25. Umkhosi wonke waya kufika kwindawo enehlathi. Apho ehlathini babubuninzi ubusi.
26. Bakungena ehlathini babona ubusi butsitsa, kodwa akubangakho bani ukhongozelayo atye; kaloku bonke babesoyika isiqalekiso sikaSawule.
27. UJonatan yena wayengasivanga isifungo sikayise esibophelela abantu. Wahlaba ngentonga awayeyiphethe enqatheni lobusi, yabuya imanzi, wafaka emlonyeni, kwatsho kwee qabu kwangoko.
28. Elinye ijoni lathi: “Uyihlo uwubophelele wonke umkhosi ngesifungo esingqongqo, esithi: ‘Uqalekisiwe nabani na oya kuthi atye namhlanje.’ Yiloo nto amadoda ephelelwe ngamandla nje.”
29. UJonatan akuyiva loo nto, wathi: “Ubawo ulifake enkathazweni ilizwe! Ndiziva ndidlamkile ngoku, ndakuba ndikhe ndangcamla intwana yobusi.
30. Ngekukuhle kakhulu ukuba amawethu la ebeyekiwe akutya okuya kutya kuthinjwe kwiintshaba zethu. AmaFilistiya afileyo nge-engaphezulu koku.”
31. Ngaloo mhla emva kokuba amaSirayeli ewatyakatyile amaFilistiya ukusuka eMikimashe kuse eAyalon, aziva ephelile kukudinwa.
32. Asuka awatsibela amaxhoba, abamba iigusha, iinkomo, namathole, azixhela kwalapho, ayitya loo nyama isenegazi.
33. Kwabakho abaya kuxelela uSawule, besithi: “Mhlekazi, nangaya amadoda esenza isono kuNdikhoyo ngokutya inyama enegazi.”“Nikreqile!” wavakala esitsho uSawule. “Makuqengqwe ilitye elikhulu, liziswe apha,
34. niye phaya kulawa madoda, nithi ndithi makeze nezo nkomo neegusha zawo, azixhele apha, azitye, angenzi sono kuNdikhoyo ngokutya inyama enegazi.” Beza nazo ke ezo nkomo, bazixhela apho ngokuhlwa kwaloo mini.
35. USawule ke wamakhela iqonga uNdikhoyo. Wayeqala ukwenza oko.
36. Wavakala esithi kumadoda omkhosi wakhe uSawule: “Masiwahlasele amaFilistiya ngobu busuku, siwahluthe amaxhoba kude kuvele umsobomvu, siwabulale onke.”Aphendula amadoda athi: “Qhuba ngokubona kwakho, mhlekazi.”Kuselapho kunqande umbingeleli, wathi: “Masive kuThixo kuqala.”
37. USawule wabuza kuThixo esithi: “Ndingawahlasela kusini na amaFilistiya? Xa siwahlasele, uya kuwanikela esandleni sethu na?” Kodwa ngaloo mini akaphendulanga uThixo.
38. Kwesi sithuba uSawule ubhekise kwiingqwayi-ngqwayi zomkhosi, wathi: “Sondelani nonke, niphande ukuba sono sini na esenziwe kuNdikhoyo namhlanje.
39. Ndifunga uNdikhoyo ophilayo, lo ungumhlanguli kaSirayeli, ukuba loo mntu wenze lo monakalo uya kufa, nditsho nokuba nguJonatan unyana wam.” Kwathi nzwanga!
40. Uthe uSawule kumkhosi wakhe uphela: “Kulungile ke, yimani kweliya cala nonke; mna noJonatan siza kuma kweli.”“Yenza ngokubona kwakho, mhlekazi,” yatsho impendulo.
41. USawule ke wabhekisa kuNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli, wathi: “Nceda undinike impendulo enyanisekileyo.”Kwafika impendulo, isalatha ityala kuJonatan kunye noSawule, umkhosi wona ungenatyala.
42. Uqhube wenjenje uSawule: “Yalatha onetyala phakathi kwam nonyana wam uJonatan.” Kwalathwa uJonatan.
43. Ubuze uJonatan uSawule esithi: “Ndixelele, wenze sono sini?”UJonatan uphendule wathi: “Ndingcamle nje intwana yobusi ngomva wentonga yam. Ngaba mandifele loo nto?”
44. USawule uthe: “UThixo aze andigwebe mna lo ukuba andikubulali wena.”
45. Basuka abantu bathi: “NguJonatan lo uza kubulawa? Asinguye lo uzisele uSirayeli uloyiso olungaka? Unotshe! Sifunga uThixo ophilayo, akayi kuthiwa cha nto. Kuyo yonke into abeyenza namhlanje ubencedwa nguThixo.” Baba ke abantu bayamsindisa ekufeni uJonatan ngaloo ndlela.