¹ Ngelilanga, uJonathan indvodzana kaSawula watsi kumfana lomgcibilisi wakhe, "Woza, asiyekumgodla wamaFilisti laphaya kwelinye licembu." Kepha akazange atsatele babe wakhe. ² Sawula ubehleli etihlanganweni teGibeya ngaphansi kwesihlahla sesigolombe lesiseMigroni. Emadoda langu 600 abekanye naye, ³ kufaka ne Ahija indvodzana ka Ahitubi (umfowabo ka Ikabhodu) indvodzana kaFinehasi indvodzana ka Eli, umpristi kaSimakadze eShiloh, lowagcoka iefodi. Bantfu babengati kutsi uJonathan uhambe. ⁴ Eceleni kwencambo lapho uJonathan abefuna kungena khona ukuya kumgodla wamaFilisti, kwakunetidwala letingaba ngapha nangapha. Lelinye lidwala lalibizwa ngekutsi nguBhosezi kantsi lelinye libizwa ngekutsi nguSene. ⁵ Lelinye lidwala lalimi enyakatfo phambi kweMikmashi, lelinye lalimi eningizimu phambi kweGeba. ⁶ Jonathan watsi kumfana wakhe lomgcibilisi, "Woza, asiwelise kumgodla walaba bantfu labangacolekile. Kungaba yini kutsi Simakadze asisebentele, ngobe akukho lento lengamisa Simakadze ekusindziseni nangabambalwa noma nangabaningi." ⁷ Umgcibilisi wakhe waphendvula watsi, "Yenta konkhe lokusenhlitiyweni yakho. Hamba, bona, nginawe, ngikulalela tonkhe tincumo takho." ⁸ Jonathan watsi, "Sitawuwela siye kulaba bantfu, sibonakalise kubo. ⁹ Nangabatsi, 'Lindelani lapho size kinina' sitohlala lapho singabaweli. ¹⁰ Kepha nangabaphendvula batsi, 'Wozani kinina,' sitawuwela; ngobe Simakadze ubanikele esandleni setfu. Loku kutoba luphawu kithi." ¹¹ Bobabili babonakalisa kumgodla wamaFilisti. AmaFilisti atsi, "Boni, bakaHeberu baphuma emihumeni lababematfuke kuyo." ¹² Emadoda omgodla amemeta Jonathan nomgcibilisi wakhe, atsi, "Khuphelani kinina, sitsi nibone into." Jonathan watsi kumgcibilisi wakhe, "Landzela emuva kwami, ngobe Simakadze ubanikele esandleni se Israyeli." ¹³ UJonathan wakhuphuka ngetandla nangetinyawo, umgcibilisi wakhe wamlandzela emuva. AmaFilisti abulawa phambi kukaJonathan, umgcibilisi wakhe wabulala lamanye emuva kwakhe. ¹⁴ Loluhlaselo lwekucala lukaJonathan nomgcibilisi wakhe, lwabulala bantfu labangema 20 endzaweni lelingenca yekhektari. ¹⁵ Kwaba ngewala ekamu, ensimini, naphakathi kwentfu. Ngisho nomgodla nalabahlaseli baphatfwa wukwesaba. Umhlaba wanyikinyika, kwaba ngewala lelikhulu. ¹⁶ Labalindi bakaSawula eGibeya yaseBhenjamini babuka; inhlangano yemasotja amaFilisti yayihlakana, bahamba baye etindzaweni letihlukahlukene. ¹⁷ Sawula watsi kubantfu lababekanye naye, "Balani nibone lowuntfu lomuntfu lasele." Lapho sebale, uJonathan nomgcibilisi wakhe babesele. ¹⁸ Sawula watsi ku Ahija, "Letela ibokisi likaNkulunkulu lapha," ngobe ngaleso sikhatsi belisemuntfweni wakwa Israyeli. ¹⁹ Ngesikhatsi Sawula ekhuluma nompristi, linyakanya ekamu lamaFilisti lachubeka lanyuka. Sawula watsi kumpristi, "Susa sandla sakho." ²⁰ Sawula nebantfu bonkhe lababekanye naye babuthana bahamba bayangena empini. Sivikelo samunye nomunye wemaFilisti sasibhekene naye, kwaba nenyakanyo lenkhulu. ²¹ Laba maHeberu labete bekanye namaFilisti, lababekahamba nawo ekamu, ngisho nabo bajoyina i Israyeli lababekanye naSawula noJonathan. ²² Lapho wonkhe emadoda e Israyeli labetematfuke etilweni tasEfrayimi eva kutsi amaFilisti abaleka, ngisho nabo abasuke awalandzela empini. ²³ Ngalelo langa Simakadze wasindzisa i Israyeli, impi yadlula iBeti Aveni. ²⁴ Ngalelo langa emadoda e Israyeli acindezelekile ngobe Sawula abeke bantfu esifungweni atsi, "Makabulawe lowontfu lodla kudla noma yini kuze kube sekuhteni ngingenelele eticabeni tami." Ngako akekho emasotja lawatja kudla. ²⁵ Bantfu bonkhe bangena ehlatsini kwaba neju emhlabeni. ²⁶ Lapho bantfu bangena ehlatsini, ju belichamela, kepha akekho lowabeka sandla sakhe emlonyeni ngobe bantfu besaba leso sifo. ²⁷ Kepha uJonathan wayengakaze eva kutsi babe wakhe ubophe bantfu ngesifungo. Welula luchago lwetigwegwe lesisesandleni sakhe wasidipha esidvungeni seju. Waveza sandla sakhe emlonyeni, netiso takhe tacaca. ²⁸ Munye wabantfu waphendvula watsi, "Babe wakho ubophe bantfu ngesifungo, atsi, 'Makabulawe lowontfu lodla kudla ngaleli langa,' nakuba bantfu baswele kudla." ²⁹ Jonathan watsi, "Babe wente inkinga yelive. Bona netiso tami ticacile ngobe ngatja kancane kuleli ju. ³⁰ Bekungcono kangakanani kutsi bantfu badle ngenkululeko namuhla ngesiphangi lesisitfolile eticabeni tabo? Ngobe manje kubulawa kwamaFilisti akusikho kakhulu." ³¹ Bahlasela amaFilisti ngalelo langa kusukela eMikmashi kuya e Aijaloni. Bantfu bacotfeka kakhulu. ³² Bantfu baphangela isiphangi ngendlala batfota timvu, linkomo namatfole, bawabulala emhlabeni. Bantfu badla nato tinegazi. ³³ Batsatsa Sawula, "Bona, bantfu bayonela kuSimakadze ngokudla ngegazi." Sawula watsi, "Nentile ngokungatibophi. Manje, gingcitse itshe lelikhulu lapha kimi." ³⁴ Sawula watsi, "Phumani phakathi kwentfu, nitsatsi, 'Muntfu ngamunye alete linkomo takhe netimvu takhe, awabulale lapha adle. Ningoneli kuSimakadze ngokudla inyama ngegazi.'" Ngako muntfu ngamunye waleta inkhombe yakhe ngalelobusuku wayibulala lapho. ³⁵ Sawula wakha sibingelelo kuSimakadze, lesibe sibingelelo sekucala lasakhela Simakadze. ³⁶ Sawula watsi, "Asilandzele amaFilisti ebusuku asiphange kuze kube sekuseni; angashiyi munye wabo aphile." Baphendvula batsi, "Yenta loko lokubonakala kuhle kuwe." Kepha umpristi watsi, "Asondzane kuNkulunkulu lapha." ³⁷ Sawula wabuta kuNkulunkulu, "Ngilandzele yini amaFilisti? Uyawadinika yini esandleni se Israyeli?" Kepha Nkulunkulu akamphendvuli ngalelo langa. ³⁸ Sawula watsi, "Woza lapha, nonkhe beniholi bentfu; fundzani nibone kutsi lona sono sentekeni kanjani namuhla. ³⁹ Ngobe, njengobe Simakadze uphila, lowasindzisa i Israyeli, ngisho nobe kungoJonathan indvodzana yami, uyofa ngenca yaloko." Kepha akekho emadodeni phakati kwentfu yonkhe lammphendvula. ⁴⁰ Watsi kuwo onkhe a Israyeli, "Nimelane ngakulinye, mine noJonathan indvodzana yami sibe ngakulinye." Bantfu batsi kuSawula, "Yenta lokubonakala kuhle kuwe." ⁴¹ Sawula watsi, "Simakadze, Nkulunkulu we Israyeli! Nangabe lona sono sentiwe ngimi noma nguJonathan indvodzana yami, Simakadze, Nkulunkulu we Israyeli, nika i Urim. Kepha nangabe lona sono sentiwe bantfu bakho i Israyeli, nika i Tumim." Babe uJonathan noSawula babekwa ngemilingo, kepha ibutfo lanyulwa. ⁴² Sawula watsi, "Phonsanani emilingo phakatsi kwami noJonathan indvodzana yami." UJonathan wanyulwa ngemilingo. ⁴³ Sawula watsi kuJonathan, "Ngitsatsi wenteni." UJonathan wamtsatsa, "Ngitje kancane ju ngaluchago lwetigwegwe lesisesandleni sami. Nangu; ngiyofa." ⁴⁴ Sawula watsi, "Nkulunkulu angenze njalo angangeze nakimi, nangabe ungafi, Jonathan." ⁴⁵ Bantfu batsi kuSawula, "UJonathan kafanele afa, lowentile lesi sinsindziso lesikhulu ku Israyeli? Cha! Njengobe Simakadze uphila, akukho neyinwele yekhanda lakhe leyowela emhlabeni, ngobe usebente naNkulunkulu namuhla." Bantfu bakhulula uJonathan wangafi. ⁴⁶ Sawula wayeka ukulandzela amaFilisti, amaFilisti aya endzaweni yawo. ⁴⁷ Lapho Sawula asetfwele ubukhosi phezu kwe Israyeli, walwa nato tonkhe ticaba takhe etinhlangothini tonkhe. Walwa neMowabi, ema Amoni, e Edromi, netinkhosi taseTsobha, namaFilisti. Noma ayephendvulela kuphi, wabahlawula. ⁴⁸ Wenta ngebunya lobukhulu wehlula ema Amaleki. Wasindzisa i Israyeli esandleni salabo lababesiphanga. ⁴⁹ Bantfwana bakaSawula babe nguJonathan, Ishvi, naMalki Shua. Emabito etintfombi takhe tetimbili bekunguMerabe, lifane, naMikali, lomncane. ⁵⁰ Igama lomfati kaSawula bekungu Ahinowami; bekayingindvodzakati ka Ahimazi. Igama lemkhuzi webutfo lakhe bekungu Abhneri indvodzana kaNeri, umalume kaSawula. ⁵¹ Kishi bekungubabe kaSawula; kantsi uNeri, babe ka Abhneri, bekungundvodzana ka Abhieli. ⁵² Kwaba nempilendlula lebuhlungu nama Filisti emalanga onkhe kaSawula. Lapho Sawula abona munye lomuntfu lomnekeli, noma lomnesibindi, wamfaka kuye.