USAMUWELI I 4

₁Izwi likaSamuweli lafika kuye wonke uIsrayeli. UIsrayeli waphuma ukulwa namaFilisti, wamisa ngase-Ebeni-Ezeri; amaFilisti amisa eAfeki.

₂AmaFilisti azihlelela ukuhlangana noIsrayeli; impi yaqhubeka, uIsrayeli wahlulwa phambi kwamaFilisti abulala empini ngasendle kungathi abantu abayizinkulungwane ezine.

₃Kwathi abantu bengena ekamu*, amalunga akwaIsrayeli athi: UJehova usibulaleleni phambi kwamaFilisti na? Masithathe umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova eShilo, siwulethe kithi, ufike phakathi kwethu, usisindise esandleni sezitha zethu.

₄Abantu base bethumela eShilo, bathatha khona umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova-Sebawoti ohlezi phezu kwamakherubi*; amadodana amabili kaEli, oHofini noFinehasi, ayelapho nomphongolo wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu.

₅Kwathi umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova ufika ekamu*, wonke uIsrayeli wakhamuluka ngokukhamuluka okukhulu, kwaze kwaduma umhlaba.

₆AmaFilisti esezwa umsindo wokukhamuluka athi: Uthini umsindo walokhukukhamuluka okukhulu ekamu* lamaHeberu na? Aqonda ukuthi umphongolo kaJehova ufikile ekamu.

₇AmaFilisti esaba, ngokuba athi: UNkulunkulu ufikile ekamu*. Athi-ke: Maye kithina! Ngokuba akuzange kubekhona okunje ngaphambili.

₈Maye kithina! Ngubani oyakusophula esandleni salaba onkulunkulu abanamandla na? Yilaba onkulunkulu abashaya abaseGibithe ngazo zonke izifo ehlane.

₉Qinani nibe-ngamadoda nina-maFilisti ukuba ningabi-yizigqila zamaHeberu, njengalokho ebeyizigqila zenu. Yibani-ngamadoda, nilwe.

₁₀AmaFilisti alwa, uIsrayeli wachithwa, babaleka, kwaba-yilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe; kwaba-khona ukuceka okukhulu, ngokuba kwawa kuIsrayeli abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu abayimigundatshani.

₁₁Umphongolo kaNkulunkulu wathathwa; amadodana omabili kaEli, oHofini noFinehasi, abulawa.

₁₂Kwaphuma umuntu wakwaBenjamini empini, wagijima waya eShilo ngalolosuku, izingubo zakhe ziklebhukile, enomhlabathi ekhanda.

₁₃Ekufikeni kwakhe, bheka, uEli wayehlezi esihlalweni sakhe ngaseceleni komgwaqo, ngokuba inhliziyo yakhe yayithuthumela ngomphongolo kaNkulunkulu. Esengenile emzini lowomuntu, wakubika, wakhala umuzi wonke.

₁₄Lapho uEli ezwa umsindo wokukhala, wathi: Uthini umsindo walokhukumemeza na? Lowomuntu washesha waya wamtshela uEli.

₁₅UEli wayeneminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesishiyagalombili; amehlo akhe ayequndekile, engenakubona.

₁₆Lowomuntu wathi kuEli: Nginguye owaphuma empini, ngibaleké empini namuhla. Wathi: Bekunjani, ndodana yami, na?

₁₇Owaletha umbiko waphendula wathi: UIsrayeli ubalekile phambi kwamaFilisti; kwakukhona ukubulawa okukhulu phakathi kwabantu; amadodana akho omabili oHofini noFinehasi afile, nomphongolo kaNkulunkulu uthathiwe.

₁₈Kwathi esaphatha umphongolo kaNkulunkulu, wawa nyovane esihlalweni sakhe ngaseceleni kwesango, kwaphuka intamo yakhe, wafa, ngokuba wayengumuntu omdala, esinda. Wayebahlulele abakwaIsrayeli iminyaka engamashumi amane.

₁₉Umalokazana wakhe, umkaFinehasi, wayekhulelwe esezakubeletha; esezwile umbiko wokuthi umphongolo kaNkulunkulu uthathiwe nokuthi kufile uyisezala nomyeni wakhe, wakhonkobala, wabeletha, ngokuba wafikelwa yimihelo.

₂₀Ngesikhathi sokufa kwakhe abesifazane ababemi kuye bathi kuye: Ungesabi, ngokuba ubelethé indodana. Kepha akaphendulanga, akakunakanga.

₂₁Wamqamba umntwana ngokuthi uIkabodi*, ethi: Inkazimulo isukile kwaIsrayeli, ngokuba umphongolo kaNkulunkulu uthathiwe, nangenxa kayisezala wakhe nomyeni wakhe.

₂₂Wathi: Inkazimulo isukile kwaIsrayeli, ngokuba umphongolo kaNkulunkulu uthathiwe.