¹ Sawula abeneminyaka lengemashumi lamatatu lapho acala kubusa; lapho asebusile iminyaka lengemashumi lane phezu kwe Israyeli, ² wakhetfa emadoda langu 3,000 e Israyeli. Langu 2,000 abenanaye eMikmashi nasetilweni taseBethele, kantsi langu 1,000 abenanaye noJonathan eGibeya yaseBhenjamini. Lasala emasotja wawasusa aya ekhaya, umuntfu ngayinye etendvini yakhe. ³ Jonathan wehlula umbutfo wamaFilisti lobalwa eGeba namaFilisti akuzwa. Sawula wacala incilincili yenyoni yemvu etiveni tonkhe, etsi, "Mangivele maHeberu." ⁴ Wonkhe i Israyeli yazwa kutsi Sawula uhlulile umbutfo wamaFilisti, futsi i Israyeli isibe lihlaba lelibolilele kumaFilisti. Emasotja abutana aya kuSawula eGiligali. ⁵ AmaFilisti abutana kulwa ne Israyeli, anetinkaba letingu 3,000, emadoda langu 6,000 lakhona kutigijimisa, nemabutfo lamanyenti njengelitsandza lelwandle. Akhuphuka acala ikamu eMikmashi, empumalanga yeBeti Aveni. ⁶ Lapho emadoda e Israyeli abona kutsi asenkingeni—ngobe bantfu babecindezelekile, bantfu bamatfuka emihumeni, etihlahleni, ematsetjeni, ematseleni, nasemigodleni. ⁷ Lamanye emaHeberu adlula eJordani aya eliveni lakaGadi naseGiliyadi. Kepha Sawula abesekuGiligali, bantfu bonkhe bamlandzela bebetamatama. ⁸ Walindzela emalanga lasikhombisa, sikhatsi lesabekwe nguSamuweli. Kepha Samuweli akazanga eGiligali, bantfu basebala kuye. ⁹ Sawula watsi, "Ngiyiseni umhlatjelo lophekwe ngako konkhe nemihlatjelo yekuthula." Wadvumisa umhlatjelo lophekwe ngako konkhe. ¹⁰ Nje kuphela kwakhe kudvumisa umhlatjelo lophekwe ngako konkhe Samuweli wafika. Sawula waphuma wamhlangabeza wamkhuluma. ¹¹ Samuweli watsi, "Wenteni?" Sawula waphendvula watsi, "Ngesikhatsi ngibona kutsi bantfu bangishiya, nekutsi awuzanga ngesikhatsi lesibekiwe, nekutsi amaFilisti abutene eMikmashi, ¹² ngatsi, 'Manje amaFilisti atokwehlela kimi eGiligali, angikafuni lutsandvo lwaSimakadze.' Ngaphoqeleka ngadvumisa umhlatjelo lophekwe ngako konkhe." ¹³ Samuweli watsi kuSawula, "Uwentile budedengu. Awugcinanga umtsetfo waSimakadze Nkulunkulu wakhe lowakutsatsa. Ngobe bekutawuba Simakadze ucinise ubusi bakho phezu kwe Israyeli kuze kube phakadze. ¹⁴ Kepha manje ubusi bakho ngeke buhube. Simakadze ufune umuntfu loyintfo yentfwalo yakhe, Simakadze umbeke abe yinkhosi phezu kwentfu yakhe, ngobe awulalelanga loko lakutsatsa." ¹⁵ Samuweli wavuka wakhuphuka wasuka eGiligali waya eGibeya yaseBhenjamini. Sawula wabala bantfu lababekhona naye, babangulabantfu labangemakhulu lasitfupha. ¹⁶ Sawula, indvodzana yakhe uJonathan, nebantfu lababekhona nabo, bahlala eGeba yaseBhenjamini. Kepha amaFilisti acala ikamu eMikmashi. ¹⁷ Labahlaseli bevela ekamu lamaFilisti bema etinhlangotsini letintsatfu. Lelinye iqembu laphendvulela eOfira, eliveni laseShuwali. ¹⁸ Lelinye iqembu laphendvulela eBeti Horoni, lelinye iqembu laphendvulela emngceleni lobukaka eNcambu yaseZeboyimi libheke ehlane. ¹⁹ Kwakungekho mshini welitshe kuto tonkhe i Israyeli, ngobe amaFilisti atsi, "Ngenca yaloko maHeberu angazitfolela timbangeti noma timphonga." ²⁰ Kepha wonkhe emadoda e Israyeli ayevama kwehlela kumaFilisti, umuntfu ngayinye kugobisa tinsimbi takhe tetimulo, tihlakala, tembangeti, netemisele. ²¹ Indleko beyingema shekel langu 2/3 tetimulo, tetihlakala, nelilogo lelilodwa lesiliva tekugobisa tembangeti nasekulungiseni timphongolo. ²² Ngako ngelilanga lempi, kwakungekho timbangeti noma timphonga letifoleni esandleni sanoma ngubani wemasotja lababekhona naSawula noJonathan; kuphela Sawula nendvodzana yakhe uJonathan babenato. ²³ Umgodla wamaFilisti waphuma waya ekhasini laseMikmashi.