1 uSamuweli 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 ka-Israyeli, 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 ka-Israyeli 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?

₇“Manje 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 eBeti Shemeshi, nguye osenzele lobo bubi 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 ngalolo suku. ₁₆Amakhosi ayisihlanu amaFilisti esekubonile abuyela e-Ekroni ngalolo suku.

₁₇Lawa angamathumba egolide amaFilisti awabuyisa abe ngumnikelo wecala kuJehova: elinye ngele-Ashidodi, nelinye ngeleGaza, nelinye ngele-Ashikeloni, 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, lo Nkulunkulu ongcwele, na? Uyakwenyukela kubani esuka kithina na?”

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