1USamuyeli wathi kuSawuli, “Mina yimi engathunywa nguThixo* ukuthi ngikugcobe ukuba yinkosi yabantu bakhe u-Israyeli; ngakho-ke khathesi lalela ilizwi elivela kuThixo*.
2Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo* uSomandla: ‘Ama-Amaleki ngizawajezisa ngenxa yalokhu akwenzayo ku-Israyeli lapho abacathamela ekuphumeni kwabo eGibhithe.
3Khathesi hamba uyehlasela ama-Amaleki uqede du konke okungokwawo. Ungawayekeli; bulala amadoda labafazi, abantwana lensane, inkomo lezimvu, amakamela kanye labobabhemi.’ ”
4Ngakho uSawuli wabiza abantu wababuthanisa eThelayimi, izinkulungwane ezimbili zebutho lezinyawo kanye lamadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi avela koJuda.
5USawuli waya edolobheni lase-Amaleki bacathama edongeni.
6Wasesithi kumaKheni, “Sukani, tshiyani ama-Amaleki ukuze ngingaliqothuli kanye lawo; ngoba lina latshengisa umusa kuwo wonke ama-Israyeli ekuphumeni kwawo eGibhithe.” Ngakho amaKheni asuka kuma-Amaleki.
7Lapho-ke uSawuli wahlasela ama-Amaleki umango wonke kusukela eHavila kusiya eShuri, empumalanga kweGibhithe.
8Wathumba u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki ephila, kodwa bonke abantu bakhe wabaqothula ngokupheleleyo, ngenkemba.
9Kodwa uSawuli lebutho kabambulalanga u-Agagi lezimvu ezinhle lenkomo, amathole anonileyo lamawundlu lakho konke okwakukuhle. Lokhu babengafisi ukukuqeda ngokupheleleyo, konke okwakuseyiseka lokungelasizo bakuqeda du.
10Ilizwi likaThixo* laselifika kuSamuyeli lisithi,
11“Ngilusizi ngokuthi ngibeke uSawuli waba yinkosi, ngoba usengifulathele njalo kalandelanga imilayo yami.” USamuyeli wakhathazeka, wakhuleka kuThixo* bonke lobobusuku.
12USamuyeli wavuka ekuseni kakhulu ukuba ayebonana loSawuli, kodwa watshelwa ukuthi, “USawuli uye eKhameli. Uzibekele ilitshe lesikhumbuzo sakhe khonale wasephenduka esehlela eGiligali.”
13Kwathi uSamuyeli esemficile, uSawuli wathi, “Uthixo* kakubusise! Sengikwenzile engikulaywe nguThixo*.”
14Kodwa uSamuyeli wathi, “Pho ukukhala kwezimvu ezindlebeni zami lokhu kuyini na? Kuyini ukubhonsa kwezinkomo lokhu engikuzwayo na?”
15USawuli waphendula wathi, “Amabutho azilethe zivela kuma-Amaleki; agcine izimvu ezinhle lenkomo ukuba azenze umhlatshelo kuThixo* uNkulunkulu wakho, kodwa ezinye sizikhucule.”
16USamuyeli wathi kuSawuli, “Mana! Wothi ngikutshele okutshiwo nguThixo* kimi ebusuku obedluleyo.”
17USamuyeli wasesithi, “Lanxa wazibona umncane, kawuzange ube yinhloko yezizwana zako-Israyeli na? Uthixo* wakugcoba ukuba ube yinkosi ko-Israyeli.
18Njalo wakuthuma emsebenzini, esithi, ‘Hamba uyeqothula abantu labayana ababi, ama-Amaleki, uvuse impi labo uze ubaqede du.’
19Pho kungani ungalalelanga uThixo*? Kungani uzithathele impango wenza okubi phambi kukaThixo* na?”
20USawuli wathi, “Kodwa mina ngimlalele uThixo*. Ngihambile emsebenzini uThixo* anginike wona. Ama-Amaleki ngiwaqede du, ngabuya lo-Agagi inkosi yawo.
21Amabutho athatha izimvu lenkomo empangweni, ezinhle zalezo ezazahlukaniselwe uNkulunkulu, ukuze zenziwe umhlatshelo kuThixo* uNkulunkulu wakho eGiligali.”
22Kodwa uSamuyeli waphendula wathi:
23Ngoba ukuhlamuka kufana lesono sokuhlahlula,
24USawuli wasesithi kuSamuyeli, “Ngenzile isono. Ngephule umlayo kaThixo* leziqondiso zakho. Ngesabe abantu ngavumela okwabo.
25Khathesi-ke ngiyakucela, thethelela isono sami ubuyele emuva lami, ukuze ngikhonze uThixo*.”
26Kodwa uSamuyeli wathi kuye, “Angiyikubuyela emuva lawe. Ilizwi likaThixo* ulalile, njalo uThixo* usekwalile njengombusi wako-Israyeli!”
27Kwathi uSamuyeli ephenduka ukuba asuke, uSawuli wabamba umphetho wesembatho sakhe, sasesidabuka.
28USamuyeli wathi kuye, “Uthixo* usewudabule kuwe lamhla umbuso wako-Israyeli, njalo usewunike omunye wabomakhelwane bakho, lowo ongcono kulawe.
29Yena oyiNkazimulo ka-Israyeli kaqambi manga kumbe aguqule ingqondo yakhe, ngoba kasumuntu ukuba aguqule ingqondo yakhe.”
30USawuli waphendula wathi, “Ngenzile isono. Kodwa ake ungihloniphe phambi kwabadala babantu bami laphambi kuka-Israyeli; buyela lami, ukuze ngiyekhonza uThixo* uNkulunkulu wakho.”
31Ngakho uSamuyeli wabuyela loSawuli wasekhonza uThixo*.
32USamuyeli wasesithi, “Ngilethelani u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki.”
33Kodwa uSamuyeli wathi,
34Emva kwalokho uSamuyeli wasuka waya eRama, kodwa uSawuli waya emzini wakhe eGibhiya yakoSawuli.