1 Samueli 4
1 Ndipo mawu a Samueli anafika kwa Aisraeli onse. Aisraeli anapita kukamenya nkhondo ndi Afilisti. Aisraeli anamanga misasa yawo ku Ebenezeri, ndipo Afilisti anamanga ku Afeki.
Ilizwi likaSamuyeli lafika ku-Israyeli wonke. Ngalesosikhathi abako-Israyeli baphuma ukuyakulwa lamaFilistiya. Abako-Israyeli bamisa e-Ebhenezeri, amaFilistiya e-Afekhi.
2 Afilisti anandanda kuyangʼana Aisraeli nayamba kumenyana. Nkhondo inakula ndipo Afilisti anagonjetsa Aisraeli napha anthu 4,000 pa malo a nkhondopo.
AmaFilistiya ahlela amabutho awo ukuba ayohlangana labako-Israyeli, kwathi ekumemethekeni kwempi, u-Israyeli wehlulwa ngamaFilistiya, abulala abaphosa babe zinkulungwane ezine enkundleni yokulwela.
3 Asilikali atabwerera ku misasa, akuluakulu a Israeli anafunsa kuti, “Nʼchifukwa chiyani Yehova walola kuti tigonjetsedwe lero pamaso pa Afilisti? Tiyeni tikatenge Bokosi la Chipangano cha Yehova ku Silo kuti Yehovayo abwere kukhala pakati pathu ndi kutipulumutsa mʼmanja mwa adani athu.”
Kwathi esebuyele ezihonqweni, abadala bako-Israyeli bathi, “Kungani uThixo esilethele ukwehlulwa lamhla phambi kwamaFilistiya na? Kasiyenithatha ibhokisi lesivumelwano sika Thixo eShilo, ukuze lihambe lathi lisisindise esandleni sezitha zethu.”
4 Choncho anatuma anthu ku Silo ndipo anakatenga Bokosi la Chipangano cha Yehova Wamphamvuzonse amene amakhala pa akerubi. Ndipo ana awiri a Eli, Hofini ndi Finehasi anatsagana nalo Bokosi la Chipangano cha Mulungu.
Ngakho abantu bathuma amadoda eShilo, abuya lebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo uSomandla, ehlezi ebukhosini phakathi kwamakherubhi. Lamadodana ka-Eli amabili, uHofini loFinehasi, ayekhona lebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu.
5 Bokosi la Chipangano cha Yehova litafika ku msasa, Aisraeli onse anafuwula kwambiri mpaka nthaka inagwedezeka.
Kwathi lapho ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo lifika ezihonqweni, wonke u-Israyeli wenza umsindo omkhulu iphansi laze lanyikinyeka.
6 Atamva kufuwulaku, Afilisti anafunsa, “Kodi kufuwula kwakukulu kumeneku ku misasa ya Ahebri ndi kwachiyani?” Atamva kuti Bokosi la Yehova lafika ku msasako,
Esizwa ukuxokozela amaFilistiya abuza athi, “Utshoni umsindo wonke lo ezihonqweni zamaHebheru na?” Kwathi esezwile ukuthi ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo laselikhona ezihonqweni,
7 Afilisti anachita mantha pakuti iwo ankanena kuti, “Milungu yafika ku msasa. Iwo anati, ‘Tili pamavuto. Chinthu choterechi sichinachitikepo nʼkale lomwe.
amaFilistiya esaba. Athi, “Unkulunkulu usefikile ezihonqweni. Siphakathi kohlupho. Akulanto enje eseyake yenzakala ngaphambili.
8 Atsoka ife! Adzatipulumutsa ndani mʼmanja mwa milungu yamphamvuyi? Iyi ndi milungu imene inakantha Aigupto ndi miliri yosiyanasiyana mʼchipululu.
Maye kithi! Ngubani ozasikhulula esandleni sabonkulunkulu laba abalamandla abatshaya amaGibhithe ngenhlobo zonke zezifo enkangala?
9 Limbani mtima Afilisti! Chitani chamuna, kuti mungakhale akapolo a Ahebri monga iwowa alili akapolo anu. Chitani chamuna ndipo menyani nkhondo!’”
Qinani, maFilistiya! Wobani ngamadoda hlezi libe yizichaka zamaHebheru, njengalokhu ababeyikho kini. Wobani ngamadoda, lilwe!”
10 Choncho Afilisti anamenya nkhondo, ndipo anagonjetsa Aisraeli. Iwo anathawa aliyense kwawo. Ankhondo a Aisraeli oyenda pansi okwanira 30,000 anaphedwa.
Ngakho amaFilistiya alwa, abako-Israyeli behlulwa njalo amadoda wonke abalekela emathenteni awo. Ababulawayo babebanengi kakhulu; u-Israyeli walahlekelwa ngamabutho ezinyawo azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu.
11 Ndipo Bokosi la Chipangano la Yehova linalandidwa, ndiponso ana awiri Eli, Hofini ndi Finehasi anaphedwa.
Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lathunjwa, lamadodana amabili ka-Eli, Hofini loFinehasi, afa.
12 Tsiku lomwelo munthu wina wa fuko la Benjamini anathawa ku nkhondo ndipo anafika ku Silo. Iyeyu zovala zake zinali zongʼamba ndipo anadzithira dothi kumutu kuonetsa chisoni.
Ngalelolanga umuntu wakoBhenjamini wagijima esuka empini waya eShilo, izigqoko zakhe zazidabukile elothuli ekhanda.
13 Atafika, anapeza Eli atakhala pa mpando wake mʼmbali mwa msewu, akungoyangʼana, pakuti ankadera nkhawa Bokosi la Mulungu. Munthuyo atalowa mu mzindamo ndi kufotokoza zimene zinachitika ku nkhondo, anthu onse a mu mzindamo anayamba kulira.
Ekufikeni kwakhe, kwakulo-Eli ehlezi esihlalweni eceleni komgwaqo, elindile, ngoba inhliziyo yakhe yayisesabela ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu. Kwathi umuntu lowo esengenile emzini wabika okwasekwenzakele, umuzi wonke waqhinqa isililo.
14 Eli atamva kulirako anafunsa kuti, “Kodi phokosoli likutanthauza chiyani?” Tsono munthu wa fuko la Benjamini uja anapita msanga kwa Eli kukamufotokozera.
U-Eli wezwa umsindo wokukhala wabuza wathi, “Ukuxokozela lokhu kutshoni na?” Umuntu lowo watshitshela ku-Eli,
15 Nthawiyo nʼkuti Eli ali wa zaka 98 ndipo maso ake anali atachita khungu kotero kuti samatha kuona.
owayeleminyaka engamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye munye lasificaminwembili mibili ubudala, njalo amehlo akhe ayesefiphele, engasaboni.
16 Munthuyo anamuwuza Eli kuti, “Ine ndabwera kuchokera ku nkhondo, ndathawako lero lomwe lino.” Eli anafunsa, “Nanga nkhondo yayenda bwanji mwana wanga?”
Watshela u-Eli wathi, “Ngisanda kufika ngivela empini; ngibalekile kuyo ngalonaleli ilanga.” U-Eli wabuza wathi, “Kutheni ndodana yami?”
17 Iye anayankha kuti, “Aisraeli athawa pamaso pa Afilisti. Anthu ambirimbiri aphedwa. Ana anunso Hofini ndi Finehasi aphedwa. Bokosi la Mulungu nalonso lalandidwa.”
Umuntu owaletha umbiko waphendula wathi, “U-Israyeli ubalekile phambi kwamaFilistiya njalo ibutho lilahlekelwe kakhulu. Njalo lamadodana akho amabili, uHofini loFinehasi, afile njalo lebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lithunjiwe.”
18 Atangotchula Bokosi la Yehova, Eli anagwa chagada, kuchoka pa mpando wake umene unali mʼmbali mwa chitseko cha mpanda. Khosi lake linathyoka ndipo anafa, pakuti anali okalamba ndi onenepa kwambiri. Iye anatsogolera Israeli zaka makumi anayi.
Kwathi esethinte ngebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, u-Eli wawa ngesiphundu esihlalweni sakhe eceleni kwesango. Intamo yakhe yephuka, wafa, ngoba wayesengumuntu omdala njalo emkhulu. Wayekhokhele u-Israyeli iminyaka engamatshumi amane.
19 Nthawiyo, mpongozi wa Eli, mkazi wa Finehasi anali woyembekezera ndipo anali pafupi kuchira. Atamva kuti Bokosi la Mulungu lalandidwa ndi kuti mpongozi wake Eli ndi mwamuna wake amwalira, ululu wa pobereka mwana unamufikira modzidzimutsa ndipo anabereka mwana.
Umalukazana wakhe, umkaFinehasi, wayekhulelwe njalo esezabeletha. Kwathi esizwa izindaba zokuthi ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lalithunjiwe lokuthi uyisezala lomkakhe basebefile, wahelelwa wabeletha, kodwa wakhulelwa yibuhlungu bomhelo wakhe.
20 Popeza mkaziyo anali pafupi kumwalira, akazi amene amamuthandiza anati, “Usaope, wabereka mwana wamwamuna” Koma iye sanayankhe kapena kulabadirako.
Esesifa, abesifazane ababembelethisa bathi kuye, “Ungalahli ithemba; uzele indodana.” Kodwa yena kaphendulanga loba anake.
21 Tsono iye anatcha mwanayo dzina loti Ikabodi kutanthauza kuti, “Ulemerero wachoka mu Israeli,” chifukwa cha kulandidwa Bokosi la Mulungu ndi imfa ya mpongozi wake Eli ndi mwamuna wake.
Wametha ibizo umfana wathi ngu-Ikhabhodi, esithi, “Udumo lusukile ko-Israyeli” ngenxa yokuthunjwa kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lokufa kukayisezala kanye lomkakhe.
22 Ananena momwemo kuti, “Ulemerero wachoka mu Israeli, pakuti Bokosi la Mulungu lalandidwa.”
Wathi, “Udumo lusukile ko-Israyeli, ngoba ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lithunjiwe.”
