1 Samuweli 8

¹Kwathi uSamuweli esemdala, wabeka amadodana akhe abe ngabahluleli phezu kuka-Israyeli.

²Igama lendodana yakhe eyizibulo lalinguJoweli; igama leyesibili lalingu-Abiya; babe ngabahluleli eBeri Sheba.

³Amadodana akhe ayengahambi ngezindlela zakhe, kepha aphambukela inzuzo embi, athengwa ngemivuzo, aphendukezela izahlulelo.

⁴Kwabuthana onke amalunga akwa-Israyeli, aya kuSamuweli eRama;

⁵athi kuye: “Bheka, usumdala, amadodana akho awahambi ngezindlela zakho; sibekele inkosi ukuba isahlulele njengezizwe zonke.”

⁶Kepha leyo nto yaba mbi emehlweni kaSamuweli, lapho bethi: “Siphe inkosi ukuba isahlulele.” USamuweli wayesekhuleka kuJehova.

⁷UJehova wathi kuSamuweli: “Lalela izwi labantu kukho konke abakushoyo kuwe, ngokuba akusuwe abakulahlileyo, kepha balahle mina, ukuze ngingabi yinkosi phezu kwabo.

⁸Njengemisebenzi yonke abayenzileyo, kusukela osukwini engabakhuphula ngalo eGibithe kuze kube namuhla, bangishiya bekhonza abanye onkulunkulu, benze njalo nakuwe.

⁹Manje lalela izwi labo, ugamele nokugamela kubo kuphela, ubatshele amalungelo enkosi eyakubusa phezu kwabo.”

¹⁰USamuweli wabatshela abantu abacela kuye inkosi onke amazwi kaJehova.

¹¹Wathi: “Nanka amalungelo enkosi eyakubusa phezu kwenu: iyakuthatha amadodana enu, izibekele wona ezinqoleni zayo nasemahhashini ayo, agijime phambi kwezinqola zayo;

¹²iyakuzibekela wona abe yizinduna zezinkulungwane nezinduna zamashumi ayisihlanu, alime umhlabathi wayo, avune isivuno sayo, enze izikhali zayo zokulwa nempahla yezinqola zayo.

¹³Iyakuthatha amadodakazi enu abe ngabathaki, nabapheki, nabaphekizinkwa.

¹⁴Iyakuthatha amasimu enu, nezivini zenu, neminqumo yenu emihle, ikunike izinceku zayo.

¹⁵Iyakuthatha okweshumi kwembewu yenu nokwesivini senu, ikunike izinduna zayo nezinceku zayo.

¹⁶Iyakuthatha izinceku zenu, nezincekukazi zenu, nezinsizwa zenu ezinhle, nezimbongolo zenu, izenze ukuba zisebenze imisebenzi yayo.

¹⁷Iyakuthatha okweshumi kwezimvu zenu, nibe yizinceku zayo.

¹⁸Niyakukhala ngalolo suku ngenxa yenkosi yenu, eniyakube nizikhethele yona; kepha uJehova akayikuniphendula ngalolo suku.”

¹⁹Kepha abantu bala ukulalela izwi likaSamuweli, bathi: “Hhayi, sifuna ukuba kube khona inkosi phezu kwethu,

²⁰ukuze nathi sibe njengezizwe zonke, inkosi yethu isahlulele, iphume phambi kwethu, ilwe izimpi zethu.”

²¹USamuweli wezwa onke amazwi abantu, wawalanda ezindlebeni zikaJehova.

²²UJehova wathi kuSamuweli: “Lalela izwi labo, ubanike inkosi.” USamuweli wathi kubantu bakwa-Israyeli: “Hambani niye, kube yilowo nalowo emzini wakini.”