1 Samuel 16
1 USimakade wathi kuSamuweli: “Uyakumkhalela kuze kube nina uSawule na? Ngimlahlile, ngeke esaba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli. Gcwalisa uphondo lwakho ngamafutha, uhambe; ngikuthuma kuJese waseBhethlehema, ngokuba ngizibonele inkosi phakathi kwamadodana akhe.”
2 Wathi uSamuweli: “Ngingahamba kanjani? USawule uzozwa, bese engibulala.” USimakade wathi: “Thatha isithole emhlanjini, uthi: ‘Ngize ukuzohlabela uSimakade.’
3 Umeme uJese eze emhlatshelweni; Mina ngiyokwazisa ukuthi kufanele wenzeni. Uyongigcobela lowo engiyakumusho kuwe.”
4 USamuweli wenza lokho akutshelwa nguSimakade, waya eBhethlehema. Amalunga omuzi amhlangabeza ethuthumela, athi: “Ngabe uze ngokuthula na?”
5 Wathi: “Yebo, ngize ngokuthula. Ngizohlabela uSimakade; zingcweliseni nihlanganyele nami emhlatshelweni.” Wamngcwelisa uJese namadodana akhe, wabamema emhlatshelweni.
6 Kwathi sebefikile, wabona u-Eliyabe, wathi: “Impela ogcotshiweyo kaSimakade uphambi kwakhe.”
7 Kepha uSimakade wathi kuSamuweli: “Ungabheki isigubo sakhe nobude bakhe, ngokuba ngimalile, lokhu uSimakade engabuki njengomuntu; umuntu ubheka okusemehlweni, kodwa uSimakade ubheka okusenhliziyweni.”
8 UJese wayesebiza u-Abhinadaba, wamdlulisa phambi kukaSamuweli. Wathi: “Nalo uSimakade akamkhethanga.”
9 UJese wayesedlulisa uShama. Wathi: “Nalo uSimakade akamkhethanga.”
10 UJese wadlulisa ayisikhombisa kumadodana akhe phambi kukaSamuweli. USamuweli wathi kuJese: “USimakade akawakhethanga nalawa.”
11 USamuweli wathi kuJese: “Sebephelile yini abafana?” Wathi: “Kusasele omncane; waluse izimvu.” USamuweli wathi kuJese: “Thumela umlande, ngokuba asiyi ndawo engakafiki lapha.”
12 Wathumela, wamlanda, wamngenisa. Wayebomvana, enamehlo amahle, ebukeka kahle. USimakade wathi: “Phakama umgcobe ngokuba nguye lona.”
13 USamuweli wayesethatha uphondo lwamafutha, wamgcoba phakathi kwabafowabo; uMoya kaSimakade wehlela ngamandla phezu kukaDavide, kusukela ngalolo lusuku kuya phambili. Wayesesuka uSamuweli, waya eRama.
14 UMoya kaSimakade wamshiya uSawule, wayesengenwa ngumoya omubi owawuvela kuSimakade.
15 Izinceku zikaSawule zathi kuye: “Bheka, umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu uyakuhlupha.
16 Mayisho inkosi yethu ukuba izinceku eziphambi kwakho zifune umuntu owazi ukubetha ihabhu; kuyothi lapho ufikelwa ngumoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu, akushayele ihabhu, ube ngcono.”
17 USawule wayesethi kuzo izinceku zakhe: “Ngifuneleni umuntu owazi ukubetha kahle, nimlethe kimi.”
18 Kwaphendula enye yezinsizwa, yathi: “Ngiyibonile mina indodana kaJese waseBhethlehema, ekwaziyo ukubetha ihabhu; iyiqhawe elinamandla, indoda yempi, iliciko lokukhuluma, iyabukeka; uSimakade unayo.”
19 USawule wayesethumela izithunywa kuJese, wathi: “Mthumele kimi uDavide, indodana yakho esezimvini.”
20 UJese wathatha imbongolo wayethwesa isinkwa, imvaba yewayini nezinyane lembuzi, wakuthumela kuSawule, ekuphathise uDavide.
21 UDavide wafika kuSawule, wema phambi kwakhe, wamthanda kakhulu; wamenza udibi lwakhe.
22 USawule wathumela kuJese, wathi: “Mvumele uDavide abe yisikhonzi sami, ngokuba ufumene umusa emehlweni ami.”
23 Kwakuthi nxa umoya ovela kuNkulunkulu umehlela uSawule, uDavide athathe ihabhu, alishaye ngesandla sakhe; akhululeke uSawule, abe ngcono, umoya omubi usuke kuye.