¹ EmaZefathe eta kuSawula eGibeah abuta kuye, ''Davide akabhaci yini entsabeni yaseHakila, nasotofika eJeshimoni?'' ² Wabebse Sawula uyasukuma wehlela ehlane laseZifu, ahamba nemadvodza latinkhulungwane letintsatfu elikhetselo aka-Izrayeli, kuyofuna Davide ehlane laseZifi. ³ Sawula bekabeke inkambu yakhe etulu entsabeni yeHakhila, nasewutofika eJeshimoni, eceleni kwemgwaco. Kepha Davide bekahlala ekhatsi ehlane, futsi wabona kutsi Sawula uyeta emvakwakhe ehlane. ⁴ Ngakoke Davide watfumela timpimbi vele watfola kutsi Sawula uyeta mbamba. ⁵ Davide watsatsa tinyatselo wahamba waya endzaweni lapho khona Sawula bekabeke khona inkambu yakhe; wayibona indzawo lokulele khona Sawula, na-Abner indvodzana yaNeri, indvuna yelibutfo lakhe; Sawula bekalele enkambu, bese libutfo lakhe limutungeletele, bonkhe balele. ⁶ Wabese Davide utsi ku-Ahimelekhi umHithi, na-Abishayi indvodzana yaZeruiah, umnakabo Joyabi, ''Ngubani lotokwehla nami siye kuSawula enkambini yakhe?'' Abishayi waphendvula watsi, ''Ngimi! Ngitokwehla nawe.'' ⁷ Ngakoke Davide na-Abishayi behlela kulamabutfo ebusuku. Sawula bekalapho alele ethendeni sikhali sakhe sihlabe phasi emhlabatini ngasenhloko yakhe. Abneri nemabutfo akhe alele akungeletele Sawula. ⁸ Wabese Abishayi utsi kuDavide, ''Namuhla Nkulunkulu ubete sitsa sakho esandleni sakho. Nyalo ngicela ungikhulule ngimugwaze ngimcindzetele phasi emhlabatsini kanye. Ngeke ngidzinge kumugwaza kwesibili.'' ⁹ Davide waphendvula watsi ku-Abishayi, ''Ungambulali; ngoba lobekasandla kulogcotjwe nguSimakadze ubabete licala yini?'' ¹⁰ Davide watsi, ''Njengoba Simakadze aphila, Simakadze utombulala, nobe lilanga lakhe lekufa litofika, nobe utoya emphini afe khona. ¹¹ Ngicela Simakadze angivimbe ekubekeni sandla kumuntfu logcotjwe nguye; khepha nyalo, ngyakucela, tsatsa sikhali sakhe lapha ngasenhloko nelijeke lemanti, bese siyahamba.'' ¹² Ngakoke Davide watsatsa lesikhali nalelijeke lemanti ngasenhloko yaSawula, base bayabaleka. Kute umuntfu lowababona nobe lowati ngabo, nalabavuka kute, ngoba bonkhe bebalele, ngoba Simakadze bekabatsele ngalobudze butfongo. ¹³ Wabese Davide uwelela ngesheya wema etulu entsabeni khashane; libanga lelidze emkhatsini wakhe nabo. ¹⁴ Davide wamemeta kubantfu na-Abneri indvodzana yaNeri; wamemet watsi, ''uyangiva yini, ye-Abneri?'' Wabese Abneri uyasabela utsi, ''Ungubani wena lomemeta inkhosi?'' ¹⁵ Davide waphendvula watsi ku-Abneri, ''Uyindvodza lenesibindzi? Kute lofana nawe ka-Izrayeli? Kepha lenkhosi yakho bongakayigadzi ngani? Ngoba kukhona lofikile atobulala inkhosi yakho. ¹⁶ Lentfo loyentile ayisiko kahle. Simakadze asaphila, nifanelwe kufa ngoba anikagadzi kahle inkhosi yenu, logcotjwe nguSimakadze. Nyalo bukani sikuphi sikhali senkhosi nelijeke lemanti lebekubekwe ngasenhloko yakhe!'' ¹⁷ Sawula walifanisa livi laDavide watsi, ''livi lakho yini lelo, ndvodzana yami Davide?'' Davide waphendvula watsi, ''Yebo livi lami, sikhulu sami, nkhosi.'' ¹⁸ Davide watsi, ''Kepha leni inkhosi yami igijimise sisebenti yayo ngemuva? Ngenteni mine? Yini lokukabi lengikwentile? ¹⁹ Ngakoke kenyalo, ngiyakuncenga, ngicela inkhosi yami ilalele emagama lachamuka esisebentini sakhe. NakunguSimakadze lobangele kutsi ungijikele, akamukele umnikelo; kepha nakubantfu labasicabanisile, abacalekiswe ebusweni baSimakadze, ngoba nyalo sebangicoshile, kutsi ngingahlali endzaweni yaSimakadze; sebatse kimi, 'Hamba ukhonte labanye boNkulunkulu.' ²⁰ Ngakoke nyalo, ningangibulaleli khashane nebukhona baSimakadze; ngoba inkhosi yaka-Izrayeli iphumile itofuna umuntfu longasiyo ingoti kufana nalotingela inyoni yesiganga etintsabeni.'' ²¹ Sawula wabese utsi, ''Sengonile. Buya, Davide, ndvodzana yami; ngeke ngisakucosha, ngoba nyalo imphilo yami imcoka kakhulu kuwe. Buka, sengente siphosiso lesimbi kabi.'' ²² Davide waphendvula watsi, ''Buka, nasi sikhali sakho, nkhosi! Tfumela munye umuntfu kulamasontja akho asilandze akuletsele. ²³ Simakadze akabusise ngamunye ngamunye kutimisela nekutsembeka kwakhe; ngoba Simakadze ukubeke etandleni tami namuhla, kepha ngiyala kuphakamisela sandla kulogcotjile. ²⁴ Buka, njengoba imphilo yakho imcoka kimi namuhla, ngakoke nakuSimakadze ayigcineke imphilo yami imcoka emehlweni akhe, phindze angilamulele kutotonkhe tinkinga tami.'' ²⁵ Sawula wabese utsi kuDavide, ''Simakadze akakubusise, wena Davide ndvodzana yami, utokwenta tintfo letinkhulu futsi uphumelele kito.'' Ngakoke Davide wajika, naSawula wajika wabuyela ekhaya.