Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli 4:1-22
4 USamuyeli waqhubeka ekhuluma labo bonke abantu bako-Israyeli.
Abako-Israyeli baphuma besiyakulwa lamaFilisti. Bamisa inkamba yabo eceleni kwe-Ebhenezeri, amaFilisti wona amisa eyawo e-Afekhi.
2 AmaFilisti ahlela amabutho awo ayadibana labako-Israyeli empini. Kodwa akubahambelanga kuhle abako-Israyeli. AmaFilisti abanqoba abulala amadoda angaba ngu-4 000 enkundleni yempi.
3 Amabutho athi esebuyele enkambeni abadala bako-Israyeli bathi: “Kungani lamuhla uJehova evumele ukuthi amaFilisti asinqobe?*+ Kasihambeni siyethatha ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaJehova eShilo+ ukuze libe lathi lisikhulule esandleni sezitha zethu.”
4 Ngakho bathuma amadoda eShilo afika athatha ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaJehova wamabutho ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi phezu* kwamakherubhi.+ Amadodana ka-Eli amabili, uHofini loFiniyasi,+ lawo ahamba lebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu weqiniso.
5 Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaJehova lathi lifika enkambeni bonke abantu bako-Israyeli bahlokoma kwaba lomsindo omkhulu, umhlaba waze wanyikinyeka.
6 AmaFilisti athi esizwa umsindo omkhulu owawusenziwa ngabako-Israyeli athi: “Kungani kulomsindo omkhulu kangaka enkambeni yamaHebheru?” Acina esizwa ukuthi kwasekufike ibhokisi likaJehova enkambeni.
7 AmaFilisti ethuka athi: “UNkulunkulu usebuyile enkambeni!+ Kuphelile ngathi ngoba okunje akukaze kwenzakale!
8 Lakanye saphela! Ngubani ozasikhulula esandleni sikaNkulunkulu lo omkhulu? Phela nguye uNkulunkulu owaqeda abantu beGibhithe enkangala.+
9 Wobani lesibindi libe ngamadoda maFilisti ukuze lingacini seliyizigqili zamaHebheru wona ebeyizigqili zenu.+ Wobani ngamadoda lilwe!”
10 AmaFilisti alwa abanqoba abako-Israyeli+ futhi ngamunye wabo wabalekela etendeni lakhe. Kwabulawa abantu abanengi kakhulu. Kwabako-Israyeli kwafa amabutho angu-30 000.
11 Ibhokisi likaNkulunkulu lathunjwa futhi amadodana amabili ka-Eli, uHofini loFiniyasi afa.+
12 Enye indoda yakoBhenjamini yabaleka empini yagijima yayafika eShilo ngalelolanga. Izigqoko zayo zazidabukile futhi igcwele inhlabathi ekhanda.+
13 Indoda le yathi ifika, u-Eli wayehlezi esitulweni eceleni komgwaqo elindile ngenxa yokuthi wayekhathazekile ngebhokisi likaNkulunkulu weqiniso.+ Indoda le yangena edolobheni yayatshela abantu okwakwenzakele. Abantu bonke edolobheni baqalisa ukukhala.
14 U-Eli wathi esizwa umsindo wabantu abakhalayo wabuza wathi: “Kanti umsindo wonke lo ngowani?” Indoda leyo yahle yayabikela u-Eli okwasekwenzakele.
15 (U-Eli wayeseleminyaka engu-98 njalo wayengasaboni.)+
16 Indoda le yathi ku-Eli: “Yimi engivela empini! Ngibalekile empini lamuhla!” U-Eli wambuza wathi: “Kuhambe njani ndodana yami?”
17 Indoda eyayibuye lombiko yamtshela yathi: “Abantu bako-Israyeli bawabalekele amaFilisti futhi kubulewe abantu abanengi,+ lamadodana akho amabili uHofini loFiniyasi afile.+ Ibhokisi likaNkulunkulu weqiniso lalo lithunjiwe.”+
18 U-Eli uthe esizwa ngebhokisi likaNkulunkulu weqiniso wawa ngesiphundu esitulweni sakhe eceleni kwegedi. Intamo yakhe yephuka wahle wafa ngoba wayesemdala futhi elomzimba omkhulu. U-Eli wahlulela abantu bako-Israyeli okweminyaka engu-40.
19 Umalukazana wakhe umkaFiniyasi wayezithwele futhi esezabeletha. Wathi esizwa ukuthi ibhokisi likaNkulunkulu weqiniso lalithunjiwe lokuthi uyisezala lomkakhe basebefile, wakhothama wahle wahelelwa wabeletha isikhathi sakhe singakafiki.
20 Wathi esesifa abesifazana ababemi eceleni kwakhe bathi: “Ungakhathazeki ngoba ubelethe umntwana ongumfana.” Kodwa yena kabaphendulanga futhi kazange abe lendaba lakho.*
21 Wanika umfana ibizo wathi ngu-Ikhabhodi*+ esithi: “Udumo lusukile ko-Israyeli lwaya ekuthunjweni.”+ Wayekhuluma ngokuthunjwa kwebhokisi likaNkulunkulu weqiniso lalokho okwakwehlele umkakhe loyisezala.+
22 Wathi: “Udumo lusukile ko-Israyeli lwaya ekuthunjweni ngoba ibhokisi likaNkulunkulu weqiniso lithunjiwe.”+
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “Kungani uJehova esinqobile?”
^ Ezinye inguqulo zithi, “phakathi.”
^ Kumbe, “kazange afake inhliziyo yakhe kukho.”
^ Ibizo leli litsho ukuthi, “Lungaphi udumo?”
