¹ Davide wabaleka eNayoti eRama weza watsi kuJonathan, "Ngenteni? Yini iphutsa lami? Yini isono sami phambi kwebabe wakho, kutsi afune kutitfola impilo yami?" ² Jonathan watsi kuDavide, "Cha; ngeke ufe. Babe wami akenti lutfo lolukhulu noma loluncane ngaphandle kwekungitsatsa. Kungani babe wami angakufihlela lento? Akunjalo." ³ Kepha uDavide waphindze wafunga watsi, "Babe wakho uyati kahle kutsi ngitfole lutsandvo emehlweni akho. Utsi, 'Ungavumeli Jonathan ati, noma atabata.' Kepha njengobe Simakadze uphila, nawe uphila, kunesinyathelo nje phakati kwami nekufa." ⁴ Jonathan watsi kuDavide, "Noma nguluphi lolokushoko, ngitakukwenta." ⁵ Davide watsi kuJonathan, "Kusasa kuyinyanga lensha, kufanele ngihlale phansi ngidle nenkhosi. Kepha ngivumele ngihambe, ngitokuzitfela ensimini kuze kube lusuku lwesitsatfu ntambama. ⁶ Nangabe babe wakho angikuboni nhlobo, utsi, 'UDavide wacela kakhulu kutsi angivumele agijime ayokuyiseBhetlehema lidolobha lakhe, ngobe kunesibingelelo sanyaka sonkhe sive.' ⁷ Nangabe atsi, 'Kuhle,' inceku yakho iyoba nekuthula. Kepha nangabe acasukeke kakhulu, yati kutsi unqume lokubi. ⁸ Ngako khona sita inceku yakho ngelutsandvo. Ngobe uletse inceku yakho esivumelwaneni sikaSimakadze nawe. Kepha nangabe kunephutsa kimi, ngibulale wena; ngobe kungani ungangiletha kubabe wakho?" ⁹ Jonathan watsi, "Cha! Nangabe ngifunde kutsi babe wami unqume kubakwele kube kuku, angingakutsatsi?" ¹⁰ Davide watsi kuJonathan, "Ngubani longangitsatsa nangabe kungaba babe wakho akuphendvule ngesihluku?" ¹¹ Jonathan watsi kuDavide, "Woza, asiphume siye ensimini." Bobabili baphuma baya ensimini. ¹² Jonathan watsi kuDavide, "Simakadze, iNkulunkulu yaka-Israyeli, makabe ngofakazi. Ngesikhatsi ngibuze babe wami ngaleli sikhatsi kusasa, noma lusuku lwesitsatfu, bona, nangabe kunelutsandvo kuDavide, angingakuthumelisi futsi ngakwenta wati? ¹³ Nangabe kumtjandzela babe wami kukwenta kubi, Simakadze angenze kuJonathan angangeze nakimi nangibe ngikakwenta wati futsi ngikukhulula, kutsi uhambe ngokuthula. Simakadze makabe nawe, njengobe abekanye nebabe wami. ¹⁴ Nangabe ngisaphila, angeke ungakhombisi inceku yakho inkhanyeti yaSimakadze, kutsi ngingafi? ¹⁵ Ungasiki inkhanyeti yakho endlinini yami kuze kube phakadze—ngisho nobe Simakadze esika bonkhe bacashi bakaDavide ebusweni bomhlaba." ¹⁶ Jonathan wenta isivumelwano nendlu kaDavide watsi, "Simakadze makacole ngesandla kubacashi bakaDavide." ¹⁷ Jonathan wenta uDavide afunge futhi ngenca yelutsandvo lalabenalo kuye, ngobe wamtsandza njengobe wayetsandza umoya wakhe. ¹⁸ Jonathan wamtsi, "Kusasa kuyinyanga lensha. Uyokuntfumeka ngobe indawo yakho yokuhlala iyoba ingenamuntfu. ¹⁹ Ngesikhatsi uhlale emalanga lamatatu, wehle ngokukhahlela uye endzaweni lapho watitfela khona ngesikhatsi lendzaba iqala, uhlale edvutane nelitshe lelitsi Ezele. ²⁰ Ngitakubetjela imicibisholo lemitsatfu eceleni kwalo, njengobe ngingabeta emhlosini. ²¹ Ngitakuthumela insizwa yami ngitsi kuyo, 'Hamba uyotfola imicibisholo.' Nangabe ngitsi enganeni, 'Bona, imicibisholo iseceleni kwakho; uyitfole,' bese ufika; ngobe kuyoba nekuphepha kuwe hhayi kubona, njengobe Simakadze uphila. ²² "Kepha nangabe ngitsi enganeni, 'Bona, imicibisholo ingaphezulu kwakho,' bese uyahamba, ngobe Simakadze ukuthumile. ²³ Mayelana nesivumelwano lesikhulunywe ngaso wena nami, bona, Simakadze ukhona phakati kwakho nami kuze kube phakadze.'" ²⁴ Davide wazitfela ensimini. Ngesikhatsi inyanga lensha ifika, inkhosi yahlala phansi yadla kudla. ²⁵ Inkhosi yahlala esihlalweni sayo, njengobe kwakujwayelekile, esihlalweni esisedvute nodonga. Jonathan wasukuma, kantsi u-Abhneri wahlala eceleni kukaSaul. Kepha indawo kaDavide yayingenamuntfu. ²⁶ Kepha Sawula akazange akhulume lutfo ngalolo langa, ngobe wacabanga, "Kwentekile into kuye. Akahlambulukile; ngempela akahlambulukile." ²⁷ Kepha ngelilanga lesibili, lilanga lelilandzelako lenyanga lensha, indawo kaDavide yayingenamuntfu. Sawula watsi kuJonathan indvodzana yakhe, "Kungani indvodzana kaJese ingekho ekudleni itolo nobe namuhla?" ²⁸ Jonathan waphendvula Sawula, "UDavide wacela kakhulu imvume kimi kutsi aye eBhetlehema. ²⁹ Watsi, 'Ngiyacela ungivumele ngihambe. Ngobe umndeni wetu unesibingelelo edolobheni, umfowethu ungitsetsele kutsi ngibe lapho. Manje, nangabe ngitfole lutsandvo emehlweni akho, ngiyacela ungivumele ngibone bobofowabo.' Ngenca yaloko akezanga etafileni yenkhosi." ³⁰ Bucukubaca bukaSaul bavutwa ngeJonathan, wamtsi, "Wena ndvodzana yensikati lenembuka, lenenkani! Angati yini kutsi ukhetse indvodzana kaJese ekuhlanzeni, nasekuhlanzeni kwekutifihla kukanina? ³¹ Njalonjalo nje indvodzana kaJese iphila emhlabeni, ngeke wena noma umbuso wakho uciniseke. Manje-ke, thumela umletise kimi, ngobe kufanele afe." ³² Jonathan waphendvula babe wakhe uSaul, "Ngenca yeni kufanele abulawe? Wenteni?" ³³ Sawula waphonsa umkhonto wakhe kuye embulaleni. Jonathan wati kutsi babe wakhe unqume kubulala uDavide. ³⁴ Jonathan wasukuma etafileni enobucukubaca lobukhulu wadla kudla lilanga lesibili lenyanga, ngobe wadabuka ngeDavide, ngobe babe wakhe abehlazisile. ³⁵ Ekuseni, Jonathan waphuma waya ensimini ehlangotsini lukaDavide, insizwa ibe inaye. ³⁶ Watsi ensizweni yakhe, "Gijima uyotfola imicibisholo lengiyibetjelayo." Ngesikhatsi insizwa igijima, wabeta umcibisholo ngaphezu kwayo. ³⁷ Ngesikhatsi insizwa ifika endzaweni lapho umcibisholo lowubetjwe nguJonathan wehlele khona, Jonathan wamemeta insizwa emuva, watsi, "Akusiyo yini imicibisholo ingaphezu kwakho?" ³⁸ Jonathan wamemeta insizwa emuva, "Khahlela, shesha, ungahlali!" Insizwa kaJonathan yabutana imicibisholo yafika enkosini yayo. ³⁹ Kepha insizwa yayingati lutfo. Kuphela uJonathan noDavide babati lendzaba. ⁴⁰ Jonathan wanika tikhali takhe insizwa yakhe watsi kuyo, "Hamba, uyitfumise edolobheni." ⁴¹ Nje kuphela kwensizwa, uDavide wasukuma emuva kwesigcoko, wawela ebusweni emhlabeni, wakhothama kabili. Badzana wacisheka badzana, badzana bekhala, uDavide ekhala kakhulu. ⁴² Jonathan watsi kuDavide, "Hamba ngokuthula, ngobe sifungile bobabili egameni likaSimakadze sitsi, 'Simakadze makabe phakati kwakho nami, naphakati kwenzalo yami nenzalo yakho, kuze kube phakadze.'" Davide wasukuma wahamba, Jonathan wabuyela edolobheni.