1 uSamuweli 4

₁Izwi likaSamuweli lafika kuye wonke u-Israyeli. U-Israyeli waphuma ukulwa namaFilisti, wamisa ngase-Ebeni Ezeri; amaFilisti amisa e-Afeki. ₂AmaFilisti azihlela ukuhlangana no-Israyeli; impi yaqhubeka, u-Israyeli wahlulwa phambi kwamaFilisti abulala empini ngasendle kungathi abantu abayizinkulungwane ezine. ₃Kwathi abantu bengena ekamu,* amalunga akwa-Israyeli 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 ka-Eli, oHofini noFinehasi, ayelapho nomphongolo wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu.

₅Kwathi umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova ufika ekamu,* wonke u-Israyeli wakhamuluka ngokukhamuluka okukhulu, kwaze kwaduma umhlaba. ₆AmaFilisti esezwa umsindo wokukhamuluka athi: “Uthini umsindo walokhu kukhamuluka okukhulu ekamu* lamaHeberu na?” Aqonda ukuthi umphongolo kaJehova ufikile ekamu. ₇AmaFilisti esaba, ngokuba athi: “UNkulunkulu ufikile ekamu.*” Athi-ke: “Maye kithina! Ngokuba akuzange kube khona 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, u-Israyeli wachithwa, babaleka, kwaba yilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe; kwaba khona ukuceka okukhulu, ngokuba kwawa ku-Israyeli abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu aba yimigundatshani. ₁₁Umphongolo kaNkulunkulu wathathwa; amadodana omabili ka-Eli, oHofini noFinehasi, abulawa.

₁₂Kwaphuma umuntu wakwaBenjamini empini, wagijima waya eShilo ngalolo suku, izingubo zakhe ziklebhukile, enomhlabathi ekhanda. ₁₃Ekufikeni kwakhe, bheka, u-Eli wayehlezi esihlalweni sakhe ngaseceleni komgwaqo, ngokuba inhliziyo yakhe yayithuthumela ngomphongolo kaNkulunkulu. Esengenile emzini lowo muntu, wakubika, wakhala umuzi wonke.

₁₄Lapho u-Eli ezwa umsindo wokukhala, wathi: “Uthini umsindo walokhu kumemeza na?” Lowo muntu washesha waya wamtshela u-Eli. ₁₅U-Eli wayeneminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesishiyagalombili; amehlo akhe ayequndekile, engenakubona. ₁₆Lowo muntu wathi ku-Eli: “Nginguye owaphuma empini, ngibaleke empini namuhla.”

Wathi: “Bekunjani, ndodana yami, na?”

₁₇Owaletha umbiko waphendula wathi: “U-Israyeli 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 abakwa-Israyeli 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 ubelethe indodana.” Kepha akaphendulanga, akakunakanga.

₂₁Wamqamba umntwana ngokuthi u-Ikabodi,* ethi: “Inkazimulo isukile kwa-Israyeli,” ngokuba umphongolo kaNkulunkulu uthathiwe, nangenxa kayisezala wakhe nomyeni wakhe. ₂₂Wathi: “Inkazimulo isukile kwa-Israyeli, ngokuba umphongolo kaNkulunkulu uthathiwe.”