1 USamuweli 4

₁Izwi likaSamuweli lafika kuwo wonke u-Israyeli. U-Israyeli waphuma wayolwa namaFilisti, wakanisa ngase-Ebheni Ezeri; amaFilisti akanisa e-Afeki. ₂AmaFilisti azihlela ukuze atholane phezulu no-Israyeli. Impi yabambana kwashunqa uthuli isikhathi eside. AmaFilisti amnqoba u-Israyeli, kwasala enkundleni abantu ababalelwa ezi-4 000. ₃Kwathi lapho abantu bengena enkanjini, amalunga akwa-Israyeli athi: “USimakade usibulaleleni namuhla phambi kwamaFilisti na? Masithathe umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaSimakade eShilo, ube ngakithi, sihambe nawo, usisindise esandleni sezitha zethu.”

₄Abantu base bethumela eShilo, bawuthatha lapho umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaSimakade Wamabandla owawuhlezi phezu kwamakherubhi. Amadodana ka-Eli omabili, uHofini noFinehasi, babelapho nomphongolo wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu.

₅Kwathi lapho umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaSimakade ufika enkanjini, u-Israyeli wonke wakhamuluka ngezwi elikhulu, kwaze kwazamazama umhlaba. ₆AmaFilisti ezwa umsindo wokukhamuluka, athi: “Usho ukuthini lowo msindo wokukhamuluka ongaka enkanjinii yamaHebheru na?”

Aqonda ukuthi umphongolo kaSimakade ufikile enkanjini.

₇AmaFilisti esaba ngokuba, athi: “UNkulunkulu ufikile enkanjini.”

Athi-ke: “Maye kithi, ngokuba akukaze kwenzeke okunjengalokhu phambilini. ₈Maye kithi! Ngubani oyosihlenga esandleni salaba onkulunkulu abanamandla na? Yibo labo nkulunkulu abashaya abaseGibhithe ngalo lonke ubhubhane ehlane. ₉Qinani nibe ngamadoda nina maFilisti ukuze ningabi yizigqila zamaHebheru, njengoba ebeyizigqila zenu. Yibani ngamadoda, nilwe!”

₁₀AmaFilisti alwa, u-Israyeli wanqotshwa, wabaleka, kwaba yilowo nalowo waqonda ethendeni lakhe. Kwaba ngukwehlulwa okukhulu kakhulu, kwasala enkundleni abakwa-Israyeli abayizi-30 000 abayimigundatshani. ₁₁Umphongolo kaNkulunkulu wathathwa, kwathi amadodana amabili ka-Eli, uHofini noFinehasi, abulawa.

₁₂Ngalolo lusuku umuntu othile wakwaBhenjamini waphulukundlela empini. Wagijima waya eShilo, izingubo zakhe ziklebhukile, enomhlabathi ekhanda lakhe. ₁₃Wafika; bheka, u-Eli wayehleli esihlalweni sakhe eceleni komgwaqo ebukela, ngokuba inhliziyo yakhe yayithuthumela ngenxa yomphongolo kaNkulunkulu. Kwathi ukuba lowo muntu angene emzini, wawubikela, kwasuka esinamathambo isililo kuwo wonke umuzi.

₁₄Kwathi lapho u-Eli ezwa umsindo wokukhala, wathi: “Ngowani lowo msindo wokumemeza na?”

Lowo muntu washesha waya kuye, wamtshela. ₁₅U-Eli wayeseneminyaka engama-98, amehlo akhe esenqundekile, engasaboni kahle. ₁₆Lo muntu wathi ku-Eli: “Ngiyilowo osinde ngokulambisa empini namuhla.”

U-Eli wathi: “Bekunjani ndodana yami?”

₁₇Owayelethe umbiko waphendula, wathi: “U-Israyeli ubalekile phambi kwamaFilisti futhi kubulawe abantu abaningi. Kufe namadodana akho omabili, uHofini noFinehasi, umphongolo kaNkulunkulu uthathiwe.”

₁₈Kwathi nje ukuba aphathe igama lomphongolo kaNkulunkulu, u-Eli wawa nyovane esihlalweni sakhe eceleni kwesango, waphuka intamo, wafa, kwazise wayesemdala futhi ekhuluphele. Wayemahlulele u-Israyeli iminyaka engama-40.

₁₉Umalokazana wakwakhe, umkaFinehasi, wayekhulelwe esezobeletha, kwathi ukuba ezwe umbiko wokuthi umphongolo kaNkulunkulu uthathiwe, nokuthi uyisezala nomyeni wakhe bafile, wakhonkobala, wafikelwa yimihelo, wabeletha. ₂₀Ngesikhathi sokufa kuka-Eli kwakunabesifazane ababemi ngakumkaFinehasi, bathi kuye: “Ungesabi, ngokuba uthole indodana.”

Kodwa yena akakunakanga lokho, akaze aphendula.

₂₁Umntwana wamqamba wathi ngu-Ikhabhodi, ethi: “Inkazimulo isukile kwa-Israyeli,” ngokuba umphongolo kaNkulunkulu uthathiwe, nangenxa yokufa kukayisezala nomyeni wakhe. ₂₂Wathi: “Inkazimulo isukile kwa-Israyeli, ngokuba umphongolo kaNkulunkulu uthathiwe.”