Eyokuqala KaSamuweli 4:1-22
4 Ilizwi likaSamuweli lafika kuSirayeli wonke.
Emva koko amaSirayeli ahamba ayokulwa imfazwe namaFilisti, yaye amisa iintente ngase-Ebhenezere, wona amaFilisti ayimisa eAfeki.
2 AmaFilisti alwa namaSirayeli, yaye yaba mbi loo mfazwe, ibe amaFilisti amoyisa uSirayeli, abulala amadoda amalunga ne-4 000 kuloo mfazwe.
3 Xa abantu babuyela enkampini, abadala bakwaSirayeli bathi: “Kutheni uYehova esiyekele soyiswa* namhlanje ngamaFilisti?+ Masithathe ityeya yesivumelwano kaYehova eShilo,+ ukuze ibe kunye nathi ize isisindise kwiintshaba zethu.”
4 Ngoko abantu bathumela amadoda eShilo, aza ayithwala ityeya yesivumelwano kaYehova wemikhosi, ohleli etroneni entla* kweekherubhi.+ Oonyana ababini bakaEli, uHofeni noFinehasi,+ nabo babelapho kunye netyeya yesivumelwano kaThixo wokwenene.
5 Yathi nje yakufika ityeya yesivumelwano kaYehova enkampini, onke amaSirayeli akhwaza kakhulu, kwade kwashukuma umhlaba.
6 Xa amaFilisti ayivayo loo ngxolo athi: “Kutheni kukho ingxolo engaka enkampini yamaHebhere?” Ekugqibeleni eva ukuba kufike iTyeya kaYehova enkampini.
7 AmaFilisti angcangcazela, kuba ayesithi: “UThixo ungenile enkampini!”+ Ngoko athi: “Sisengxakini, kuba zange yenzeka into enje!
8 Sikwenkulu ingxaki! Siza kusindiswa ngubani kulo Thixo uyingangamsha? Lo nguThixo owawatshabalalisa ngazo zonke iindlela amaYiputa entlango.+
9 Yibani nesibindi njengamadoda maFilisti, ukuze ningabi ngamakhoboka amaHebhere kanye njengokuba wona eye angamakhoboka enu.+ Yibani ngamadoda, nilwe!”
10 Ngoko alwa amaFilisti waza uSirayeli woyiswa,+ yaye ngamnye wabalekela ententeni yakhe. Kwafa abantu abaninzi. Kwicala likaSirayeli kwawa amajoni ahamba ngeenyawo ayi-30 000.
11 KwaneTyeya kaThixo yathinjwa, noonyana ababini bakaEli, uHofeni noFinehasi, bafa.+
12 Indoda yakwaBhenjamin yabaleka isuka emfazweni yaya kufika eShilo kwangaloo mini, iimpahla zayo zikrazukile yaye inothuli entloko.+
13 Ukufika kwale ndoda, uEli wayehleli esitulweni ngasendleleni, ebukele, kuba wayenexhala ngenxa yeTyeya kaThixo wokwenene.+ Yangena ke le ndoda esixekweni ukuze ichaze ezi ndaba, saza sonke isixeko senza isijwili.
14 Wathi uEli akuva esi sijwili, wabuza: “Sesantoni esi sijwili singaka?” Yakhawuleza le ndoda yayokuxelela uEli ezi ndaba.
15 (Ngoku uEli wayeneminyaka eyi-98, namehlo akhe ayejonge ngqo phambili, yaye wayengasaboni.)+
16 Yathi kuEli: “Ndisuka emfazweni! Ndiqhweshe namhlanje phaya.” Wathi yena: “Kwenzeke ntoni, nyana wam?”
17 Yona yathi: “USirayeli uwabalekile amaFilisti, yaye woyisiwe.+ Kwakhona, oonyana bakho ababini, uHofeni noFinehasi, bafile,+ neTyeya kaThixo wokwenene ithinjiwe.”+
18 Yathi nje loo ndoda yakuthetha ngeTyeya kaThixo wokwenene, uEli wawa ngomva esitulweni ecaleni kwegeyithi, wophuka intamo waza wafa, kuba wayemdala yaye emkhulu. Wayengumgwebi wakwaSirayeli kangangeminyaka eyi-40.
19 Umolokazana wakhe, umfazi kaFinehasi, wayemithi, sele eza kuzala. Xa wevayo ukuba iTyeya kaThixo wokwenene ithinjiwe nokuba utatazala nomyeni wakhe bafile, wagoba, waqutyulwa yinimba, waza wabeleka.
20 Xa wayesifa, abafazi ababemi ecaleni kwakhe bathi: “Sukoyika, kuba uzele unyana.” Zange abaphendule yaye zange ayihoye loo nto.
21 Kodwa wayithiya igama elinguIkabhode*+ le nkwenkwana, esithi: “Uzuko lumkile kwaSirayeli lwaya ekuthinjweni,”+ ethetha ngokuthinjwa kweTyeya kaThixo wokwenene, nangento eyayehlele utatazala nomyeni wakhe.+
22 Wathi: “Uzuko lumkile kwaSirayeli lwaya ekuthinjweni, kuba iTyeya kaThixo wokwenene ithinjiwe.”+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Ngokoqobo, “Kutheni uYehova esoyisile.”
^ Okanye kusenokwenzeka, “phakathi.”
^ Othetha ukuthi “Luphi Uzuko?”
