1 Samuel 4

AmaFilisti anqoba abantwana bakoIsrayeli; athatha umtshokotsho wesivumelwano

1Ilizwi likaSamuweli lafika kuIsrayeli wonke. UIsrayeli wasephuma ukuyamelana lamaFilisti empini, bamisa inkamba ngaseEbeni-Ezeri a, lamaFilisti amisa inkamba eAfeki b. 2AmaFilisti asezihlela ukumelana loIsrayeli; kwathi impi isabalala, uIsrayeli watshaywa phambi kwamaFilisti; njalo atshaya emaviyweni egangeni phose amadoda azinkulungwane ezine. 3Kwathi abantu befika enkambeni, abadala bakoIsrayeli bathi: INkosi isitshayeleni lamuhla phambi kwamaFilisti? Asizithatheleni eShilo c umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi d; nxa usiza phakathi kwethu uzasisindisa esandleni sezitha zethu. 4Ngakho abantu bathumela eShilo e, ukuthi bathathe khona umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi yamabandla, ehlala phakathi kwamakherubhi* f; lamadodana amabili kaEli, uHofini loPhinehasi, ayelapho lomtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu. 5Kwasekusithi lapho umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi ufika enkambeni, uIsrayeli wonke wahlokoma ngokuhlokoma okukhulu g kwaze kwaduma umhlaba h. 6Lapho amaFilisti esizwa umsindo wokuhlokoma athi: Utshoni umsindo walokhukuhlokoma okukhulu enkambeni yamaHebheru? Asesazi ukuthi umtshokotsho weNkosi ufikile enkambeni. 7AmaFilisti asesesaba, ngoba athi: UNkulunkulu ufikile enkambeni. Athi-ke: Maye kithi! Ngoba kakuzanga kwenzeke okunje mandulo. 8Maye kithi! Ngubani ozasophula esandleni salaba onkulunkulu abalamandla? Laba ngonkulunkulu abatshaya amaGibhithe ngazo zonke inhlupheko enkangala. 9Qinani, libe ngamadoda, maFilisti, hlezi lisebenzele amaHebheru i njengoba alisebenzela. Ngakho banini ngamadoda, lilwe j. 10Ngakho amaFilisti alwa, loIsrayeli watshaywa k, babalekela, ngulowo lalowo ethenteni lakhe. Njalo kwaba lokubulawa okukhulu kakhulu, ngoba kwawa koIsrayeli abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu abahamba ngenyawo l. 11Umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu wasuthathwa m, lamadodana womabili kaEli, uHofini loPhinehasi, abulawa n.

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

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

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