AmaFilisti anqoba abantwana bakoIsrayeli; athatha umtshokotsho wesivumelwano

4Ilizwi likaSamuweli lafika kuIsrayeli wonke. UIsrayeli wasephuma ukuyamelana lamaFilisti empini, bamisa inkamba ngaseEbeni-Ezeria, lamaFilisti amisa inkamba eAfekib. 2 AmaFilisti asezihlela ukumelana loIsrayeli; kwathi impi isabalala, uIsrayeli watshaywa phambi kwamaFilisti; njalo atshaya emaviyweni egangeni phose amadoda azinkulungwane ezine. 3 Kwathi abantu befika enkambeni, abadala bakoIsrayeli bathi: INkosi isitshayeleni lamuhla phambi kwamaFilisti? Asizithatheleni eShiloc umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosid; nxa usiza phakathi kwethu uzasisindisa esandleni sezitha zethu. 4 Ngakho abantu bathumela eShiloe, ukuthi bathathe khona umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi yamabandla, ehlala phakathi kwamakherubhi*f; lamadodana amabili kaEli, uHofini loPhinehasi, ayelapho lomtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu. 5 Kwasekusithi lapho umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi ufika enkambeni, uIsrayeli wonke wahlokoma ngokuhlokoma okukhulug kwaze kwaduma umhlabah. 6 Lapho amaFilisti esizwa umsindo wokuhlokoma athi: Utshoni umsindo walokhukuhlokoma okukhulu enkambeni yamaHebheru? Asesazi ukuthi umtshokotsho weNkosi ufikile enkambeni. 7 AmaFilisti asesesaba, ngoba athi: UNkulunkulu ufikile enkambeni. Athi-ke: Maye kithi! Ngoba kakuzanga kwenzeke okunje mandulo. 8 Maye kithi! Ngubani ozasophula esandleni salaba onkulunkulu abalamandla? Laba ngonkulunkulu abatshaya amaGibhithe ngazo zonke inhlupheko enkangala. 9 Qinani, libe ngamadoda, maFilisti, hlezi lisebenzele amaHebherui njengoba alisebenzela. Ngakho banini ngamadoda, lilwej. 10 Ngakho amaFilisti alwa, loIsrayeli watshaywak, babalekela, ngulowo lalowo ethenteni lakhe. Njalo kwaba lokubulawa okukhulu kakhulu, ngoba kwawa koIsrayeli abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu abahamba ngenyawol. 11 Umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu wasuthathwam, lamadodana womabili kaEli, uHofini loPhinehasi, abulawan.

12 Kwasekugijima umuntu wakoBhenjamini evela emaviyweni, wafika eShilo ngalolosukuo, lezigqoko zakhe zidatshuliwep elenhlabathi ekhanda lakheq. 13 Ekufikeni kwakhe, khangela-ke, uEli wayehlezi esihlalweni eceleni kwendlela elindile, ngoba inhliziyo yakhe yayithuthumelela umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulur. Kwathi lowomuntu esengenile emzini ukubika, kwakhala umuzi wonke. 14 Lapho uEli esizwa umsindo wokukhala wathi: Uyini umsindo wale inhlokomo? Lowomuntu wasephangisa weza wamtshela uEli. 15 Njalo uEli wayeleminyaka engamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye leyisificaminwembili, lamehlo akhe ema ukuthi ayengelakho ukubonas. 16 Lowomuntu wasesithi kuEli: Nginguye ovela emaviyweni; ngibaleke emaviyweni lamuhla. Wasesithi: Kwenziweni, ndodana yami? 17 Owaletha umbiko wasephendula wathi: UIsrayeli ubalekile phambi kwamaFilisti, futhi kube lokubulawa okukhulu ebantwini, njalo lamadodana akho womabili, uHofini loPhinehasi, afile, lomtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe. 18 Kwasekusithi esekhulume ngomtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu, wawa nyovane esihlalweni eceleni kwesango, kwephuka intamo yakhe, wafa, ngoba lowomuntu wayemdala, enzima. Njalo wayahlulele uIsrayeli iminyaka engamatshumi amane.

19 Lomalokazana wakhe, umkaPhinehasi, wayekhulelwe, esezabeletha; esezwile umbiko wokuthi umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe, lokuthi uyisezala lomkakhe bafile, wakhothama wabeletha, ngoba wafikelwa yimihelo. 20 Njalo phose ngesikhathi sokufa kwakhe abesifazana ababemi belaye bathi: Ungesabi, ngoba ubelethe indodanat. Kodwa kaphendulanga njalo kazange akunanze. 21 Wambiza umfana ngokuthi nguIkabodiu, esithi: Inkazimulo isukile koIsrayeli; ngoba umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe, langenxa kayisezala lomkakhe. 22 Wasesithi: Inkazimulo isukile koIsrayeli ngoba umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwev.