Eyokuqala KaSamuweli 24:1-22
24 Emva nje kokuba uSawule ebuyile ekuleqeni amaFilisti, kwathiwa kuye: “Jonga! UDavide ukwintlango yase-En-gedi.”+
2 Ngoko uSawule wathatha amadoda anyuliweyo ayi-3 000 kuye wonke uSirayeli, wayokukhangela uDavide namadoda akhe kumawa ahlala iibhokhwe zentaba.
3 USawule wayokufika kwizibaya zeegusha ezenziwe ngamatye ezazingasendleleni, apho kwakukho umqolomba. Wangena kuloo mqolomba+ eye kuzithuma,* ngoxa uDavide namadoda akhe babehleli kuwo, emva phayaa.
4 Amadoda kaDavide athi kuye: “UYehova uthi kuwe namhlanje, ‘Jonga! Ndilunikela kuwe utshaba lwakho,+ yenza nantoni na oyifunayo kulo.’” Ngoko uDavide wachwechwa waza wanqumla umphetho wesambatho sikaSawule esingenamikhono.
5 Kodwa emva koko uDavide watyiwa sisazela,*+ kuba wayenqumle umphetho wesambatho sikaSawule esingenamikhono.
6 Wathi kumadoda akhe: “Andiyicingi nokuyicinga eyokuba uYehova angavuma ndenze into enje kwinkosi yam ebekwe nguYehova, ndolulele isandla sam kuyo, kuba ibekwe nguYehova.”+
7 Ngaloo mazwi uDavide wawanqanda* amadoda akhe, akawavumela ukuba ahlasele uSawule. Yena uSawule waphuma emqolombeni wemka.
8 Emva koko uDavide waphuma emqolombeni, wakhwaza uSawule esithi: “Nkosi yam kumkani!”+ USawule wajika wajonga ngasemva, waza uDavide waqubuda ubuso bakhe bujonge phantsi.
9 UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Kutheni umamela izinto ezithethwa ngabantu abathi, ‘Jonga! UDavide ufuna ukukwenzakalisa’?+
10 Namhlanje oku uzibonele ngawakho amehlo indlela uYehova ebekunikele ngayo esandleni sam phaya emqolombeni. Kodwa xa omnye ebesithi mandikubulale+ ndiye ndakusizela ndathi, ‘Andizukuyisa sandla inkosi yam, kuba ikhethwe nguYehova.’+
11 Jonga tata, jonga umphetho wesambatho sakho esingenamikhono osesandleni sam. Ngokuya bendinqumla umphetho wesambatho sakho esingenamikhono khange ndikubulale. Nawe uyazibonela yaye uyaqonda ukuba andinazinjongo zakukwenzakalisa okanye zakukujikela, yaye andikonanga+ nangona wena undizingela ukuze undibulale.+
12 Akwaba uYehova angagweba phakathi kwam nawe,+ yaye akwaba uYehova angandiphindezelela kuwe,+ kodwa mna soze ndikuse sandla.+
13 Njengoko isaci sakudala sisithi, ‘Abenzi-bubi bavelisa ububi,’ kodwa mna andizukukusa sandla.
14 Uphume kuba esiya kubani na ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli? Ngubani lo umleqayo? Yinja efileyo? Yintakumba enye?+
15 Kwanga uYehova angaba ngumgwebi, yaye uza kugweba phakathi kwam nawe. Uza kubona aze andithethelele,+ andigwebele aze andisindise kuwe.”
16 Wathi xa egqiba uDavide ukuthetha la mazwi kuSawule, uSawule wathi: “Lilizwi lakho na eli, Davide nyana wam?”+ Waza uSawule wasothula phezulu isikhalo.
17 Wathi kuDavide: “Ulilungisa ngaphezu kwam, kuba uye wandiphatha kakuhle, kodwa mna ndikubuyekeze ngobubi.+
18 Ewe, namhlanje undixelele into entle oyenzileyo yokungandibulali xa uYehova ebendinikele kuwe.+
19 Kaloku yakha yaphi indoda ethi sele ilufumene utshaba lwayo, iluyeke luhambe ingalwenzakalisanga? UYehova uza kukuvuza ngezinto ezintle,+ ngenxa yale nto undenzele yona namhlanje.
20 Ngoku ke jonga! Ndazi kakuhle ukuba nakanjani na, uza kuba ngukumkani,+ nokuba ubukumkani bakwaSirayeli buza kuqhubeka busesandleni sakho.
21 Ngoku ke ndifungele ngoYehova+ ukuba awuzukuyitshayela inzala* yam emva kwam, nokuba awuzukulitshabalalisa igama lam endlini katata.”+
22 Ngoko uDavide wamfungela uSawule, emva koko uSawule wagoduka.+ Kodwa yena uDavide namadoda akhe, benyuka babuyela endaweni ekhuselekileyo.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Ngokoqobo, “ukuze ogqume iinyawo zakhe.”
^ Okanye “yaba buhlungu intliziyo kaDavide.”
^ Okanye kusenokwenzeka, “wawasasaza.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “imbewu.”
