1 USawuli watshela indodana yakhe uJonathani kanye lezinceku zonke ukuba babulale uDavida. Kodwa uJonathani wayemthanda uDavida 2 ngakho wamxwayisa wathi, “Ubaba uSawuli udinga ithuba lokukubulala. Qaphela kusasa ekuseni; hamba uyecatsha uhlale khona. 3 Mina ngizaphuma ngiyekuma lobaba egangeni lapho okhona. Ngizakhuluma laye ngawe njalo ngizakutshela lokho engizakuthola.”

4 UJonathani wakhuluma kuhle ngoDavida kuSawuli uyise wathi kuye, “Inkosi kayingenzi okubi encekwini yayo uDavida, konanga lutho kuwe, njalo akwenzileyo kukusize kakhulu. 5 Wadela impilo yakhe ekubulaleni kwakhe umFilistiya. Uthixo wazuzela u-Israyeli ukunqoba okukhulu, lawe wakubona njalo wathaba. Pho kungani ungenza okubi emuntwini omsulwa njengoDavida ngokumbulala kungelasizatho na?”

6 USawuli wamlalela uJonathani wasefunga isifungo lesi esithi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, uDavida kayikubulawa.”

7 Ngakho uJonathani wabiza uDavida wamtshela inkulumo yonke. Wamusa kuSawuli, uDavida wahlala loSawuli njengakuqala.

8 Kwabuya kwaba lempi futhi, uDavida waphuma ukuyakulwa lamaFilistiya. Wawatshaya ngamandla amakhulu aze abaleka.

9 Kodwa umoya omubi owavela kuThixo wafika kuSawuli ehlezi endlini yakhe ephethe umkhonto wakhe ngesandla. Kwathi uDavida etshaya ichacho, 10 uSawuli wazama ukumnamathisela emdulini ngomkhonto wakhe, kodwa uDavida wavika uSawuli wagwaza umduli ngomkhonto. Ngalobobusuku uDavida waphunyuka wabaleka.

11 USawuli wathuma izithunywa endlini kaDavida ukuba bayilinde njalo bambulale ekuseni. Kodwa uMikhali, umkaDavida, wamxwayisa wathi, “Nxa ungabaleki ngalobubusuku ukuba uvikele impilo yakho kusasa uzabulawa.” 12 Ngakho uMikhali wehlisela uDavida phansi emkhuphe ngefasitela, wabaleka-ke waphepha. 13 Emva kwalokho uMikhali wathatha isithombe wasilalisa embhedeni, wasembesa ngengubo ebeke uboya bembuzi ekhanda.

14 USawuli esethume abantu ukuba bayethumba uDavida, uMikhali wathi, “Uyagula.”

15 USawuli wababuyisela abantu labo ukuba bayebona uDavida esithi kubo, “Mletheni kimi ngombheda wakhe ukuze ngimbulale.” 16 Kodwa kwathi amadoda lawo engena, embhedeni kwakulesithombe, ekhanda kuloboya bembuzi.

17 USawuli wathi kuMikhali, “Kungani ungikhohlise kanje wabalekisa isitha sami ukuze siphephe?”

UMikhali wathi kuye, “Uthe kimi, ‘Yekela ngibaleke. Ngingakubulalelani na?’ ”

18 UDavida esebaleke waphepha, waya kuSamuyeli eRama wamtshela konke okwakwenziwe nguSawuli kuye. Ngakho yena loSamuyeli baya eNayothi bahlala khona. 19 Ilizwi lafika kuSawuli lisithi: “UDavida useNayothi eRama.” 20 Ngakho wathuma abantu ukuba bayemthumba. Kodwa bathi bebona ixuku labaphrofethi liphrofitha, loSamuyeli emi khonapho njengomkhokheli wabo, uMoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela ebantwini bakaSawuli labo baphrofetha. 21 USawuli wakutshelwa lokho wasethuma abanye abantu, labo baphrofetha. USawuli wathuma abantu okwesithathu, labo futhi baphrofetha. 22 Ekucineni, yena ngokwakhe wasuka waya eRama, wasesiya emgodini omkhulu eSekhu. Wabuza wathi, “USamuyeli loDavida bangaphi?”

Bathi, “Le eNayothi eRama.”

23 Ngakho uSawuli waya eNayothi eRama. Kodwa uMoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela lakuye, wahamba ephrofitha waze wayafika eNayothi. 24 Wakhulula izigqoko zakhe laye waphrofitha uSamuyeli ekhona. Walala enjalo ilanga lonke lobusuku bonke. Yikho-nje abantu besithi, “Kanti uSawuli laye uphakathi kwabaphrofethi na?”