1 Rimwe zuva Jonatani mwanakomana waSauro akati kujaya raitakura zvombo zvake zvokurwa, “Uya tiende kumusasa wavarwi vevaFiristia kudivi rimwe iro.” Asi haana kuudza baba vake.

2 Sauro aigara nechokumucheto kweGibhea pasi pomuti womutamba muMigironi. Aiva navarume vanokarosvika mazana matanhatu, 3 pakati pavo pana Ahiya, akanga akapfeka efodhi. Akanga ari mwanakomana womukoma waIkabhodhi, Ahitubhi, mwanakomana waFinehasi, mwanakomana waEri, muprista waJehovha muShiro. Hapana akaziva kuti Jonatani akanga aenda.

4 Kumativi ose omupata waida kuyambukwa naJonatani kuti asvike pamusasa wavaFiristia, kwaiva namawere; mamwe ainzi Bhozezi, mamwe achinzi Sene. 5 Mamwe mawere aiva nechokumusoro kwakadziva kuMikimashi, mamwe ari zasi kwakadziva kuGebha.

6 Jonatani akati kujaya raitakura zvombo zvake zvokurwa, “Uya tiyambuke tiende kumusasa wavasina kudzingiswa avo. Zvichida Jehovha achatirwira. Hapana chinodzivisa Jehovha kuti aponese, navakawanda kana navashoma.”

7 Mutakuri wezvombo akati, “Itai zvose zvamafunga. Endai mberi; ndinemi pamweya napamwoyo.”

8 Jonatani akati, “Uya tiyambuke zvino tinange kuvarume ava uye tigorega vatione. 9 Kana vakati kwatiri, ‘Mirai ipapo kusvikira tauya kwamuri,’ ticharamba tiri patiri ipapo uye hatizokwiri kwavari. 10 Asi kana vakati, ‘Uyai kuno kwatiri,’ tichakwidza, nokuti ndicho chichava chiratidzo chedu chokuti Jehovha avaisa mumaoko edu.”

11 Saka vose vari vaviri vakazviratidza kuboka ravarwi ravaFiristia. VaFiristia vakati, “Tarirai! VaHebheru vari kukambaira vachibuda mumakomba avanga vakavanda.” 12 Varume veboka ravarwi vakadanidzira kuna Jonatani nomubati wake nenhumbi dzokurwa vakati, “Kwirai kuno kwatiri tigokudzidzisai chidzidzo.”

Saka Jonatani akati kumubati wake wenhumbi dzokurwa nadzo, “Kwira unditevere; Jehovha avaisa mumaoko avaIsraeri.”

13 Jonatani akakwira achikambaira namaoko namakumbo ake, mubati wenhumbi dzake dzokurwa ari mumashure make. VaFiristia vakati rakata rakata kuwa pamberi paJonatani, uye mubati wenhumbi dzake dzokurwa akatevera achiuraya mumashure make. 14 Pakurwisa kwokutanga, Jonatani nomubati wake wenhumbi dzokurwa nadzo vakauraya varume vanenge makumi maviri panzvimbo inenge hafu yeeka.

15 Ipapo kutya kwakabata varwi vose vakanga vari mumusasa nomuminda, navose vakanga vari mumapoka avarwi navapambi, uye pasi pakadengenyeka. Kwakanga kuri kuvhundutswa kwakanga kwatumwa naMwari.

16 Nharirire dzaSauro paGibhea muBhenjamini dzakaona varwi vachinyungudika kumativi ose. 17 Ipapo Sauro akati kuvarume vakanga vanaye, “Verengai varwi muone kuti ndivanaani vasipo pakati pedu.” Vakati vadaro vakaona kuti Jonatani nomubati wake wenhumbi dzokurwa vakanga vasipo.

18 Sauro akati kuna Ahiya, “Uya neareka yaMwari.” (Panguva iyoyo vaIsraeri ndivo vakanga vanayo.) 19 Sauro achiri kutaura nomuprista, mhirizhonga yakanyanyisa mumusasa wavaFiristia. Saka Sauro akati kumuprista, “Dzosa ruoko rwako.”

20 Ipapo Sauro navanhu vake vose vakaungana vakaenda kundorwa. Vakawana vaFiristia vari mumhirizhonga huru, vachibayana mumwe nomumwe neminondo yavo. 21 VaHebheru vaya vakanga vari kuvaFiristia kare uye vakanga vaenda navo kumusasa wavo vakayambuka vakaenda kuvaIsraeri vakanga vana Sauro naJonatani. 22 VaIsraeri vaya vose vakanga vavanda munyika yezvikomo yeEfuremu pavakanzwa kuti vaFiristia vakanga votiza, vakateverawo muhondo vakavadzingirira zvikuru. 23 Saka Jehovha akarwira vaIsraeri pazuva iro, uye hondo yakaenderera mberi ikandopfuura Bheti Avheni.

24 Zvino varume veIsraeri vakaziya pazuva iro, nokuti Sauro akanga asunga vanhu nemhiko achiti, “Ngaatukwe munhu anodya zvokudya kusati kwadoka, ndisati ndazvitsivira vavengi vangu!” Saka hakuna munhu pavarwi akaravira chokudya.

25 Hondo yose yakapinda musango, uye imomo maiva nouchi hwapasi. 26 Vakati vapinda musango, vakaona uchi huchiyerera, asi hakuna akaisa ruoko rwake kumuromo wake, nokuti vakanga vachitya mhiko. 27 Asi Jonatani akanga asina kunzwa kuti baba vake vakanga vasunga vanhu nemhiko, saka akatambanudza muromo wetsvimbo yakanga iri muruoko rwake akainyika muzinga rouchi. Akasimudzira ruoko rwake kumuromo wake, meso ake akabengenuka. 28 Ipapo mumwe wavarwi akati kwaari, “Baba vako vasunga varwi nemhiko vachiti, ‘Ngaatukwe munhu upi zvake anodya zvokudya nhasi!’ Ndokusaka vanhu voziya.”

29 Jonatani akati, “Baba vangu vanetsa nyika. Tarirai muone kuzaruka kwaita meso angu pandaravira chidimbu chouchi uhu. 30 Zvaiva nani sei dai vanhu vanga vadya nhasi zvimwe zvezvakapambwa zvavakatora kuvavengi vavo. Kuurayiwa kwavaFiristia hakwaizova kukuru here?”

31 Musi iwoyo, shure kwokunge vaIsraeri vauraya vaFiristia kubva paMikimashi kusvika kuAijaroni, vakaneta kwazvo. 32 Vakamhanyira zvakapambwa, uye vakatora makwai, mombe nemhuru, vakazviuraya pasi ipapo uye vakazvidya, pamwe chete neropa razvo. 33 Ipapo mumwe akati kuna Sauro, “Tarirai vanhu vari kutadzira Jehovha nokudya nyama ine ropa.”

Iye akati, “Maputsa kutenda. Kungurutsirai dombo guru kuno uku izvozvi.” 34 Ipapo akati, “Endai pakati pavanhu mugovataurira kuti, ‘Mumwe nomumwe wenyu ngaauye nemombe yake, namakwai uye muzviurayire pano muzvidye. Musatadzira Jehovha muchidya nyama ichine ropa rayo.’ ”

Saka munhu wose akauya nenzombe yake usiku ihwohwo akaiuraya ipapo. 35 Ipapo Sauro akavakira Jehovha aritari; yakanga iri nguva yake yokutanga kuita izvi.

36 Sauro akati, “Ngatiburukei zasi titevere vaFiristia usiku tindovaparadza kusvikira mambakwedza, uye tirege kusiya kana mumwe wavo ari mupenyu.”

Ivo vakapindura vakati, “Itai zvamunoona kuti zvakanakisisa kwamuri.”

Asi muprista akati, “Ngatibvunzei Mwari pano.”

37 Saka Sauro akabvunza Mwari akati, “Ndoburuka nditevere vaFiristia here? Muchavaisa mumaoko avaIsraeri here?” Asi Mwari haana kumupindura musi iwoyo.

38 Naizvozvo Sauro akati, “Uyai pano, imi mose vatungamiri vehondo, Ngatitsvakei chivi chaitwa nhasi. 39 Zvirokwazvo naJehovha, iye akanunura upenyu hwavaIsraeri, kunyange dai ari Jonatani mwanakomana wangu, anofanira kufa.” Asi hapana kana mumwe wavarume akataura shoko.

40 Ipapo Sauro akati kuvaIsraeri vose, “Imi mirai uko; ini naJonatani mwanakomana wangu tichamira kuno uku.”

Vanhu vakapindura vakati, “Itai zvamunoona kuti zvakanakisisa kwamuri.”

41 Ipapo Sauro akanyengetera kuna Jehovha, Mwari waIsraeri akati, “Ndipeiwo mhinduro yakarurama.” Ipapo Jonatani naSauro vakabatwa nomujenya, vanhu vakawanikwa vasina mhosva. 42 Sauro akati, “Kandai mujenya pakati pangu nomwanakomana wangu Jonatani.” Ipapo Jonatani akabatwa.

43 Ipapo Sauro akati kuna Jonatani, “Ndiudze zvawaita.”

Saka Jonatani akati kwaari, “Ndangoravira uchi ushoma nomuromo wetsvimbo yangu. Zvino ndinofanira kufa here?”

44 Sauro akati, “Mwari ngaandirove, ngaandirove kwazvo, kana iwe Jonatani ukasafa.”

45 Asi vanhu vakati kuna Sauro, “Jonatani angafanira kufa, iye akaponesa vaIsraeri nokuponesa kukuru kuya? Kwete! Zvirokwazvo naJehovha mupenyu, hakuna kana bvudzi romusoro wake richawira pasi, nokuti aita izvi nhasi achibatsirwa naMwari.” Saka vanhu vakanunura Jonatani, uye haana kuurayiwa.

46 Ipapo Sauro akarega kutevera vaFiristia, uye vakadzokera kunyika yavo.

47 Shure kwokugadzwa kwaSauro ushe pamusoro pavaIsraeri, akarwa navavengi vavo kumativi ose, vaiti: Moabhu, vaAmoni, Edhomu, madzimambo eZobha, navaFiristia. Kwose kwaakatendeukira, akavatambudza. 48 Akarwa noumhare akakunda vaAmereki, akadzikinura vaIsraeri kubva mumaoko avaya vakanga vavapamba.

49 Vanakomana vaSauro vaiva Jonatani, Ishivhi naMarikishua. Zita romwanasikana wake wedangwe rainzi Merabhi, uye romuduku rainzi Mikari. 50 Zita romukadzi wake rainzi Ahinoami, mwanasikana waAhimaazi. Zita romutungamiri wehondo yaSauro rainzi Abhineri, mwanakomana waNeri, uye Neri akanga ari babamunini vaSauro. 51 Kishi baba vaSauro naNeri baba vaAbhineri vakanga vari vanakomana vaAbhieri.

52 Pamazuva ose aSauro pakanga pane hondo huru kwazvo navaFiristia, uye Sauro aiti kana akaona munhu ane simba uye akashinga, aimutora omuita murwi wake.