Saul and the Witch of Endor

¹Kwathi ngalezo zinsuku amaFilisti abutha amabutho awo ukuba aphume impi no-Israyeli. U-Akhishi wathi kuDavide: “Yazi nokwazi ukuthi uyakuphuma impi nami, wena nabantu bakho.”

²UDavide wathi ku-Akhishi: “Ngalokho uyakwazi ukuthi inceku yakho iyakwenzani.” U-Akhishi wathi kuDavide: “Ngalokho ngiyakukubeka ube ngumlindi wekhanda lami kuze kube nini.”

³USamuweli wayesefile; wonke u-Israyeli wamkhalela, wammbela eRama umuzi wakhe. USawule wayexoshile ezweni abanamadlozi phakathi kwabo nabathakathi.

⁴AmaFilisti abuthana afika, amisa eShunemi; uSawule wabutha wonke u-Israyeli, wamisa eGilibowa.

⁵Lapho uSawule ebona impi yamaFilisti, wesaba, inhliziyo yakhe yathuthumela kakhulu.

⁶USawule wabuza kuJehova; uJehova akamphendulanga nangamaphupho, nange-Urimi, nangabaprofethi.

⁷Wayesethi uSawule kuzo izinceku zakhe: “Ngifuneleni owesifazane onedlozi ukuba ngiye kuye, ngibuze kuye.” Izinceku zakhe zathi kuye: “Bheka, kukhona owesifazane onedlozi e-Eni Dori.”

⁸USawule waziguqula, wembatha ezinye izingubo, wahamba yena nabantu ababili benaye, bafika kowesifazane ebusuku, wathi: “Ake ungibhulele ngedlozi, ungenyusele engiyakumusho kuwe.”

⁹Owesifazane wathi kuye: “Bheka, uyazi ukuthi uSawule wenzeni, ukuba unqumile ezweni abanamadlozi phakathi kwabo nabathakathi; ngalokho ungibekelelani ugibe ukuba ungibulale na?”

¹⁰USawule wafunga uJehova kuye owesifazane, wathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova, awuyikwehlelwa cala ngalokho.”

¹¹Wayesethi owesifazane: “Ngiyakukwenyusela bani na?” Wathi: “Ngenyusele uSamuweli.”

¹²Lapho owesifazane embona uSamuweli, wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu; owesifazane wakhuluma noSawule, wathi: “Ungikhohliseleni na? Ngokuba unguSawule.”

¹³Inkosi yayisithi kuye: “Ungesabi; ubonani na?” Owesifazane wathi kuSawule: “Ngibona unkulunkulu ephuma emhlabathini.”

¹⁴Wathi kuye: “Unesimo sini na?” Wathi: “Kukhuphuka ixhegu limboziwe ngengubo.” USawule wabona ukuthi kunguSamuweli, wakhothamela phansi ngobuso, wakhuleka.

¹⁵USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Unginyakaziselani ukuba ungenyuse na?” USawule waphendula wathi: “Ngihluphekile kakhulu, ngokuba amaFilisti ayalwa nami; uNkulunkulu ungishiyile, akasangiphenduli nangabaprofethi nangamaphupho; ngalokho ngikubizele ukuba ungazise ukuthi ngiyakwenze njani.”

¹⁶USamuweli wathi: “Pho, ubuzelani kimi, lokhu uJehova esesukile kuwe, waba yisitha sakho, na?

¹⁷UJehova wenzile ngokwakhe, njengalokho akhuluma ngami: uJehova ukwaphucile umbuso esandleni sakho, wawunika umakhelwane wakho uDavide.

¹⁸Ngokuba awulalelanga izwi likaJehova, awenzanga ulaka lwakhe olushisayo phezu kwama-Amaleki; ngalokho uJehova wenzile lokhu kuwe namuhla.

¹⁹Futhi uJehova uyakunikela u-Israyeli kanye nawe esandleni samaFilisti; kusasa wena namadodana akho niyakuba nami; uJehova uyakunikela nempi yabakwa-Israyeli esandleni samaFilisti.”

²⁰USawule wayesewela phansi ngekhanda, wesaba kakhulu ngenxa yamazwi kaSamuweli, akwabakho mandla kuye, ngokuba akadlanga lutho ngosuku lonke nobusuku bonke.

²¹Owesifazane wafika kuSawule, wabona ukuthi wesaba kakhulu, wathi kuye: “Bheka, incekukazi yakho ililalele izwi lakho, ngibekile ukuphila kwami esandleni sami; ngalalela amazwi akho owawakhuluma kimi.

²²Ngalokho mawulilalele izwi lencekukazi yakho, ngibeke ucezu lwesinkwa phambi kwakho; yidla ukuba uthole amandla, nxa uhamba indlela yakho.”

²³Kepha wala wathi: “Angiyikudla.” Kodwa zamcindezela izinceku zakhe kanye nowesifazane, walilalela izwi labo. Wayesevuka emhlabathini, wahlala embhedeni.

²⁴Owesifazane wayenethole elikhuluphalisiweyo endlini; washesha walibulala; wathatha impuphu, wayixova, wenza isinkwa esingenamvubelo ngayo,

²⁵wasiletha phambi kukaSawule naphambi kwezinceku zakhe, badla. Base besuka bahamba ngalobo busuku.