1 USamuyeli 4
1 Ilizwi likaSamuweli lafika kuIsrayeli wonke. UIsrayeli wasephuma ukuyamelana lamaFilisti empini, bamisa inkamba ngaseEbeni-Ezeri, lamaFilisti amisa inkamba eAfeki.
Uye shoko raSamueri rakasvika kuIsraeri yose. Zvino vaIsraeri vakaenda kundorwa navaFiristia. VaIsraeri vakaungana paEbhenezeri, vaFiristia vakavaka misasa yavo paAfeki.
2 AmaFilisti asezihlela ukumelana loIsrayeli; kwathi impi isabalala, uIsrayeli watshaywa phambi kwamaFilisti; njalo atshaya emaviyweni egangeni phose amadoda azinkulungwane ezine.
VaFiristia vakagadzirira varwi vavo kuti vandosangana neIsraeri, uye hondo payakanga yava kupararira, Israeri yakakundwa navaFiristia avo vakauraya varume zviuru zvina zvavo pavairwira.
3 Kwathi abantu befika enkambeni, abadala bakoIsrayeli bathi: INkosi isitshayeleni lamuhla phambi kwamaFilisti? Asizithatheleni eShilo umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi; nxa usiza phakathi kwethu uzasisindisa 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 bathumela eShilo, ukuthi bathathe khona umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi yamabandla, ehlala phakathi kwamakherubhi; lamadodana amabili kaEli, uHofini loPhinehasi, ayelapho lomtshokotsho wesivumelwano 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 Kwasekusithi lapho umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi ufika enkambeni, uIsrayeli wonke wahlokoma ngokuhlokoma okukhulu kwaze kwaduma umhlaba.
Areka yesungano yaJehovha payakauya mumusasa, Israeri yose yakapururudza uye vakaita ruzha rukuru zvokuti pasi pakatinhira.
6 Lapho amaFilisti esizwa umsindo wokuhlokoma athi: Utshoni umsindo walokhukuhlokoma okukhulu enkambeni yamaHebheru? Asesazi ukuthi umtshokotsho weNkosi ufikile enkambeni.
Pavakanzwa mheremhere, vaFiristia vakabvunza vakati, “Mheremhere iri mumusasa wavaHebheru ndeyei?” Vakati vazvinzwa kuti areka yaJehovha yakanga yauya mumusasa,
7 AmaFilisti asesesaba, ngoba athi: UNkulunkulu ufikile enkambeni. Athi-ke: Maye kithi! Ngoba kakuzanga kwenzeke okunje mandulo.
vaFiristia vakatya. Vakati, “Mwari asvika mumusasa. Tava munhamo! Hapana chinhu chakadai seichi chati chamboitika.
8 Maye kithi! Ngubani ozasophula esandleni salaba onkulunkulu abalamandla? Laba ngonkulunkulu abatshaya amaGibhithe ngazo zonke inhlupheko enkangala.
Tine nhamo! Ndianiko achatirwira pamaoko avamwari ava vane simba? Ndivo vamwari vakarova vaIjipita namarudzi ose amatambudziko mugwenga.
9 Qinani, libe ngamadoda, maFilisti, hlezi lisebenzele amaHebheru njengoba alisebenzela. Ngakho banini ngamadoda, lilwe.
Simbai vaFiristia! Ivai varume, mukasadaro muchava varanda vavaHebheru sezvavakanga vakaita kwamuri. Ivai varume, murwe!”
10 Ngakho amaFilisti alwa, loIsrayeli watshaywa, babalekela, ngulowo lalowo ethenteni lakhe. Njalo kwaba lokubulawa okukhulu kakhulu, ngoba kwawa koIsrayeli abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu abahamba ngenyawo.
Saka vaFiristia vakarwa, vaIsraeri vakakundwa uye munhu wose akatiza achidzokera kutende rake. Pakava nokuurayiwa kukuru; Israeri yakarasikirwa navarwi vetsoka zviuru makumi matatu.
11 Umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu wasuthathwa, lamadodana womabili kaEli, uHofini loPhinehasi, abulawa.
Areka yaJehovha yakapambwa uye vanakomana vaviri vaEri, Hofini naFinehasi, vakafa.
12 Kwasekugijima umuntu wakoBhenjamini evela emaviyweni, wafika eShilo ngalolosuku, lezigqoko zakhe zidatshuliwe elenhlabathi ekhanda lakhe.
Zuva rimwe chetero, mumwe murume weBhenjamini akamhanya achibva kuhondo akaenda kuShiro, nguo dzake dzakabvaruka uye ane guruva pamusoro wake.
13 Ekufikeni kwakhe, khangela-ke, uEli wayehlezi esihlalweni eceleni kwendlela elindile, ngoba inhliziyo yakhe yayithuthumelela umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu. Kwathi lowomuntu esengenile emzini ukubika, kwakhala umuzi wonke.
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 Lapho uEli esizwa umsindo wokukhala wathi: Uyini umsindo wale inhlokomo? Lowomuntu wasephangisa weza wamtshela uEli.
Eri akanzwa kuchema akandobvunza achiti, “Mheremhere iyi yose ndeyeiko?” Murume uyu akachimbidza kuenda kuna Eri,
15 Njalo uEli wayeleminyaka engamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye leyisificaminwembili, lamehlo akhe ema ukuthi ayengelakho ukubona.
akanga ava namakore makumi mapfumbamwe namasere okuberekwa uye meso ava norutara zvokuti akanga asisaoni.
16 Lowomuntu wasesithi kuEli: Nginguye ovela emaviyweni; ngibaleke emaviyweni lamuhla. Wasesithi: Kwenziweni, ndodana yami?
Akati kuna Eri, “Ndiri kubva kuhondo izvozvi; ndatotizako nhasi chaiye.” Eri akabvunza akati, “Chiiko chaitika mwanakomana wangu?”
17 Owaletha umbiko wasephendula wathi: UIsrayeli ubalekile phambi kwamaFilisti, futhi kube lokubulawa okukhulu ebantwini, njalo lamadodana akho womabili, uHofini loPhinehasi, afile, lomtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe.
Murume akauya neshoko akapindura achiti, “Israeri yatiza vaFiristia, uye hondo yarasikirwa zvikuru. Uyewo vanakomana venyu vaviri Hofini naFinehasi vafa, uye areka yaMwari yapambwa.”
18 Kwasekusithi esekhulume ngomtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu, wawa nyovane esihlalweni eceleni kwesango, kwephuka intamo yakhe, wafa, ngoba lowomuntu wayemdala, enzima. Njalo wayahlulele uIsrayeli 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 Lomalokazana wakhe, umkaPhinehasi, wayekhulelwe, esezabeletha; esezwile umbiko wokuthi umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe, lokuthi uyisezala lomkakhe bafile, wakhothama wabeletha, ngoba wafikelwa yimihelo.
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 Njalo phose ngesikhathi sokufa kwakhe abesifazana ababemi belaye bathi: Ungesabi, ngoba ubelethe indodana. Kodwa kaphendulanga njalo kazange akunanze.
Paakanga ava kufa madzimai aimubatsira akati, “Usaora mwoyo wabatsirwa nomwana mukomana.” Asi haana kumbopindura kana kuzviteerera.
21 Wambiza umfana ngokuthi nguIkabodi, esithi: Inkazimulo isukile koIsrayeli; ngoba umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe, langenxa kayisezala lomkakhe.
Akatumidza mukomana uyu kuti Ikabhodhi, achiti, “Kubwinya kwabva muIsraeri,” nokuda kwokutorwa kweareka yaMwari uye nokufa kwatezvara vake nomurume wake.
22 Wasesithi: Inkazimulo isukile koIsrayeli ngoba umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe.
Akati, “Kubwinya kwabva muIsraeri, nokuti areka yaMwari yapambwa.”
