21. AmaHeberu ayenamaFilisti kuqala nawo akhuphukela ekamu* nxazonke, aphendukela kwabakwa-Israyeli ababe noSawule noJonathani.
22. Abantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli ababecashile ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi sebezwile ukuthi amaFilisti abaleka, nabo bawaxosha ekulweni.
23. UJehova wasindisa u-Israyeli ngalolo suku; ukulwa kwadlulela eBeti Aveni.
24. Abantu bakwa-Israyeli babecindezelwa ngalolo suku, kepha uSawule wafungisa abantu, wathi: “Makaqalekiswe umuntu odla ukudla kungakahlwi, ngingakaziphindiseli ezitheni zami.” Akwabakho muntu owezwa ukudla.
25. Abantu bonke beza ehlathini; kwakukhona izinyosi phansi.
26. Abantu sebengenile ehlathini, bheka, izinyosi zaconsa, kepha akwabakho muntu obeka isandla emlonyeni, ngokuba abantu besaba isifungo.
27. Kepha uJonathani akezwanga lapho uyise efungisa abantu; ngalokho welula isihloko senduku esesandleni sakhe, wasicwilisa ezinyosini, wabeka isandla emlonyeni; ayeseqabuka amehlo akhe.
28. Kwase kuthatha omunye wabantu, wathi: “Uyihlo wabafungisa nokubafungisa abantu, ethi: ‘Makaqalekiswe umuntu odla ukudla namuhla.’ Abantu babephelile amandla.”
29. Wayesethi uJonathani: “Ubaba uhluphile izwe; ake nibone ukuthi amehlo ami aseqabukile, ngokuba ngizwe ingcosana yalezi zinyosi.
30. Kakhulu kangakanani, uma abantu bebedlile impela impango yezitha zabo abayifumanayo, ngokuba nga engabulawanga kakhulu amaFilisti na?”
31. Babulala amaFilisti ngalolo suku kusukela eMikimashi kuze kube se-Ajaloni; abantu baphela amandla kakhulu.
32. Abantu batheleka empangweni, bathatha izimvu, nezinkabi, namankonyane, bakubulalela phansi; abantu bakudla kanye negazi.
33. Base bemtshela uSawule, bethi: “Bheka, abantu bayona kuJehova ngokudla okunegazi.”Wathi: “Nenze kabi; gingqelani kimi itshe elikhulu namuhla.”
34. Wathi uSawule: “Hlakazekelani phakathi kwabantu, nithi kubo: ‘Lethani kimi, kube yilowo nalowo inkabi yakhe, nalowo imvu yakhe, nizihlabe lapha, nidle, ningoni kuJehova ngokudla okunegazi.’ ” Bonke abantu baletha, kwaba yilowo nalowo inkabi yakhe ngalobo busuku ngesandla sakhe, bazihlaba khona.
35. USawule wamakhela uJehova i-altare; kwakuyi-altare lokuqala amakhela lona uJehova.
36. USawule wathi: “Masehle, silandele amaFilisti ebusuku, siwaphange kuze kuse, singashiyi noyedwa kuwo.”Bathi: “Yenza konke okuhle emehlweni akho.”Umpristi wayesethi: “Masisondele lapha kuNkulunkulu.”