Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli 10:1-27
10 USamuyeli wathatha imbodlela yamafutha wawathela ekhanda likaSawuli,+ wasemqabuza wathi: “UJehova usekugcobile ukuthi ube ngumkhokheli+ wabantu bakhe.+
2 Nxa usuka lapha lamuhla uzathola amadoda amabili eduze lethuna likaRasheli+ eZeliza, elizweni lakoBhenjamini. Azakuthi kuwe: ‘Obabhemi obuyebadinga sebetholakele. Kodwa khathesi uyihlo usekhohliwe ngabobabhemi,+ usekhathazeke ngani. Uthi: “Ngizakwenza njani ngendodana yami?”’
3 Ungasuka lapho uzahamba uze uyefika esihlahleni esikhulu seThabhori. Lapho uzahlangana lamadoda amathathu esiya kuNkulunkulu weqiniso eBhetheli.+ Omunye uzabe ethwele amazinyane embuzi amathathu, omunye ethwele izinkwa ezintathu njalo omunye ethwele imbiza enkulu yewayini.
4 Bazakubingelela bakubuze impilo besebekunika izinkwa ezimbili. Kumele uzithathe izinkwa lezo.
5 Uzasuka lapho uhambe uze uyefika eqaqeni lukaNkulunkulu weqiniso lapho okuleqembu lamabutho amaFilisti. Uzakuthi usufikile edolobheni uhlangane leqembu labaphrofethi livela endaweni ephakemeyo behamba bephrofetha. Phambi kwabo kuzabe kulabantu abatshaya iziginci, lamathamborini, lamafluthi kanye lamahabhu.*
6 Umoya kaJehova uzakwehlela phezu kwakho+ futhi wena uzaphrofetha labo, utshintshe ube angathi ungomunye umuntu.+
7 Nxa izibonakaliso lezi sezigcwalisekile, wenze loba yini oyenelisayo ngoba uNkulunkulu weqiniso ulawe.
8 Ngemva kwalokho kumele uye eGiligali.+ Mina ngizakulandela ngizonikela imihlatshelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo yobudlelwano. Kumele ulinde okwamalanga ayisikhombisa ngize ngifike, besengikutshela lokho okumele ukwenze.”
9 USawuli wathi esanda nje kutshibilika esuka kuSamuyeli, uNkulunkulu waqalisa ukutshintsha inhliziyo yakhe yaba njengeyomunye umuntu, futhi zonke izibonakaliso lezi zagcwaliseka ngalelolanga.
10 Ngakho uSawuli lesisebenzi ayehamba laso basuka lapho baya eqaqeni njalo bahlangana leqembu labaphrofethi. Umoya kaNkulunkulu wahle wehlela phezu kwakhe wamnika amandla,+ laye waqalisa ukuphrofetha.+
11 Bonke ababemazi bathi bembona ephrofetha labaphrofethi babuzana bathi: “Kuyini okwenzakale endodaneni kaKhishi? Kanti uSawuli laye ngumphrofethi?”
12 Enye indoda eyayihlala lapho yathi: “Uyise walaba yena ngubani?” Ngakho kwahle kwaba lesitsho esithi: “Kanti uSawuli laye ngumphrofethi?”+
13 USawuli wathi eseqedile ukuphrofetha waya endaweni ephakemeyo.
14 Umfowabo kayise wathi kuye lasesisebenzini ayehambe laso: “Beliye ngaphi?” USawuli waphendula wathi: “Besiyedinga obabhemi+ kodwa asibatholanga, yikho sisuke saya kuSamuyeli.”
15 Umfowabo kayise wasesithi kuye: “Ngicela ungitshele ukuthi uSamuyeli utheni kuwe.”
16 USawuli wasephendula wathi: “Usitshele ukuthi obabhemi sebetholakele.” Kodwa kazange amtshele ukuthi uSamuyeli wayethe uzakuba yinkosi.
17 USamuyeli wabuthanisa abantu bako-Israyeli ndawonye phambi kukaJehova eMizipha,+
18 wasesithi kubo: “Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: ‘Yimi engalikhipha eGibhithe ngalikhulula esandleni sabantu baseGibhithe+ lakuyo yonke imibuso eyayilithwalise nzima.
19 Kodwa lamuhla limtshiyile uNkulunkulu wenu+ owayelikhulula kuzo zonke izingozi lasekuhluphekeni, lathi: “Thina sifuna usinike inkosi ezasibusa.” Ngakho manini phambi kukaJehova ngezizwana zenu langosendo lwenu.’”*
20 USamuyeli wathi zonke izizwana zako-Israyeli zisondele eduze,+ kwasekukhethwa isizwana sakoBhenjamini.+
21 Ngemva kwalokho wathi abantu besizwana sakoBhenjamini basondele eduze ngezimuli zabo kwasekukhethwa imuli yakoMathiri. Ekucineni kwakhethwa uSawuli indodana kaKhishi.+ Kodwa bathi sebemdinga abazange bamthole.
22 Ngakho babuza uJehova+ bathi: “Usefikile yini lapha?” UJehova waphendula wathi: “Ye ukhona, nanguyana ucatshe empahleni.”
23 Yikho-ke bagijima bayamthatha babuya laye. Wathi esemi phakathi kwabantu, wayemude kulabo bonke, kakho owayesedlula emahlombe akhe.+
24 USamuyeli wakhuluma labantu bonke wathi: “Liyambona yini lowo okhethwe nguJehova?+ Kakho onjengaye phakathi kwabo bonke abantu.” Bonke bamemeza bathi: “Kayibe lempilo ende inkosi!”
25 USamuyeli watshela abantu ngamalungelo amakhosi+ wasewabhala ebhukwini, walibeka phambi kukaJehova. Ngemva kwalokho wathi bonke abantu bahambe, futhi bonke babuyela emizini yabo.
26 USawuli laye waya kibo eGibheya, ehamba lamabutho uJehova ayethinte inhliziyo zawo.
27 Kodwa amanye amadoda angelancedo athi: “Umuntu yena lo uzasisindisa njani?”+ Ameyisa njalo awazange amnike isipho,+ kodwa yena kazange atsho lutho.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Ihabhu lichacho elilentambo ezifanana lezekatali.
^ NgesiHebheru, “langezinkulungwane zenu.”
