1Livi laSamuweli lalivakala lihloniphekile kuso sonkhe sive sema-Israyeli.
Kutfunjwa kwelibhokisi lesivumelwane
Ema-Israyeli akhuphuka ayakulwa nemaFilisti. Ema-Israyeli afike akamba e-Ebheni Eza, kwatsi emaFilisti wona akamba e-Afeki. 2EmaFilisti ayihlela imphi yawo atilungiselela kuhlangabetana neyema-Israyeli. Kwatsi imphi seyibambene etulu, ehlulwa ema-Israyeli, ehlulwa ngemaFilisti labulala ema-Israyeli labengaba ti-4 000 emphini. 3Kwatsi emabutfo nakabuya enkambu, baholi bema-Israyeli babutana bodvwa, batsi: “Wentiwe yini kutsi Simakadze lamuhla asiyekelele sibhujiswe sehlulwe ngemaFilisti? Asilandze libhokisi lesivumelwane saSimakadze eShilo, kuze litewuhamba kanye natsi lisephule etandleni tetitsa tetfu.”
4Ngako-ke sive satfumela emadvodza eShilo kutsi alandze libhokisi lesivumelwane saSimakadze longuSomandla, lohlala etikwemakherubhi. Emadvodzana a-Eli abekhona lapho nawo, boHofni naFinehasi, bakanye nelibhokisi lesivumelwane saNkulunkulu.
5Latsi libhokisi lesivumelwane saSimakadze nalifika enkambu, onkhe ema-Israyeli aphakamisa ludvumo amemeta ngemsindvo lomkhulu kangangekutsi kwadzimate kwatamatama umhlaba. 6EmaFilisti atsi nakeva lomsindvo lomkhulu kangaka, abutana atsi: “Wani lomsindvo longaka losenkambu yemaHebheru?”
Batsi kube beve kutsi libhokisi lesivumelwane saSimakadze selifikile enkambu, 7emaFilisti esaba kakhulu atsi: “Bonkulunkulu sebafikile enkambu; tsine sesisengotini! Kute intfo lenje leyake yenteka ngaphambili. 8Maye kitsi! Ngubani lotasikhulula esandleni salabonkulunkulu labanemandla kangaka? Ngulabonkulunkulu labashaya emaGibhithe ehlane ngetishayo letimbi letehlukene. 9Cinani-ke, maFilisti! Banini ngemadvodza, ngaphandle kwaloko nitawuba tigcili temaHebheru, njengobe nawo abetigcili tenu. Banini ngemadvodza, nilwe!”
10Ngako emaFilisti alwa, ema-Israyeli ehlulwa, kwaba nguleyo ndvodza yabaleka yayakutindvumbeka ethendeni layo. Kwaba nekubulawa lokukhulu, kwafa emabutfo ema-Israyeli labeti-30 000. 11Libhokisi lesivumelwane saNkulunkulu latfunjwa, nemadvodzana a-Eli omabili, boHofni naFinehasi, abulawa.
Kufa kwa-Eli
12Ngalelo langa lomunye wesive sakaBhenjamini wabaleka emphini waphutfuma eShilo, timphahla takhe asatidzabulile anelutfuli enhloko. 13Watsi achamuka nje, nango Eli ahleti esihlalweni sakhe ngasemgwacweni, abheke elukhalweni, ngobe inhlitiyo yakhe yayincenekile ngelibhokisi lesivumelwane saNkulunkulu. Satsi nje lesigijimi singena emabaleni elidolobha, sabe silandzisa ngaloko lokwase kwentekile, lidolobha lonkhe latsi mpu umsindvo selikhala.
14Eli wakuva lokukhala, wabuta watsi: “Kukhalelwani kangaka?”
Lesigijimi seta safike satjela Eli, 15labesaneminyaka lengema-98 budzala, nemehlo akhe abengasaboni. 16Lesigijimi satjela Eli satsi: “Ngiphunyule emphini khona lamhla loku, ngabaleka ngeta lapha.”
Eli wabuta watsi: “Kwenteke njani, ndvodzana yami?”
17Lesigijimi samphendvula satsi: “Ema-Israyeli ehluliwe emphini, ehlulwa ngemaFilisti. Emabutfo akitsi abhujiswe kakhulu. Emadvodzana akho, boHofni naFinehasi, bafile, nelibhokisi lesivumelwane saNkulunkulu selitfunjiwe.”
18Watsi nje lomuntfu kube aphatse libito lelibhokisi lesivumelwane saNkulunkulu, Eli wawa sinyova esihlalweni sakhe lesasiseceleni kwelisango. Washumphuka intsamo, wafa, ngobe abesamdzala kakhulu futsi asindza. Abesahole sive sema-Israyeli iminyaka lengema-40.
Kufa kwemfelokati waFinehasi
19Malukatane wa-Eli, umkaFinehasi, labesatetfwalele dvutane, watsi kube eve kutsi libhokisi lesivumelwane saNkulunkulu litfunjiwe, nekutsi uyisetala kanye nendvodza yakhe sebafile, wasikwa ngimihelo, wabeleka khona lapho, imihelo yamehlula. 20Watsi nase kutawuphuma umphefumulo wakhe, labafati labebambelekisa batsi: “Ungajabhi, sewubeleke umfana.” Kodvwa noko akazange abaphendvule, akazange abanake nome ababuke nekubabuka.
21Wetsa lomfana libito watsi ngu-Ikhabodi, atsi: “Inkhatimulo isukile ka-Israyeli,” ngenca yekutfunjwa kwelibhokisi lesivumelwane saNkulunkulu, nangekufa kweyisetala nekwendvodza yakhe. 22Watsi: “Inkhatimulo isukile ka-Israyeli, ngobe libhokisi lesivumelwane saNkulunkulu litfunjiwe.”
