1 Sawuli yari amaze imyaka mirongo itatu igihe yaba umwami, hanyuma aganza Abisirayeli imyaka mirongo ine n’ibiri.

2 Sawuli atoranya abasoda ibihumbi bitatu mu Bisirayeli; abasigaye abarungika iwabo. Muri abo yahisemwo, atoramwo ibihumbi bibiri bajana na we i Mikimashi, mu ntara y’imisozi ya Beteli, abandi igihumbi bajana n’umuhungu wiwe Yonatani i Gibeya mu ntara ya Benyamini. Abasigaye bose abarungika iwabo.

3 Umusi umwe, Yonatani atera ikirindiro c’Abafilisitiya cari i Geba aragitsinda, maze Abafilisitiya bose baravyumva. Nuko Sawuli asaba ko bavuza inzamba mu gihugu cose, avuga ati: "Nimubimenyeshe Abaheburayo bose!" 4 Nuko Abisirayeli bose bumva iyo nkuru ngo: "Sawuli yateye ikirindiro c’Abafilisitiya aragisambura, none Abafilisitiya banka Abisirayeli urwanko rukomeye." Nuko abasoda bose barahamagarana basanga Sawuli i Gilugali.

5 Abafilisitiya na bo bakoranira hamwe ngo batere Abisirayeli, bafise imikogote ibihumbi bitatu n’abagendera ku mikogote ibihumbi bitandatu, n’abasoda bangana n’umusenyi wo ku kiyaga. Nuko baraduga bacumbika i Mikimashi, mu buseruko bwa Beti-Aveni. 6 Abisirayeli babonye ko bibakomeranye, kuko bari bazigirijwe, baja kwinyegeza mu masenga, mu myobo, mu bitandara, no mu binogo vyimbiwe kubika amazi. 7 Bamwe mu Baheburayo barahunga bajabuka Yorodani baja mu ntara ya Gadi na Gileyadi.

Sawuli aguma i Gilugali, kandi abasoda bose bari kumwe na we bariko barajugumira kubera ubwoba. 8 Nuko Sawuli arindira Samweli imisi indwi, nk’uko Samweli yari yamubwiye; ariko Samweli ntiyaza i Gilugali; maze abasoda batangura guta Sawuli barashwiragira. 9 Sawuli aravuga ati: "Nimunzanire ca kimazi co gutongozwa umuriro na vya bimazi vy’ishimwe." Nuko Sawuli atanga ca kimazi co gutongozwa umuriro. 10 Agiheza kugitanga, Samweli aca arashika, maze Sawuli asohoka kumusanganira.

11 Samweli aramubaza ati: "Ibi wakoze ni ibiki?"

Sawuli arishura ati: "Nabonye abantu bariko barashwiragira, nawe mbona ntiwubahirije isango, kandi Abafilisitiya bariko bariyegeraniriza i Mikimashi, 12 nca ndibaza nti: ‘Abafilisitiya bahava bamanuka kuntera i Gilugali, basange ntarambaza Uhoraho ngo antabare.’ Nuko nca numva notanga jewe nyene ikimazi co gutongozwa umuriro."

13 Samweli aramubwira ati: "Wakoze ivy’ubupfu. Kuko ntiwumviye ibwirizwa Uhoraho Imana yaguhaye; iyo uryumvira yotumye ingoma yawe ihoraho ibihe vyose mu Bisirayeli. 14 Ariko noneho ubwami bwawe ntibuzoramba; Uhoraho yamaze kwironkera umuntu ameze nk’uko umutima wiwe ugomba ngo amwimike abe umurongozi w’abantu biwe, kuko utumviye ico Uhoraho yagutegetse."

15 Nuko Samweli ava i Gilugali aduga i Gibeya mu ntara ya Benyamini. Sawuli aharura abasoda bari bakiri kumwe na we, asanga ni hafi amajana atandatu.

16 Sawuli n’umuhungu wiwe Yonatani hamwe n’abasoda bari kumwe na bo bacumbika i Gibeya mu ntara ya Benyamini, mu gihe Abafilisitiya bari bacumbitse i Mikimashi. 17 Umusi umwe, umugwi w’abasoda b’Abafilisitiya b’abahinga mu kugwana urasohoka uva aho ingabo zabo zicumbitse, bigabura mu mice itatu. Umuce umwe ugenda utumbereye i Ofura mu karere ka Shuwali, 18 uwundi uja i Beti-Horoni, uwa gatatu ugenda werekeye ku rubibe, haruguru y’ikiyaya c’i Zeboyime aharabana n’ubugaragwa.

19 Muri ico gihe nta mucuzi yaboneka mu gihugu ca Isirayeli, kuko Abafilisitiya bavuga bati: "Abaheburayo bohava bacura inkota canke amacumu!" 20 Ni co gituma Abisirayeli bose iyo bakeneye gukarisha isuka inka zirimisha, isuka isanzwe, incabiti canke umuhoro, babijana ku bacuzi b’Abafilisitiya. 21 Igiciro cari bibiri vya bitatu vya shekeli* kugira ngo bakarishe isuka inka zirimisha, isuka isanzwe; n’ica gatatu ca shekeli* kugira ngo bakarishe incabiti, umuhoro, canke kugira ngo basongore ikimito.

22 Nuko ku musi w’intambara nta musoda n’umwe mu bari kumwe na Sawuli canke Yonatani yari afise inkota canke icumu mu minwe. Sawuli n’umuhungu wiwe Yonatani bonyene ni bo bari babifise.

23 Hanyuma umuce umwe w’Abafilisitiya uja gutegera ku nzira ica i Mikimashi.