempi. 21 U-Israyeli lamaFilistiya babedweba imikhandlu yabo bekhangelene. 22 UDavida watshiya izinto zakhe kumgcini wezimpahla, wagijimela emaviyweni empi wayabingelela abanewabo. 23 Esabakhulumisa, uGoliyathi, iqhawe lamaFilistiya elaseGathi, waphuma kuviyo lakhe, wamemezela ukweyisa kwakhe kwenjayelo, loDavida wakuzwa. 24 Kwathi abako-Israyeli bebona umuntu lowo, bonke bambalekela ngokwesaba okukhulu.

25 Abako-Israyeli babekade besithi, “Liyambona yini umuntu lo ukuthi uqhubeka njani elokhu ephuma? Uyaphuma ukuba eyise u-Israyeli. Inkosi izamnika inotho enengi umuntu ozambulala. Izamnika lendodakazi yayo ukuba ayithathe, ikhulule labendlu kayise emithelweni ko-Israyeli.”

26 UDavida wabuza indoda eyayimi phansi kwakhe wathi, “Kuyini okuzakwenzelwa umuntu obulala umFilistiya lo asuse lehlazo leli ku-Israyeli na? Ungubani umFilistiya lo ongasokanga oweyisa amabutho kaNkulunkulu ophilayo na?”

27 Bakutsho futhi kuye ababekade bemtshela khona bathi, “Nanku okuzakwenzelwa umuntu ombulalayo.”

28 Kwathi lapho u-Eliyabi, umnewabo omdala kaDavida, emuzwa ekhuluma lalawomadoda, wamthukuthelela kakhulu wambuza wathi, “Uzefunani lapha na? Njalo izimvu leziyana ezilutshwane uzitshiye lobani enkangala na? Ngiyakwazi ukuthi uzikhukhumeza njani kanye lokuthi inhliziyo yakho imbi kanjani, ulande ukuzabona impi nje kuphela.”

29 UDavida wathi, “Manje sengenzeni kanti? Angivunyelwa yini ukukhuluma?” 30 Emva kwalokho waphendukela komunye, watsho lutho lunye, umuntu lowo wamphendula njengakuqala. 31 Okwakutshiwo nguDavida kwazwakala njalo kwabikwa kuSawuli, uSawuli wathi kabizwe.

32 UDavida wathi kuSawuli, “Akungabi lomuntu ophelelwa lithemba ngenxa yomFilistiya lo; inceku yakho izakuyakulwa laye.”

33 USawuli waphendula wathi, “Kawanelisi ukuyamelana lomFilistiya lo ulwe laye; wena ungumfana nje, yena kade waba ngumuntu wokulwa kusukela ebutsheni bakhe.”

34 Kodwa uDavida wathi kuSawuli, “Inceku yakho yayiselusa izimvu zikayise. Kwathi kufike isilwane kumbe ibhele lajwamula imvu emhlambini, 35 ngalilandela, ngalitshaya ngahlenga imvu emlonyeni walo. Lathi liyangihlasela ngalidumela ngoboya balo, ngalitshaya ngalibulala. 36 Inceku yakho seyabulala kokubili isilwane lebhele; umFilistiya lo ongasokanga uzakuba njengokunye kwakho, ngoba weyise amabutho kaNkulunkulu ophilayo. 37  Uthixo owangikhululayo enzitsheni zesilwane lasenzitsheni zebhele uzangikhulula esandleni somFilistiya lo.”

USawuli wathi kuDavida, “Hamba, uThixo kabe lawe.”

38 Emva kwalokho uSawuli wagqokisa uDavida ibhatshi lakhe. Wamgqokisa lesivikelo sensimbi kanye lengowane yethusi ekhanda lakhe. 39 UDavida wabophela inkemba yakhe phezu kwesembatho setshunika wazama ukuhambahamba, ngoba wayengazejwayelanga.

Wathi kuSawuli, “Angingeke ngihambe ngigqoke lokhu, ngoba angikwejwayelanga.” Ngakho wakukhupha. 40 Emva kwalokho wathatha umqwayi wakhe, wakhetha amatshe abutshelezi amahlanu esifuleni. Wawabeka esikhwameni somxhaka wakhe wokwelusa, njalo ephethe isavutha wamlanda umFilistiya.

41 Ngasikhathi sinye, umFilistiya, umthwali wehawu lakhe ephambi kwakhe, wayelokhu esondela eduze kukaDavida. 42 Wamkhangela uDavida wabona ukuthi wayengumfana nje, ebomvana emuhle, wameyisa. 43 Wasesithi kuDavida, “Kanti ngiyinja yini, usiza kimi uphethe izinti?” UmFilistiya waqalekisa uDavida ngabonkulunkulu bakibo. 44 Wathi, “Woza lapha, ngizanika izinyoni zasemoyeni lezinyamazana zeganga inyama yakho!”

45 UDavida wathi kumFilistiya, “Wena uzemelana lami ngenkemba lomkhonto kanye lomdikadika, kodwa mina ngizemelana lawe ngebizo likaThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu wamabutho ka-Israyeli wena omeyisayo. 46 Lamhla uThixo uzakunikela kimi, ngizakulahla phansi ngiqume ikhanda lakho. Lamhlanje izinyoni zasemoyeni lezinyamazana zasemhlabeni ngizazinika izidumbu zebutho lamaFilistiya, njalo umhlaba wonke uzakwazi ukuthi kuloNkulunkulu ko-Israyeli. 47 Bonke labo ababuthene lapha bazakwazi ukuthi uThixo kahlengi ngenkemba loba ngomkhonto, ngoba impi ngekaThixo, njalo lonke uzalinikela ezandleni zethu.”

48 Kwathi umFilistiya esondela eduze ukuba amhlasele, uDavida ngokuphangisa wagijimela phambili endaweni yokulwela ukuba amhlangabeze. 49 UDavida wangenisa isandla sakhe emxhakeni wakhe wathatha ilitshe, waliphosa ngesavutha latshaya umFilistiya ebunzini. Ilitshe latshona ebunzini lakhe, wawela phansi ngobuso.

50 UDavida wamnqoba kanjalo umFilistiya ngesavutha langelitshe; engelankemba esandleni sakhe wamlahla phansi umFilistiya wambulala.

51 UDavida wagijima wema phezu kwakhe. Wabamba inkemba yomFilistiya wayihwatsha esikhwameni sayo. Esembulele, waquma ikhanda lakhe ngenkemba.

Kwathi amaFilistiya ebona ukuthi iqhawe lawo laselifile, aphenduka abaleka. 52 Lapho-ke abantu bako-Israyeli labakoJuda balangathela besiya phambili bememeza, baxotshana lamaFilistiya baze bayafika entubeni lasemasangweni ase-Ekroni. Abafileyo bakibo babegcwele emgwaqweni waseShaharayimu kusiya eGathi lase-Ekroni. 53 Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebephendukile ekuxotsheni amaFilistiya, baphanga izihonqo zawo.

54 UDavida wathatha ikhanda lomFilistiya, walisa eJerusalema, wabeka izikhali zomFilistiya ethenteni lakhe.

55 Kwathi uSawuli ekhangele uDavida esiyahlangana lomFilistiya, wathi ku-Abhineri, umlawuli webutho, “Abhineri, ijaha leliyana liyindodana kabani na?”

U-Abhineri waphendula wathi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uphila, nkosi, angazi.”

56 Inkosi yasisithi, “Buza ukuthi ijaha leli liyindodana kabani.”

57 Kwathi khonokho nje uDavida esevela ekubulaleni umFilistiya, u-Abhineri wamthatha wamusa kuSawuli, uDavida elokhu ephethe ikhanda lomFilistiya.

58 USawuli wambuza wathi, “Uyindodana kabani, jaha?”

UDavida wathi, “Ngiyindodana yenceku yakho uJese waseBhethilehema.”