Incwadzi Yekucala YaSamuweli 4:1-22
4 Livi laSamuweli lefika kuwo onkhe ema-Israyeli.
Ngemuva kwaloko, ema-Israyeli aphuma ayokulwa nemaFilisti; ema-Israyeli abemise emathende eceleni kwe-Ebheneza, emaFilisti wona bekawemise e-Afeki.
2 EmaFilisti atihlela aba ngemacembu kuze alwe nema-Israyeli, kodvwa lemphi ayihambanga kahle ngobe emaFilisti awancoba ema-Israyeli, abulala emadvodza langaba ngu-4 000 kulendzawo lebebalwela kuyo.
3 Ngesikhatsi bantfu babuyela endzaweni lebekuhlalwa kuyo, emadvodza lamadzala aka-Israyeli atsi: “Kungani Jehova avumele kutsi sincotjwe* ngemaFilisti lamuhla?+ Asitsatseni libhokisi lesivumelwane saJehova leliseShilo,+ kuze libe natsi futsi lisisindzise esandleni setitsa tetfu.”
4 Ngako bantfu batfumela emadvodza eShilo, afike atsatsa lelibhokisi lesivumelwane saJehova wemabutfo, lohlala esihlalweni sebukhosi etikwemakherubhi.*+ Emadvodzana lamabili a-Eli, boHofni naFinehasi+ nawo abesendzaweni lapho kunelibhokisi lesivumelwane saNkulunkulu weliciniso khona.
5 Ngekushesha nje nakufika libhokisi lesivumelwane saJehova endzaweni lebekuhlalwa kuyo, onkhe ema-Israyeli amemeta kakhulu kangangekutsi umhlaba waze watamatama.
6 Ngesikhatsi emaFilisti eva lomsindvo wekumemeta, atsi: “Kungani kunemsindvo longaka kulendzawo lehlala emaHebheru?” Ekugcineni eva kutsi bekufike Libhokisi laJehova kuleyo ndzawo.
7 EmaFilisti esaba, ngobe abetsi: “Kufike Nkulunkulu kulendzawo lokuhlalwa kuyo!”+ Ngako-ke atsi: “Maye kitsi ngobe intfo lenjena ayizange seyenteke!
8 Maye kitsi! Ngubani lotasisindzisa esandleni saloNkulunkulu lomkhulu nakangaka? Lona nguloNkulunkulu lowabulala linyenti lebantfu baseGibhithe ehlane.+
9 Nine maFilisti, banini nesibindzi, nibe ngemadvodza kuze ningabi tigcili temaHebheru njengobe nje abetigcili tenu.+ Banini ngemadvodza futsi nilwe!”
10 Ngako emaFilisti alwa nema-Israyeli futsi ema-Israyeli ancotjwa,+ nguloyo naloyo wabalekela ethendeni lakhe. Kwafa incumbi yebantfu; kuma-Israyeli kwabulawa emasotja langu-30 000 labehamba ngetinyawo.
11 Ngetulu kwaloko, Libhokisi laNkulunkulu latfunjwa, nemadvodzana lamabili a-Eli, boHofni naFinehasi afa.+
12 Indvodza letsite yakaBhenjamini yabaleka kulemphi, yefika eShilo ngalelolanga seyidzabule timphahla tayo futsi ingcolile enhloko.+
13 Ngesikhatsi ifika, Eli abehleti esihlalweni ngasemgwacweni abuka, ngobe inhlitiyo yakhe beyetfukile ngenca yeLibhokisi laNkulunkulu weliciniso.+ Lendvodza yaya edolobheni yayowubika lendzaba, futsi bonkhe bantfu kulelidolobha bacala kukhala.
14 Nakeva lomsindvo wekukhala, Eli wabuta watsi: “Wani lomsindvo lengiwuvako?” Lendvodza yagijima yaya ku-Eli yefike yambikela letindzaba.
15 (Eli abesaneminyaka lengu-98 budzala, emehlo akhe abuka angasacwabiti futsi abengasaboni.)+
16 Lendvodza yabese itsi ku-Eli: “Mine ngisuka lemphini! Ngibaleke khona nje lamuhla.” Nakeva loko, Eli wayibuta watsi: “Kwentekeni ndvodzana yami?”
17 Ngako lendvodza lebeyitawubika letindzaba yatsi: “Ema-Israyeli awabalekele emaFilisti, futsi ancotjiwe.+ Nemadvodzana akho lamabili, boHofni naFinehasi afile,+ kantsi neLibhokisi laNkulunkulu weliciniso litfunjiwe.”+
18 Lendvodza yatsi nayikhuluma ngeLibhokisi laNkulunkulu weliciniso, Eli wavele wawa ngesiphundvu esihlalweni sakhe ngasegedeni, intsamo yakhe yephuka wase uyafa ngobe abesamdzala futsi amkhulu ngemtimba. Abehlulele ema-Israyeli iminyaka lengu-40.
19 Malukatane wakhe, lebekangumfati waFinehasi abetetfwele, sekusedvute nekutsi abeleke. Watsi nakeva lombiko wekutsi Libhokisi laNkulunkulu weliciniso belitfunjiwe nekutsi babetala wakhe kanye nendvodza yakhe bafile, wagoba wase ucalwa ngumhelo kusengakabi sikhatsi futsi wabeleka.
20 Nasatakufa, bafati lebebeme eceleni kwakhe batsi: “Ungesabi ngobe utele indvodzana.” Akazange aphendvule futsi akazange akunake loko.*
21 Kodvwa wetsa lendvodzana yakhe ngekutsi ngu-Ikhabodi,*+ watsi: “Inkhatimulo seyisukile ka-Israyeli yaya ekutfunjweni,”+ akhuluma ngekutfunjwa kweLibhokisi laNkulunkulu weliciniso naloko lebekwenteke kubabetala wakhe kanye nasendvodzeni yakhe.+
22 Watsi: “Inkhatimulo seyisukile ka-Israyeli yaya ekutfunjweni ngobe Libhokisi laNkulunkulu weliciniso litfunjiwe.”+
Imibhalo lengentansi
^ NgesiHebheru kutsi, “Kungani Jehova asincobile?”
^ Kungaphindze kubekwe ngekutsi, “emkhatsini wemakherubhi.”
^ Nobe “futsi inhlitiyo yakhe akazange ayibeke kuko.”
^ Lokusho kutsi “Iphi Inkhatimulo?”
