1 Kwathi ngaloo mihla, amaFilisti ayihlanganisa yonke imikhosi yawo, ukuze aphume umkhosi aye kulwa namaSirayeli. Wathi uAkishe kuDavide, Yazi ngokuqinisekileyo ukuba uya kuphuma nomkhosi wam, wena namadoda akho.
2 Wathi uDavide kuAkishe, Kaloku uya kuyazi into eya kwenziwa ngumkhonzi wakho. Wathi uAkishe kuDavide, Ngoko ke ndokumisa ube ngumgcini wentloko yam imihla yonke.
3 Ke kaloku uSamuweli ubeselefile; abemmbambazelele onke amaSirayeli; abemngcwabele eRama, emzini wakhe. USawule ebebagxothile ezweni abaneshologu noosiyazi.
4 Ahlanganisana ke amaFilisti, aya amisa eShunem. Wawahlanganisa uSawule amaSirayeli onke, amisa eGilibhowa.
5 Wayibona uSawule impi yamaFilisti, woyika; yagubha intliziyo yakhe kunene.
6 Wabuza uSawule kuYehova; uYehova akamphendula nangamaphupha, nangeeUrim, nangabaprofeti.
7 Wathi uSawule kubakhonzi bakhe, Ndifuneleni inkazana eneshologu, ndiye kuyo, ndibuze kuyo. Bathi kuye abakhonzi bakhe, Nantsiya inkazana eneshologu e-Endore.
8 USawule wazenza mntu wumbi, wambatha ngubo zimbi, waya enamadoda amabini. Baya bafika kwinkazana leyo ebusuku. Wathi, Khawundivumisele ngeshologu lakho, undinyusele lowo ndiya kuthetha yena kuwe.
9 Yathi inkazana leyo kuye, Yabona uyakwazi nawe akwenzileyo uSawule, ukuba ubanqamle ezweni abaneshologu noosiyazi; yini na ukuba uwuthiyele umphefumlo wam, ukuze ndibulawe.
10 USawule wayifungela uYehova, esithi, Ehleli nje uYehova, inene, akuyi kuba natyala ngale ndawo.
11 Yathi inkazana, Ndikunyusele bani na? Wathi, Ndinyusele uSamuweli.
12 Yambona inkazana uSamuweli, yakhala ngezwi elikhulu. Yatsho inkazana leyo kuSawule, ukuthi, Yini na ukuba undikhohlise? UnguSawule wena.
13 Wathi ukumkani kuyo, Musa ukoyika. Ubone ntoni na? Yathi inkazana kuSawule, Ndibona umnyanya unyuka uphuma emhlabeni.
14 Wathi kuye, Unjani na ukumila kwawo? Yathi inkazana, Kunyuke indoda enkulu, ithe wambu ingubo yokwaleka. Wazi ke uSawule ukuba nguSamuweli lowo. Wathoba ngobuso emhlabeni, waqubuda.
15 Wathi uSamuweli kuSawule, Yini na ukuba undigungqise, undinyuse? Wathi uSawule, Ndibandezelekile kakhulu; amaFilisti alwa nam, uThixo umkile kum, akasandiphenduli nangabaprofeti nangamaphupha; ndikubizele ukuba undazise into endingayenzayo.
16 Wathi uSamuweli, Yini na ukuba undibuze, uYehova emkile nje kuwe, waba lutshaba lwakho?
17 UYehova uzenzele njengoko wakuthethayo ngam: uYehova ubukrazule esandleni sakho ubukumkani, wabunika ummelwane wakho uDavide.
18 Ngokuba ungaliphulaphulanga izwi likaYehova, ungenzanga njengokuvutha komsindo wakhe kuma-Amaleki, ngenxa yoko uYehova uyenzile le nto kuwe namhla.
19 Uwanikele uYehova namaSirayeli kunye nawe esandleni samaFilisti. Ngomso wena noonyana bakho niya kuba nam; nomkhosi wamaSirayeli uYehova uya kuwunikela esandleni samaFilisti.
20 Wawa kwaoko uSawule emhlabeni, waqungquluza, woyika kunene ngamazwi kaSamuweli; akwabakho namandla kuye; ngokuba ubengadlanga kudla imini yonke nobusuku bonke.
21 Yeza inkazana leyokuSawule, yabona ukuba ukhwankqe kunene. Yathi kuye, Yabona, umkhonzazana wakho uliphulaphule izwi lakho, ndawenza isichenge umphefumlo wam, ndaweva amazwi akho owathethayo kum.
22 Khawuliphulaphule nawe ngoko izwi lomkhonzazana wakho; makhe ndibeke iqhekeza lesonka phambi kwakho, udle, ube namandla xa uhamba indlela.
23 Akavuma ke; wathi, Andiyi kudla. Bamzama abakhonzi bakhe kwanenkazana leyo. Waliphulaphula izwi labo, wavuka ke emhlabeni, wahlala elukhukweni.
24 Ke kaloku inkazana leyo yayinethole elityetyisiweyo endlwini; yangxama, yalixhela; yathabatha umgubo ocoliweyo, yawuxovula, yosa izonka ezingenagwele ngawo.
25 Yabeka phambi koSawule naphambi kwabakhonzi bakhe. Badla, besuka ke, bahamba ngobo busuku.