USAMUWELI I 6

₁Umphongolo kaJehova wawusezweni lamaFilisti izinyanga eziyisikhombisa.

₂AmaFilisti abiza abapristi nababhuli, athi: Siyakwenze-njani ngomphongolo kaJehova na? Saziseni ukuthi singawubuyisela kanjani endaweni yawo.

₃Bathi: Uma nimukisa umphongolo kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ningawumukisi-ze, kepha anobuyisela nokubuyisela kuye umnikelo wecala; khona niyakuphiliswa, kwazeke kini ukuthi isandla sakhe asisuswa ngani kini.

₄Athi: Uyakuba-yini umnikelo wecala esiyakuwubuyisela kuye na? Bathi: Amathumba ayisihlanu egolide namagundane ayisihlanu egolide njengomumo wamakhosi amaFilisti, ngokuba kuyisifo sinye esikubo bonke nakuwo amakhosi enu.

₅Niyakwenza imifanekiso yamathumba enu nemifanekiso yamagundane enu alonayo izwe, nimnike uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli udumo; mhlawumbe uyakusenza-lula isandla sakhe phezu kwenu, naphezu kwawonkulunkulu benu, naphezu kwezwe lakini.

₆Nenzeleni zibe-lukhuni izinhliziyo zenu, njengalokho abaseGibithe noFaro bazenza-lukhuni izinhliziyo zabo na? Lapho esebenzile phakathi kwabo, ababavumelanga yini ukuba bahambe na?

₇Manje thathani nilungise inqola entsha nezinkomo ezimbili ezincelisayo okungafikanga-joka phezu kwazo, nizibophele izinkomo enqoleni, nibuyisele ekhaya amankonyane azo,

₈nithathe umphongolo kaJehova, niwubeke enqoleni, nifake impahla yegolide eniyibuyisela kuye ibe-ngumnikelo wecala ebhokisini eliseceleni kwawo, niyimukise, ihambe.

₉Anobona, uma yenyuka ngendlela yasemkhawulweni wayo ukuya eBetiShemeshi, nguye osenzele lobobubi obukhulu; kepha uma kungenjalo, siyakwazi ukuthi akusiso isandla sakhe esisishayileyo; sehlelwa ingozi nje.

₁₀Abantu benze njalo; bathatha izinkomo ezimbili ezincelisayo, bazibophela enqoleni, bazivalela amankonyane, azo ekhaya,

₁₁bawubeka umphongolo kaJehova enqoleni kanye nebhokisi lamagundane egolide nemifanekiso yamathumba abo.

₁₂Izinkomo zaqonda endleleni, zaya ngaseBeti-Shemeshi, zahamba ngomendo, zihamba zikhala, zingaphambukeli ngakwesokunene noma ngakwesokhohlo; amakhosi amaFilisti azilandela, aze afika emkhawulweni waseBeti-Shemeshi.

₁₃AbaseBeti-Shemeshi babevuna ukolweni esigodini, baphakamisa amehlo abo, bawubona umphongolo, bathokoza ukuwubona.

₁₄Inqola yangena ensimini kaJoshuwa waseBeti-Shemeshi, yema khona, lapho kwakukhona itshe elikhulu; babanda inqola yaba-yizinkuni, banikela ngezinkomo zaba-ngumnikelo wokushiswa kuJehova.

₁₅AmaLevi ayethulile umphongolo kaJehova nebhokisi elalinawo, okwakukulo impahla yegolide, akubeka etsheni elikhulu; abantu baseBeti-Shemeshi banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa, bahlabela uJehova imihlatshelo ngalolosuku.

₁₆Amakhosi ayisihlanu amaFilisti esekubonile abuyela e-Ekroni ngalolosuku.

₁₇Lawa angamathumba egolide amaFilisti awabuyisa abe-ngumnikelo wecala kuJehova: elinye ngeleAshidodi, nelinye ngeleGaza, nelinye ngeleAshikeloni, nelinye ngeleGati, nelinye ngele-Ekroni;

₁₈namagundane egolide ayenjengomumo wemizi yonke yamaFilisti yamakhosi ayisihlanu, imizi ebiyelweyo nemizana yasemaphandleni, okubufakazi bakho kuyitshe elikhulu abawubeka kulo umphongolo kaJehova, elikhona nanamuhla ensimini kaJoshuwa waseBeti-Shemeshi.

₁₉Wabulala abantu baseBeti-Shemeshi, ngokuba babebukile umphongolo kaJehova; wabulala kubantu amadoda angamashumi ayisikhombisa emadodeni ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisihlanu; abantu balila, ngokuba uJehova wabulala abantu ngokubulala okukhulu.

₂₀Abantu baseBeti-Shemeshi base bethi: Ngubani ongema phambi kukaJehova, loNkulunkulu ongcwele, na? Uyakwenyukela kubani esuka kithina na?

₂₁Bathuma izithunywa kwabakhileyo eKiriyati-Jeharimi, bathi: AmaFilisti awubuyisele umphongolo kaJehova; yehlani, niwukhuphulele kini.