1 USamuyeli 4
1 Ilizwi likaSamuyeli lafika ku-Israyeli wonke. Ngalesosikhathi abako-Israyeli baphuma ukuyakulwa lamaFilistiya. Abako-Israyeli bamisa e-Ebhenezeri, amaFilistiya e-Afekhi.
Uye shoko raSamueri rakasvika kuIsraeri yose. Zvino vaIsraeri vakaenda kundorwa navaFiristia. VaIsraeri vakaungana paEbhenezeri, vaFiristia vakavaka misasa yavo paAfeki.
2 AmaFilistiya ahlela amabutho awo ukuba ayohlangana labako-Israyeli, kwathi ekumemethekeni kwempi, u-Israyeli wehlulwa ngamaFilistiya, abulala abaphosa babe zinkulungwane ezine enkundleni yokulwela.
VaFiristia vakagadzirira varwi vavo kuti vandosangana neIsraeri, uye hondo payakanga yava kupararira, Israeri yakakundwa navaFiristia avo vakauraya varume zviuru zvina zvavo pavairwira.
3 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.”
Varwi pavakadzoka kumusasa, vakuru veIsraeri vakabvunza vakati, “Sei Jehovha aita kuti tikundwe nhasi pamberi pavaFiristia? Ngatitorei areka yesungano yaJehovha kubva kuShiro, kuti igoenda nesu uye igotiponesa kubva muruoko rwavavengi vedu.”
4 Ngakho abantu bathuma amadoda eShilo, abuya lebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo uSomandla, ehlezi ebukhosini phakathi kwamakherubhi. Lamadodana ka-Eli amabili, uHofini loFinehasi, ayekhona lebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu.
Naizvozvo vanhu vakatuma varume kuShiro, uye vakadzosa areka yaJehovha Wamasimba Ose uye agere pachigaro choushe pakati pamakerubhi. Zvino vanakomana vaviri vaEri, Hofini naFinehasi, vaivapo neareka yesungano yaMwari.
5 Kwathi lapho ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo lifika ezihonqweni, wonke u-Israyeli wenza umsindo omkhulu iphansi laze lanyikinyeka.
Areka yesungano yaJehovha payakauya mumusasa, Israeri yose yakapururudza uye vakaita ruzha rukuru zvokuti pasi pakatinhira.
6 Esizwa ukuxokozela amaFilistiya abuza athi, “Utshoni umsindo wonke lo ezihonqweni zamaHebheru na?” Kwathi esezwile ukuthi ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo laselikhona ezihonqweni,
Pavakanzwa mheremhere, vaFiristia vakabvunza vakati, “Mheremhere iri mumusasa wavaHebheru ndeyei?” Vakati vazvinzwa kuti areka yaJehovha yakanga yauya mumusasa,
7 amaFilistiya esaba. Athi, “Unkulunkulu usefikile ezihonqweni. Siphakathi kohlupho. Akulanto enje eseyake yenzakala ngaphambili.
vaFiristia vakatya. Vakati, “Mwari asvika mumusasa. Tava munhamo! Hapana chinhu chakadai seichi chati chamboitika.
8 Maye kithi! Ngubani ozasikhulula esandleni sabonkulunkulu laba abalamandla abatshaya amaGibhithe ngenhlobo zonke zezifo enkangala?
Tine nhamo! Ndianiko achatirwira pamaoko avamwari ava vane simba? Ndivo vamwari vakarova vaIjipita namarudzi ose amatambudziko mugwenga.
9 Qinani, maFilistiya! Wobani ngamadoda hlezi libe yizichaka zamaHebheru, njengalokhu ababeyikho kini. Wobani ngamadoda, lilwe!”
Simbai vaFiristia! Ivai varume, mukasadaro muchava varanda vavaHebheru sezvavakanga vakaita kwamuri. Ivai varume, murwe!”
10 Ngakho amaFilistiya alwa, abako-Israyeli behlulwa njalo amadoda wonke abalekela emathenteni awo. Ababulawayo babebanengi kakhulu; u-Israyeli walahlekelwa ngamabutho ezinyawo azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu.
Saka vaFiristia vakarwa, vaIsraeri vakakundwa uye munhu wose akatiza achidzokera kutende rake. Pakava nokuurayiwa kukuru; Israeri yakarasikirwa navarwi vetsoka zviuru makumi matatu.
11 Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lathunjwa, lamadodana amabili ka-Eli, Hofini loFinehasi, afa.
Areka yaJehovha yakapambwa uye vanakomana vaviri vaEri, Hofini naFinehasi, vakafa.
12 Ngalelolanga umuntu wakoBhenjamini wagijima esuka empini waya eShilo, izigqoko zakhe zazidabukile elothuli ekhanda.
Zuva rimwe chetero, mumwe murume weBhenjamini akamhanya achibva kuhondo akaenda kuShiro, nguo dzake dzakabvaruka uye ane guruva pamusoro wake.
13 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.
Paakasvikako, Eri akanga akagara pachigaro chake parutivi rwenzira, akangotarisa, nokuti mwoyo wake waityira areka yaJehovha. Murume uyu paakapinda muguta akataura zvakanga zvaitika, guta rose rakachema.
14 U-Eli wezwa umsindo wokukhala wabuza wathi, “Ukuxokozela lokhu kutshoni na?” Umuntu lowo watshitshela ku-Eli,
Eri akanzwa kuchema akandobvunza achiti, “Mheremhere iyi yose ndeyeiko?” Murume uyu akachimbidza kuenda kuna Eri,
15 owayeleminyaka engamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye munye lasificaminwembili mibili ubudala, njalo amehlo akhe ayesefiphele, engasaboni.
akanga ava namakore makumi mapfumbamwe namasere okuberekwa uye meso ava norutara zvokuti akanga asisaoni.
16 Watshela u-Eli wathi, “Ngisanda kufika ngivela empini; ngibalekile kuyo ngalonaleli ilanga.” U-Eli wabuza wathi, “Kutheni ndodana yami?”
Akati kuna Eri, “Ndiri kubva kuhondo izvozvi; ndatotizako nhasi chaiye.” Eri akabvunza akati, “Chiiko chaitika mwanakomana wangu?”
17 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.”
Murume akauya neshoko akapindura achiti, “Israeri yatiza vaFiristia, uye hondo yarasikirwa zvikuru. Uyewo vanakomana venyu vaviri Hofini naFinehasi vafa, uye areka yaMwari yapambwa.”
18 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.
Paakataura nezveareka yaMwari, Eri akawa negotsi kubva pachigaro chake parutivi rwesuo. Mutsipa wake wakatyoka akabva afa nokuti aiva murume akanga akwegura uye ari mukobvu. Akanga atungamirira Israeri kwamakore makumi mana.
19 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.
Muroora wake, mukadzi waFinehasi, akanga ane pamuviri ava pedyo nokuda kubatsirwa. Paakanzwa nhau idzi dzokuti areka yaJehovha yakanga yapambwa uye kuti vatezvara vake nomurume wake vakanga vafa, akarwadziwa napamuviri akabereka mwana, asi akakurirwa namarwadzo ake pakusununguka.
20 Esesifa, abesifazane ababembelethisa bathi kuye, “Ungalahli ithemba; uzele indodana.” Kodwa yena kaphendulanga loba anake.
Paakanga ava kufa madzimai aimubatsira akati, “Usaora mwoyo wabatsirwa nomwana mukomana.” Asi haana kumbopindura kana kuzviteerera.
21 Wametha ibizo umfana wathi ngu-Ikhabhodi, esithi, “Udumo lusukile ko-Israyeli” ngenxa yokuthunjwa kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lokufa kukayisezala kanye lomkakhe.
Akatumidza mukomana uyu kuti Ikabhodhi, achiti, “Kubwinya kwabva muIsraeri,” nokuda kwokutorwa kweareka yaMwari uye nokufa kwatezvara vake nomurume wake.
22 Wathi, “Udumo lusukile ko-Israyeli, ngoba ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lithunjiwe.”
Akati, “Kubwinya kwabva muIsraeri, nokuti areka yaMwari yapambwa.”
