1 Ngemuva kwesikhatsi emaFilisti alwa nema-Israyeli. Ema-Israyeli abalekela emaFilisti kepha lamanye afa entsabeni iGilboa. 2 EmaFilisti abagijimisela dvute boSawula nemadvodzana akhe. EmaFilisti abulala Jonathani, Abinadabi, naMalki-Shua, emadvodzana akhe. 3 Lemphi yashuba ngakuSawula, labadubula ngebutjoki bamukhandza Sawula. Bekasebuhlungwini lobumatima adutjuliwe ngebutjoki. 4 Wabese Sawula ukhuluma naloyo lotfwala tikhali takhe watsi, ''khipha sikhali sakho ungicedzele. Ngaphandle kwaloko, labantfu labangakasoki batofika bangihlaze.'' Kepha lendvodza letfwala tikhali takhe yala, ngoba bekesaba kakhulu. Ngakoke Sawula watsatsa sikhali sakhe watiwisa tikwaso. 5 Yatsi lendvodza letfwala tikhali takhe ngekubona kutsi Sawula ufile, nayo kanjalo yatiwisela kusakayo sikhali yafa naSawula. 6 Ngakoke Sawula wafa, nemadvodzana akhe, nalendvodza letfwala tikhali takhe-lamadvodza lawa afa onkhe kanye kanye langa linye. 7 Ngesikhatsi emadvodza aka-Israyeli lebekangakulolunye luhlangotsi lwendzawo lesemgodzini, nalabo labangesheya kweJodani, babona kutsi emabutfo abo abalekile, nekutsi Sawula nemadvodzana akhe kutsi bafile, ema-Israyeli ashiya emadolobha awo abaleka, nemaFilisti efika ahlala kuwo lamadolobha. 8 Kwatsi ngelilanga lelilandzelako, emaFilisti nakaya kuyotsatsa tikhali kuletidvumbu tema-Israyeli, batfola Sawula nemadvodzana akhe lamatsatfu bafile entsabeni iGilboa. 9 10 Bajuba inhloko yaSawula batsatsa netikhali takhe, batfumela tingijimi kutsi tiye kulo lonkhe lemaFilisti tihambise tindzaba emathempelini abo lanetithico nakubantfu. Babeka tikhali taSawula ethempelini la-Ashtoreths, baphindze bakhungela umtimba wakhe nemadvodzana akhe etibondzeni tasedolobheni eBethi Shani. 11 Ngesikhatsi labahlala eJabesh Gilead beva kutsi emaFilisti amenteni Sawula, onkhe 12 emadvodza ekulwa asukuma ashuca busuku bonkhe ehlisa umtimba waSawula nalamadvodzana akhe etibondzeni taseBethi Shani. Bahamba baya eJabeshi bayoyishisela khona lemitimba. 13 Babese batsatsa ematsambo abo bawangcwaba ngephasi kwesihlala se-tamarisk eJabeshi, phindze bazila emalanga lasikhombisa.