Saul Rejected as King

¹USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “UJehova wangithuma ukuba ngikugcobe ube yinkosi phezu kwabantu bakhe u-Israyeli; ngalokho lalela amazwi kaJehova.

²Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi: ‘Ngiyakuhambela umAmaleki ngalokho akwenzayo ku-Israyeli wamelana naye endleleni ekukhuphukeni kwakhe eGibithe.

³Hamba manje, unqobe u-Amaleki, uchithe impela konke anakho, ungamhawukeli, kepha bulala abesilisa, nabesifazane, nezingane, nabancelayo, nezinkabi, nezimvu, namakamela, nezimbongolo.’ ”

⁴USawule wayesebiza abantu, wababala eThelayimi, izinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amabili zemigundatshani nezinkulungwane eziyishumi zabantu bakwaJuda.

⁵USawule wafika emzini ka-Amaleki, waqamekela esigodini.

⁶USawule wathi kumaKheni: “Hambani nimuke, nehle kuwo ama-Amaleki, funa nginichithe kanye nawo, ngokuba nabenzela umusa bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ekukhuphukeni kwabo eGibithe.” Ayesesuka amaKheni phakathi kwama-Amaleki.

⁷USawule wahlula ama-Amaleki kusukela eHavila kuya ngaseShuri elingaphambi kwaseGibithe.

⁸Wabamba u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki esaphilile, wachitha impela bonke abantu ngosiko lwenkemba.

⁹Kepha uSawule nabantu bayeka u-Agagi nezinhle nezikhulupheleyo zezimvu nezezinkabi, namawundlu, nakho konke okuhle; babengavumi ukukuqeda lokho; kodwa zonke izinto ezidelekileyo nezondileyo baziqeda nya.

¹⁰Lase lifika izwi likaJehova kuSamuweli, lithi:

¹¹“Ngiyazisola ukuthi ngibekile uSawule inkosi, ngokuba ubuyile ekungilandeleni, kafezanga amazwi ami.” USamuweli wathukuthela, wakhala kuJehova ubusuku bonke.

¹²USamuweli wavuka kusasa ukuba amhlangabeze uSawule ekuseni; kwabikwa kuSamuweli ukuthi: “USawule wafika eKarmeli; bheka, wazimisela insika, wasuka, wadlula, wehla waya eGiligali.”

¹³USamuweli wafika kuSawule; uSawule wathi kuye: “Mawubusiswe nguJehova; sengifezile izwi likaJehova.”

¹⁴USamuweli wayesethi: “Kuthini, pho, lokhu kukhala kwezimvu ezindlebeni zami, nokukhala kwezinkabi engikuzwayo, na?”

¹⁵USawule wathi: “Babuye nazo kuma-Amaleki, ngokuba abantu bayeka ezinhle zezimvu nezezinkabi ukuba bahlabele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho; ezinye siziqedile nya.”

¹⁶USamuweli wayesethi kuSawule: “Kahle, ngikutshele lokho uJehova akukhulumile kimi kulobu busuku.” Wathi kuye: “Khuluma.”

¹⁷Wathi uSamuweli: “Nakuba wawumncane emehlweni akho, awenziwanga yini waba yinhloko yezizwe zakwa-Israyeli na? UJehova wakugcoba, waba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli.

¹⁸UJehova wakuthuma indlela, wathi: ‘Hamba uqede nya izoni, ama-Amaleki, ulwe nawo aze aphele.’

¹⁹Awulalelanga ngani izwi likaJehova, kepha watheleka phakathi kwempango, wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, na?”

²⁰USawule wathi kuSamuweli: “Ngililalele izwi likaJehova, ngihambile indlela uJehova owangithuma yona, ngimlethile u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki, ngachitha impela ama-Amaleki.

²¹Kepha abantu bathatha kuyo impango, izimvu nezinkabi, okuhle kokuqalekisiweyo, ukuba bahlabele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho eGiligali.”

²²USamuweli wathi: “UJehova uyenamela yini iminikelo yokushiswa nemihlatshelo, njengalokhu enamele ukulalelwa kwezwi likaJehova, na? Bheka, ukulalela kuhle kunomhlatshelo, nokuqaphela kuhle kunamanoni ezinqama.

²³Ngokuba ukwambuka kunjengesono sokubhula, nenkani ifana nokukhonza izithombe namatherafi. Ngokuba ulilahlile izwi likaJehova, naye ukulahlile wena ukuba ungabe usaba yinkosi.”

²⁴USawule wayesethi kuSamuweli: “Ngonile, ngokuba ngeqile isiyalezo sikaJehova namazwi akho, lokhu ngesaba abantu, ngalalela izwi labo.

²⁵Ngalokho ake uthethelele isono sami, ubuye nami ukuba ngikhuleke kuJehova.”

²⁶USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Angiyikubuya nawe, ngokuba ulilahlile izwi likaJehova, naye uJehova ukulahlile wena ukuba ungabe usaba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli.”

²⁷USamuweli esephenduka ukuhamba, wabamba umphetho wengubo yakhe, yaklebhuka.

²⁸USamuweli wathi kuye: “UJehova uklebhulile umbuso ka-Israyeli kuwe namuhla, uwunikile umngane wakho omuhle kunawe.

²⁹IThemba Lika-Israyeli aliyikuqamba amanga, lizisole, ngokuba alisiye umuntu ukuba lizisole.”

³⁰Wayesethi: “Ngonile, kepha ake ungituse manje phambi kwamalunga abantu bami naphambi kuka-Israyeli, ubuye nami ukuba ngikhuleke kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho.”

³¹USamuweli wabuya, wamlandela uSawule; uSawule wakhuleka kuJehova.

³²USamuweli wayesethi: “Lethani kimi u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki.” U-Agagi wafika kuye esasile. U-Agagi wathi: “Impela umunyu wokufa udlulile.”

³³USamuweli wathi: “Njengalokho inkemba yakho ibaphucile abesifazane abantwana, kanjalo unyoko uyakwaphucwa abantwana kunabanye.” USamuweli wayesehlahlela u-Agagi phambi kukaJehova eGiligali.

³⁴USamuweli waya eRama, kepha uSawule wakhuphukela ekhaya eGibeya likaSawule.

³⁵USamuweli akaphindanga ukumbona uSawule waze wafa, kepha uSamuweli wamkhalela uSawule; uJehova wazisola ukuthi wayembekile uSawule inkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli.