1 Samuweli 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.”