1 USamuyeli 6
1 Lomtshokotsho weNkosi wawuselizweni lamaFilisti inyanga eziyisikhombisa.
Bokosi la Yehova linakhala mʼdziko la Afilisti kwa miyezi isanu ndi iwiri.
2 AmaFilisti asebiza abapristi labavumisi, esithi: Sizawenzelani umtshokotsho weNkosi? Saziseni ukuthi singawuthumeza lani endaweni yawo.
Tsono Afilisti anayitana ansembe ndi amawula ndipo anati, “Tichite nalo chiyani Bokosi la Yehova? Tiwuzeni momwe tidzalitumizira ku malo ake.”
3 Basebesithi: Uba lingawuthumeza umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli, lingawuthumezi uze, kodwa libuyisele lokubuyisela kuye umnikelo wecala. Khona-ke lizasiliswa, njalo kuzakwaziwa kini ukuthi kungani isandla sakhe singasuki kini.
Iwo anayankha kuti, “Ngati mufuna kubweza Bokosi la Mulungu wa Israeli, musalitumize wopanda kanthu, koma muyesetse kulitumiza pamodzi ndi nsembe yopepesera machimo. Mukatero mudzachiritsidwa, ndipo mudzadziwa chifukwa chiyani chilango cha Yehova sichikukuchokani.”
4 Basebesithi: Uzakuba yini umnikelo wecala esizawubuyisela kuye? Basebesithi: Amathumba ophayo egolide amahlanu lamagundwane amahlanu egolide, njengokwenani leziphathamandla zamaFilisti; ngoba bekulenhlupheko eyodwa kini lonke lakuziphathamandla zenu.
Afilisti anafunsanso kuti “Kodi ife tipereke nsembe yanji yopepesera machimo?” Iwo anayankha kuti, “Mupereke zifanizo zagolide za zithupsa zisanu ndi zamakoswe asanu malingana ndi chiwerengero cha akalonga a Afilisti popeza mliri womwewo wagwera inu ndi akalonga anu.
5 Ngakho lizakwenza imifanekiso yamathumba enu ophayo lemifanekiso yamagundwane enu alonayo ilizwe, limnike udumo uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli; mhlawumbe angenza lula isandla sakhe sisuke phezu kwenu sisuke laphezu kwabonkulunkulu benu sisuke laphezu kwelizwe lenu.
Mupange zifanizo za zithupsa zisanu ndi za makoswe asanu amene akuwononga dziko lanu ndipo mupereke ulemu kwa Israeli. Mwina adzaleka kuzunza inu, milungu yanu ndi dziko lanu.
6 Lenzelani-ke inhliziyo zenu zibe lukhuni njengamaGibhithe loFaro benza inhliziyo zabo zaba lukhuni? Emva kokuthi esenze kabuhlungu kubo kabavumelanga yini ukuthi bahambe, basebehamba?
Nʼchifukwa chiyani mukuwumitsa mitima monga anachita Aigupto ndi Farao? Mulungu atawalanga anthu a ku Igupto aja kodi suja anawalola Aisraeli kuti azipita ndipo anapitadi?
7 Ngakho-ke thathani lilungise inqola entsha lamankomokazi amabili amunyisayo okungezanga jogwe phezu kwawo, liwabophele amankomokazi enqoleni, liwabuyisele ekhaya amankonyana awo asuke emva kwawo.
“Tsopano konzani galeta latsopano limodzi ndiponso ngʼombe ziwiri zazikazi zamkaka zimene sizinavalepo goli. Muzimangirire ngʼombezo ku ngoloyo, koma ana awo muwachotse ndi kuwasiya kwanu.
8 Lithathe umtshokotsho weNkosi, liwubeke enqoleni, lempahla zegolide elizibuyisela kuye zibe ngumnikelo wecala, lizifake ebhokisini eceleni kwawo; liyithumeze ihambe.
Mutenge Bokosi la Yehova ndi kuliyika pa galetapo ndipo pambali pake pakhale Bokosi, mʼmene muyikemonso zinthu zagolide zomwe mukutumiza kwa Iye monga nsembe yopepesera machimo. Kenaka, mulisiye lizipita.
9 Libone aluba isenyuka ngendlela yomngcele wawo eya eBeti-Shemeshi, yiyo esenzele lobububi obukhulu; kodwa uba kungenjalo, sizakwazi ukuthi kakusiso isandla sayo esisitshayileyo, sehlelwe yingozi nje.
Koma muziliyangʼana. Ngati lilondola njira yopita kwawo kwa Bokosilo mpaka ku Beti-Semesi ndiye kuti amene watichita zoyipa zazikulu zoterezi ndi Mulungu wa Israeli. Koma ngati silitero, ife tidzadziwa kuti sanali Mulungu wa Israeli amene watizunza koma kuti zinangochitika mwatsoka.”
10 Abantu basebesenza njalo, bathatha amankomokazi amabili amunyisayo, bawabophela enqoleni, bawavalela amankonyana awo ekhaya.
Anthu aja anachitadi zimenezi. Anatenga ngʼombe zamkaka ziwiri nazimanga ku galeta lija. Koma ana awo anawatsekera mʼkhola.
11 Bawubeka umtshokotsho weNkosi enqoleni lebhokisi elilamagundwane egolide lezithombe zamathumba abo ophayo.
Tsono anayika Bokosi la Yehova pa galeta pamodzi ndi bokosi limene munali makoswe agolide ndi zifanizo zawo za zithupsa.
12 Amankomokazi aseqonda endleleni, ngendlela eya eBeti-Shemeshi, ahamba ngomgwaqo omkhulu ehamba ebhonsa, engaphambukeli ngakwesokunene loba ngakwesokhohlo, leziphathamandla zamaFilisti zawalandela kwaze kwaba semngceleni weBeti-Shemeshi.
Ngʼombe zija zinapita molunjika kutsata msewu wopita ku Beti Semesi zikulira njira yonse. Sizinakhotere kumanja kapena kumanzere. Akalonga a Afilisti anazitsatira mpaka mʼmalire a Beti-Semesi.
13 AbeBeti-Shemeshi babevuna isivuno sengqoloyi esigodini; lapho bephakamisa amehlo abo, bawubona umtshokotsho, bathokoza ukuwubona.
Nthawi imeneyi anthu a ku Beti-Semesi amakolola tirigu mʼchigwa ndipo pamene anayangʼana ndi kuona Bokosi la Chipangano likubwera anakondwa.
14 Inqola yasingena ensimini kaJoshuwa weBeti-Shemeshi, yema khona, lapho okwakulelitshe elikhulu khona; basebebanda izigodo zenqola, basebenikela amankomokazi aba ngumnikelo wokutshiswa eNkosini.
Galeta lija linafika ku munda wa Yoswa ku Beti-Semesi ndipo linayima. Kumeneko kunali mwala waukulu. Tsono anthu anawaza nkhuni galetalo, ndipo anapha ngʼombe zija ndi kuzipereka ngati nsembe zopsereza kwa Yehova.
15 AmaLevi asewethula umtshokotsho weNkosi lebhokisi elalilawo, okwakukulo impahla zegolide, akubeka phezu kwelitshe elikhulu. Labantu beBeti-Shemeshi banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa, bayihlabela iNkosi imihlatshelo ngalolosuku.
Alevi nʼkuti atatsitsa Bokosi la Yehova, pamodzi ndi bokosi mmene munali zinthu zagolide, ndipo anawayika pa mwala uja waukulu. Tsiku limenelo anthu a ku Beti-Semesi anapereka nsembe yopsereza ndi nsembe zina kwa Yehova.
16 Iziphathamandla ezinhlanu zamaFilisti sezikubonile, zabuyela eEkhironi ngalolosuku.
Atsogoleri asanu a Afilisti ataona izi anabwerera ku Ekroni tsiku lomwelo.
17 Lala ngamathumba ophayo egolide amaFilisti awabuyisela abe ngumnikelo wecala eNkosini, eleAshidodi elilodwa, eleGaza elilodwa, eleAshikeloni elilodwa, eleGathi elilodwa, eleEkhironi elilodwa.
Zifanizo zagolide za zithupsa zimene Afilisti anatumiza ngati nsembe zopepesera machimo kwa Yehova zinkayimirira mizinda isanu iyi motere: chimodzi cha ku Asidodi, china cha ku Gaza ndi zina za ku Asikeloni, Gati ndi Ekroni.
18 Lamagundwane egolide njengokwenani lemizi yonke yamaFilisti yeziphathamandla ezinhlanu, kusukela emizini ebiyelweyo kuze kube semizaneni yemaphandleni kuze kube selitsheni elikhulu likaAbeli, lapho ababeka khona umtshokotsho weNkosi, elisensimini kaJoshuwa umBeti-Shemeshi kuze kube lamuhla.
Ndipo chiwerengero cha zifanizo za makoswe chinali chofanana ndi chiwerengero cha mizinda ya akalonga asanu a Afilisti. Mizindayi inali yotetezedwa bwino ndi ina yapamtetete. Mwala waukulu umene anayikapo Bokosi la Chipangano la Yehova mʼmunda mwa Yoswa ku Beti-Semesi uli ngati mboni mpaka lero.
19 Yasitshaya amadoda eBeti-Shemeshi ngoba ayekhangele phakathi komtshokotsho weNkosi; yebo, yatshaya phakathi kwabantu amadoda azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amahlanu lamatshumi ayisikhombisa. Abantu basebelila ngoba iNkosi yayitshaye ngokutshaya okukhulu phakathi kwabantu.
Yehova anakantha amuna a ku Beti-Semesi 70 chifukwa anasuzumira mʼBokosi la Chipangano cha Yehova. Ndipo anzawo analira chifukwa Yehova anawalanga kwambiri.
20 Ngakho abantu beBeti-Shemeshi bathi: Ngubani olakho ukuma phambi kweNkosi, lo uNkulunkulu ongcwele? Uzakwenyukela kubani esuka kithi?
Tsono anthu a ku Beti-Semesi anafunsa, “Ndani angathe kuyima pamaso pa Yehova Mulungu Woyera? Bokosi la Chipanganoli lipita kuti likachoka pano?”
21 Basebethuma izithunywa kubahlali beKiriyathi-Jeyarimi besithi: AmaFilisti asewubuyisile umtshokotsho weNkosi; yehlani liwenyusele kini.
Tsono iwo anatumiza a mithenga kwa anthu a ku Kiriati-Yearimu kuti, “Afilisti atibwezera Bokosi la Yehova. Bwerani kuno mudzalitenge, mupite nalo kwanuko.”
