Jonatani unonginilila Bafilisitiya
1 Kwakati limwe zhuba Jonatani nkololo wa Saulo kadwa nsengi we zwibhayano zwizwe kati, “Ngatiyende, ku ikwata tje babhayani be Bafilisitiya tjandiyeno.” Koga wakabe asabudza tate babe. 2 Saulo wakabe egala ku ndzibo we Gibiya kusi kwe nti we pomegiranate mu Migironi, ana bathu bangabe mazana ali matathatu (600). 3 Mubali kwakabe kuna Ahija nkololo wa Ahitubu, batatenini babe ili Ikhabodi, Ahija iwoyu, batategulu babe bakabe bali Finihasi nkololo wa Eli mpirisiti wa Yahwe mu Shilo. Ahija wakabe e ambala khiba ye bupirisiti. Ipapo bathu bakabe basingazibe kuti Jonatani wayenda.
4 Mu nkoto we dombo wakabe Jonatani eshoko bhuda ndiwo, eyenda ku ikwata tje babhayani be Bafilisitiya, kwakabe kuna shongwe dzimile dzakashongoloka dzakabe dzinging'wa pakati kwadzo, zina le imwe shongwe lakabe liyi Bhozezi imwe iye Sene. 5 Imwe shongwe yakabe yakashongoloka ili ku bunandzwa kulingisana ne Mikimashi, imwe ilimile ku burwa kulingisana ne Gebha.
6 Jonatani wakadwa nsengi we zwibhayano zwizwe kati, “Ngatiyende ku ikwata tje babhayani ibabaje basakathumbigwa, pamwe Yahwe banowotibhatsha, akuna tjingama Yahwe mbeli kutitjidza nge bunji kene nge bushomanana.”
7 Nsengi we zwibhayano zwizwe kandwa kati, “Thamani tjimwe ne tjimwe tjamakakumbula, dwililani, ndowoma namwi mu tjimwe ne tjimwe.”
8 Jonatani kandwa kakale kati, “Kwakalulwama, towotjulukila ku bali, tikabazwilakidza. 9 Ha bangatidwa beti, ‘Imani ipapo kuswikilila tizha kumuli, towoma ipapo patinowobe tilipo, atitowotathila ku bali.’ 10 Koga ha bangatidwa beti, ‘Tathilani ngeno, towotathila ku bali, ngobe tjowobe tjili tjilakidzo mutili kuti Yahwe batipa kukunda.’ ”
11 Ndizo bose bakazwilakidza ku babhayani be Bafilisitiya. Bafilisitiya bakati bebabona bakati, “Bonani! Bahebheru banobhuda mu mimwina yabakabe bakabgwata muili.” 12 Balume be babhayani bakamimilila Jonatani ne nsengi we zwibhayano zwizwe beti, “Izhani ngeno, towomulakidza tjamunoshaka!”
Ndizo Jonatani kadwa nsengi we zwibhayano zwizwe kati, “Undisale shule, ngobe Yahwe bapa Iziraela kukunda.” 13 Jonatani wakatathila pezhugwi nge maboko ne makumbo awe, nsengi we zwibhayano zwizwe akantobela. Jonatani kanginilila Bafilisitiya kabatema kabaligila pasi, ngono nsengi we zwibhayano zwizwe, kazha shule kukwe, kabakowobedza. 14 Mu kuthasela kwabo kwe kutanga Jonatani ne nsengi we zwibhayano zwizwe bakabulaya balume bangaswika makumi mabili mu pathu pakaashama kungabe gwamu le ndima ye ng'ombe. 15 Kukabe ne kupaluka moyo kukulu mu ikwata tje babhayani bose be Bafilisitiya bakabe bali mu mishasha ne bakabe bali ku magwilo ne bakabe bali batoleli, shango ikatengenyeka, bose bakabe ne kutja. Kutja ikoku kwakabe kudwa ku Ndzimu.
Bafilisitiya banokundiwa
16 Balindi ba Saulo mu Gibiya mu ntuthu we Bhenjamini bakalinga, ngono bakabona mbunga we bathu uwundumuka utizhila yeno na yeno. 17 Ndizo Saulo kadwa babhayani baakabe anabo kati, “Danani mazina mubone kuti ndiboani bangabe basipo mutili.” Kwakati basinobe badana mazina, ngono bakawana Jonatani ne nsengi we zwibhayano zwizwe basipo.
18 Saulo kadwa Ahija kati, “Zhisa ngeno Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu.” Ngobe mu tjibaka itjetjo Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu lakabe liyenda ne Baiziraela. 19 Kwakati Saulo atjalebeleka ne mpirisiti, zhoba imu mishasha ye Bafilisitiya ikakulila mbeli. Saulo kadwa mpirisiti kati, “Letjedza.” 20 Ipapo Saulo ne bathu bose bakabe banaye bakakubungana bakayenda ku ngwa, bakawana Bafilisitiya bebulayana ne makanu abo, ndizo kukabe ne kudziyana kukulu kwazo. 21 Bahebheru bakabe bagala bana Bafilisitiya, bakayenda nabo ku ngwa, bakabashandukila, ngono bakabgwilila ku Baiziraela bakabe bana Saulo na Jonatani. 22 Kwakati Baiziraela bose bakabe babgwata mu shango ye matuthu ye Ifureimi, behwa kuti Bafilisitiya banotizha, na ibo bakatatana nabo mu ngwa. 23 Mu zhuba ilelo Yahwe bakagwila Baiziraela, ngono ngwa ikanopinda Bhetiaveni.
Zwiyitikalo shule kwe ngwa
24 Mu zhuba ilelo bathu be Iziraela bakadziyidzika kwazo, ngobe Saulo wakatunisa bathu kati, “Kube ne bhiso munli nthu unowoja zojiwa kutangila zhuba lingina, ndisathu azwibgwilizila mu zwita zwangu.” Ndizo akuna nlume wakalabila zojiwa. 25 Bathu ibaba bose bakangina mu ishaka, bawana butji gwe nyutji pasi. 26 Kwakati babhayani beswika mu ishaka, butji gwe nyutji gudotha, ngono akuna ne wakatola kayisa ku nlomo, ngobe bakatja tjisungo. 27 Koga Jonatani wakabe asahwa kuti tate babe batunisa bathu, ndizo katola lukombo gwaakabe akabhata kabhayila theswi yago mu mape e nyutji, kayisa luboko ku nlomo uwe, mesho awe kabe epenya. 28 Ngono mmwe we babhayani kandwa kati, “Tate babo bakatunisa bathu beti, ‘Una bhiso iye unowoja zojiwa mu zhuba la nasi. Ndizo bathu bakafa nge zhala.’ ”
29 Jonatani kabe eti, “Tate badziyidza shango, bona sekwa mesho angu wopenya ndiko, ngobe ndalabila butji gushomanana. 30 Apa kobe kusayita, ha babhayani babe baja zwabo bakasungunuka zojiwa zwabatapa nasi mu zwita zwabo, ngwenu kobe kusabulawa Bafilisitiya nge bunji kene?”
31 Mu zhuba ilelo, Baiziraela basinobulaya Bafilisitiya kudwa mu Mikimashi kunoti ku Aijaloni, bakabe batjinengetela nge zhala. 32 Ndizo bakawila zojiwa zwabatapa pezhugwi, bakatola pkhwizi ne ng'ombe ne phulu, bakazwibhayila pasi koga, bakaja nyama ibhizha malopa. 33 Ndizo mmwe kanobikila Saulo eti, “Lingani, bathu banothamila Yahwe tjibi ngoja nyama ibhizha malopa.” Saulo kashandula eti, “Mathama nlandu, kunguludzilani bgwe gulu kundili.” 34 Saulo kabadwa kati, “Yendani ku bathu, ngono mubadwe muti, ‘Mmwe ne mmwe azhise ng'ombe kene pkhwizi, bazhe bazwibhayile ipapa, bazwije, basithamile Yahwe tjibi ngoja nyama ibhizha malopa.’ ” Ndizo mmwe ne mmwe kazhisa ng'ombe iye busiku igogu kaibhayila ipapo. 35 Saulo kabakila Yahwe Tjibeso tje zwibhayilo, tjakabe tjili tje kutanga etjibaka.
36 Saulo kabe eti, “Atitobeleni Bafilisitiya busiku, tibakikithidze kuswikila mangwanana kuyedza, kushete ne ng'ompela wabo watinowosiya etjila.”
Babhayani bakashandula beti, “Thama tjaunobona tjakakululwamila tokubhatsha.”
Ngono mpirisiti kabe eti, “Ngatizwisedzedzeni ku Ndzimu ipapa.”
37 Ndizo Saulo kabhuzwa Ndzimu eti, “Apa nditobele Bafilisitiya, mothama kuti bakundiwe nge Baiziraela kene?” Koga Ndzimu ukasin'dabile Zhuba ilelo. 38 Saulo kabe eti, “Izhani ngeno mose imwi batungamili be ikwata tje babhayani, ngatishakeni kuti kwathamwa tjibi tjipi nasi. 39 Ndolebesa ndotuna na Yahwe banotjila ibo bakagwila Iziraela, ha kuli kuti kumu nkololo wangu Jonatani, ndolebesa unowofa!” Koga mu bathu bose ibabo ukuna wakanshandula. 40 Saulo kadwa Baiziraela bose kati, “Imwi mume ikoko, imi ne nkololo wangu Jonatani towoma ndingeno.” Ngono bathu bakadabila beti, “Thama tjaunobona tjakakululwamila naswi tiyapobo.”
41 Ndizo Saulo katembezela Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela kati, “Imwi Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela, ini musadabila nlanda wenyu nasi kene? Koga ha nlandu uwoyu uli mundili kene mu nkololo wangu Jonatani, imwi Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela mupe Urimu, koga ha nlandu uli mu bathu benyu Baiziraela mupe Thumimu.” Kukakandigwa kukabhakhwa Jonatani na Saulo, bathu bakasungunuka. 42 Ndizo Saulo kabe eti, “Kandilani pakati kwangu ne nkololo wangu Jonatani.” Ngono kukabhakhwa Jonatani.
43 Saulo kadwa Jonatani kati, “Undibudze, wathamani kene?”
Jonatani kambudza kati, “Ndakalabila butji gwe nyutji bushomanana nge theswi ye lukombo gwandakabe ndakabhata, yezo ndipano, ndingafa?”
44 Saulo kati, “Ndzimu undilobe upaphulula, ha usingake ukafa, Jonatani.”
45 Bathu bakabhuzwa Saulo bakati, “Apa Jonatani unofa kene? Iye wakathama kukunda kukulu zwingapa mu Iziraela! Ndodwa! Totuna na Yahwe banotjila tjoselele, akuna vudzi mu nsholo uwe linowowila pasi, ngobe wathama ikoku nasi nge bhatsho ye Ndzimu.” Ndizo bathu bakasunungula Jonatani, ngono akasife. 46 Ndizo Saulo kaletjedza kutatana ne Bafilisitiya, ngono Bafilisitiya bakayenda kanyi kwabo. 47 Kwakati Saulo asinotola bushe gwe Iziraela, kabhayana ne zwita zwizwe zose pamwe ne pamwe, Moabu ne Baamoni ne Edomu na bomambo be Zobha, nenge Bafilisitiya, kumwe ne kumwe kwaakabe elingako wakabe ekunda. 48 Wakagwa akasima tjilopa, kakunda Baamaleki, kasunungula Baiziraela mu maboko e bakabe bakabatapa.
49 Ipapo bakololo ba Saulo bakabe ili Jonatani na Ishivi na Malikishuwa. Zina le nkololokadzi uwe hwola lakabe liyi Merabhu ntjetjana kuyi Mikhali. 50 Zina le nkadzi wa Saulo lakabe liyi Ahinoami nkololokadzi wa Ahimaazi. Zina le ntungamili we babhayani babe lakabe liyi Abineri nkololo wa Neri batatenini ba Saulo. 51 Kishi wakabe ali tate ba Saulo, ngono Neri ali tate ba Abineri, bakabe bali bakololo ba Abiele.
52 Kwakabe kuli ngwa yakasima ne Bafilisitiya mu misi yose ya Saulo, kwakabe kuti Saulo ebona nlume wakasima kene ali ngwi wakasima tjilopa kazwitolegwa iye kunshingisa.
1-3 and Saul was in Geba with his 600 men. Saul's own tent was set up under a fruit tree by the threshing place at the edge of town. Ahijah was serving as priest, and one of his jobs was to get answers from the Lord for Saul. Ahijah's father was Ahitub, and his father's brother was Ichabod. Ahijah's grandfather was Phinehas, and his great-grandfather Eli had been the Lord's priest at Shiloh.
One day, Jonathan told the soldier who carried his weapons that he wanted to attack the Philistine camp on the other side of the valley. So they slipped out of the Israelite camp without anyone knowing it. Jonathan didn't even tell his father he was leaving.
4-5 Jonathan decided to get to the Philistine camp by going through the pass that led between Shiny Cliff and Michmash to the north and Thornbush Cliff and Geba to the south.
6 Jonathan and the soldier who carried his weapons talked as they went toward the Philistine camp. “It's just the two of us against all those godless men,” Jonathan said. “But the Lord can help a few soldiers win a battle just as easily as he can help a whole army. Maybe the Lord will help us win this battle.”
7 “Do whatever you want,” the soldier answered. “I'll be right there with you.”
8 “This is what we will do,” Jonathan said. “We will go across and let them see us. 9 If they agree to come down the hill and fight where we are, then we won't climb up to their camp. 10 But we will go if they tell us to come up the hill and fight. That will mean the Lord is going to help us win.”
11-12 Jonathan and the soldier stood at the bottom of the hill where the Philistines could see them. The Philistines said, “Look! Those worthless Israelites have crawled out of the holes where they've been hiding.” Then they yelled down to Jonathan and the soldier, “Come up here, and we will teach you a thing or two!”
Jonathan turned to the soldier and said, “Follow me! The Lord is going to let us win.”
13 Jonathan crawled up the hillside with the soldier right behind him. When they got to the top, Jonathan killed the Philistines who attacked from the front, and the soldier killed those who attacked from behind. 14 Before they had gone 30 meters, they had killed about 20 Philistines.
15 The whole Philistine army panicked—those in camp, those on guard duty, those in the fields, and those on raiding patrols. All of them were afraid and confused. Then God sent an earthquake, and the ground began to tremble.
Israel Defeats the Philistines
16 Saul's lookouts at Geba saw that the Philistine army was running in every direction, like melted wax. 17 Saul told his officers, “Call the roll and find out who left our camp.” When they had finished, they found out that Jonathan and the soldier who carried his weapons were missing.
18 At that time, Ahijah was serving as priest for the army of Israel, and Saul told him, “Come over here! Let's ask God what we should do.” 19 Just as Saul finished saying this, he could see that the Philistine army camp was getting more and more confused, and he said, “Ahijah, never mind!”
20 Saul quickly called his army together, then led them to the Philistine camp. By this time the Philistines were so confused that they were killing each other.
21 There were also some hired soldiers in the Philistine camp, who now switched to Israel's side and fought for Saul and Jonathan.
22 Many Israelites had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim. And when they heard that the Philistines were running away, they came out of hiding and joined in chasing the Philistines.
23-24 So the Lord helped Israel win the battle that day.
Saul's Curse on Anyone Who Eats
Saul had earlier told his soldiers, “I want to get even with those Philistines by sunset. If any of you eat before then, you will be under a curse!” So he made them swear not to eat.
By the time the fighting moved past Beth-Aven, the Israelite troops were weak from hunger. 25-26 The army and the people who lived nearby had gone into a forest, and they came to a place where honey was dripping on the ground. But no one ate any of it, because they were afraid of being put under the curse.
27 Jonathan did not know about Saul's warning to the soldiers. So he dipped the end of his walking stick in the honey and ate some with his fingers. He felt stronger and more alert. 28 Then a soldier told him, “Your father swore that anyone who ate food today would be put under a curse, and we agreed not to eat. That's why we're so weak.”
29 Jonathan said, “My father has caused you a lot of trouble. Look at me! I ate only a little of this honey, but already I feel strong and alert. 30 I wish you had eaten some of the food the Philistines left behind. We would have been able to kill a lot more of them.”
31 By evening the Israelite army was exhausted from killing Philistines all the way from Michmash to Aijalon. 32 They grabbed the food they had captured from the Philistines and started eating. They even killed sheep and cows and calves right on the spot and ate the meat without draining the blood. 33 Someone told Saul, “Look! The army is disobeying the Lord by eating meat before the blood drains out.”
“You're right,” Saul answered. “They are being unfaithful to the Lord! Hurry! Roll a big rock over here. 34 Then tell everyone in camp to bring their cattle and lambs to me. They can kill the animals on this rock, then eat the meat. That way no one will disobey the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.”
That night the soldiers brought their cattle over to the big rock and killed them there. 35 It was the first altar Saul had built for offering sacrifices to the Lord.
The Army Rescues Jonathan
36 Saul said, “Let's attack the Philistines again while it's still dark. We can fight them all night. Let's kill them and take everything they own!”
The people answered, “We will do whatever you want.”
“Wait!” Ahijah the priest said. “Let's ask God what we should do.”
37 Saul asked God, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you help us win?”
This time God did not answer. 38 Saul called his army officers together and said, “We have to find out what sin has kept God from answering. 39 I swear by the living Lord that whoever sinned must die, even if it turns out to be my own son Jonathan.”
No one said a word.
40 Saul told his army, “You stand on that side of the priest, and Jonathan and I will stand on the other side.”
Everyone agreed.
41 Then Saul prayed, “Our Lord, God of Israel, why haven't you answered me today? Please show us who sinned. Was it my son Jonathan and I, or was it your people Israel?”
The answer came back that Jonathan or Saul had sinned, not the army. 42 Saul told Ahijah, “Now ask the Lord to decide between Jonathan and me.”
The answer came back that Jonathan had sinned. 43 “Jonathan,” Saul exclaimed, “tell me what you did!”
“I dipped the end of my walking stick in some honey and ate a little. Now you say I have to die!”
44 “Yes, Jonathan. I swear to God that you must die.”
45 “No!” the soldiers shouted. “God helped Jonathan win the battle for us. We won't let you kill him. We swear to the Lord that we won't let you kill him or even lay a hand on him!” So the army kept Saul from killing Jonathan.
46 Saul stopped hunting down the Philistines, and they went home.
Saul Fights His Enemies
47-48 When Saul became king, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Edomites, the kings of Zobah, the Philistines, and the Amalekites had all been robbing the Israelites. Saul fought back against these enemies and stopped them from robbing Israel. He was a brave commander and always won his battles.
Saul's Family
49-51 Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. They had three sons: Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. They also had two daughters: The older one was Merab, and the younger one was Michal.
Abner, Saul's cousin, was the commander of the army. Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel.
War with the Philistines
52 Saul was at war with the Philistines for as long as he lived. Whenever he found a good warrior or a brave man, Saul made him join his army.