1 USamuyeli 6
1 Lomtshokotsho weNkosi wawuselizweni lamaFilisti inyanga eziyisikhombisa.
Areka yaJehovha yakati yava nemwedzi minomwe iri munyika yavaFiristia,
2 AmaFilisti asebiza abapristi labavumisi, esithi: Sizawenzelani umtshokotsho weNkosi? Saziseni ukuthi singawuthumeza lani endaweni yawo.
vaFiristia vakadana vaprista navavuki vakati, “Toitei neareka yaJehovha? Tiudzei kuti toidzosera sei kunzvimbo yayo.”
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.
Vakapindura vachiti, “Kana muchidzosera areka yamwari weIsraeri, musaidzosera isina chinhu, asi edzai nepamunogona kumutumira chipiriso chemhosva. Ipapo muchaporeswa, uye muchaziva kuti sei ruoko rwake rusina kubviswa pamusoro penyu.”
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.
VaFiristia vakabvunza vakati, “Chipiriso chemhosva chatinofanira kumutumira ndecheiko?” Vakapindura vachiti, “Mamota mashanu egoridhe nembeva shanu dzegoridhe, zvichienderana nouwandu hwavatongi vavaFiristia, nokuti nedenda rimwe chetero akakurovai imi navatongi venyu.
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.
Itai zviumbwa zvamamota nembeva dzacho, izvo zviri kuparadza nyika, uye mugopa kukudzwa kuna Mwari weIsraeri. Zvikada achasimudza ruoko rwake kubva pamuri napana vamwari venyu nenyika yenyu.
6 Lenzelani-ke inhliziyo zenu zibe lukhuni njengamaGibhithe loFaro benza inhliziyo zabo zaba lukhuni? Emva kokuthi esenze kabuhlungu kubo kabavumelanga yini ukuthi bahambe, basebehamba?
Sei muchiomesa mwoyo yenyu sezvakaitwa navaIjipita naFaro? Paakavabata nehasha, havana kubudisa vaIsraeri here kuti vaende?
7 Ngakho-ke thathani lilungise inqola entsha lamankomokazi amabili amunyisayo okungezanga jogwe phezu kwawo, liwabophele amankomokazi enqoleni, liwabuyisele ekhaya amankonyana awo asuke emva kwawo.
“Naizvozvo torai mugadzirire ngoro itsva, nemhou mbiri dzinonwisa uye dzisina kumbosungwa pajoko. Sungai mhou pangoro, asi torai mhuru dzadzo mugodzipfigira muchirugu.
8 Lithathe umtshokotsho weNkosi, liwubeke enqoleni, lempahla zegolide elizibuyisela kuye zibe ngumnikelo wecala, lizifake ebhokisini eceleni kwawo; liyithumeze ihambe.
Torai areka yaJehovha mugoiisa pangoro, uye mubhokisi parutivi payo isai zviumbwa zvegoridhe zvamuri kutumirako kwaari sechipo chemhosva. Mugoituma iende,
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.
asi, murambe makaitarisa. Kana ikakwidza kuenda kunyika yayo, kwakadziva kuBhetishemeshi, zvoreva kuti Jehovha ndiye anenge auyisa njodzi pamusoro pedu. Asi kana ikarega, ipapo tichaziva kuti harusi ruoko rwake rwakatirova uye kuti zvakangotiwirawo.”
10 Abantu basebesenza njalo, bathatha amankomokazi amabili amunyisayo, bawabophela enqoleni, bawavalela amankonyana awo ekhaya.
Saka vakaita izvi. Vakatora mhou mbiri dzakadai vakadzisungirira pangoro uye vakapfigira mhuru dzadzo muchirugu.
11 Bawubeka umtshokotsho weNkosi enqoleni lebhokisi elilamagundwane egolide lezithombe zamathumba abo ophayo.
Vakaisa areka yaJehovha pangoro pamwe chete nebhokisi rakanga rine mbeva dzegoridhe nezviumbwa zvamamota.
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.
Ipapo mhou dzakakwidza kuenda Bhetishemeshi, dzakati tande nenzira uye dzichikuma nzira yose; hadzina kutendeukira kurudyi kana kuruboshwe. Vatongi vavaFiristia vakadzitevera kusvikira kumuganhu weBhetishemeshi.
13 AbeBeti-Shemeshi babevuna isivuno sengqoloyi esigodini; lapho bephakamisa amehlo abo, bawubona umtshokotsho, bathokoza ukuwubona.
Zvino vanhu veBhetishemeshi vakanga vachikohwa gorosi ravo mumupata, uye pavakasimudza misoro yavo vakaona areka, uye vakafara nokuiona.
14 Inqola yasingena ensimini kaJoshuwa weBeti-Shemeshi, yema khona, lapho okwakulelitshe elikhulu khona; basebebanda izigodo zenqola, basebenikela amankomokazi aba ngumnikelo wokutshiswa eNkosini.
Ngoro yakauya kumunda waJoshua weBhetishemeshi uye ipapo yakamira parutivi rwedombo guru. Vanhu vakatema-tema mapuranga engoro uye vakabayira mhou idzi sechipiriso chinopiswa kuna Jehovha.
15 AmaLevi asewethula umtshokotsho weNkosi lebhokisi elalilawo, okwakukulo impahla zegolide, akubeka phezu kwelitshe elikhulu. Labantu beBeti-Shemeshi banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa, bayihlabela iNkosi imihlatshelo ngalolosuku.
VaRevhi vakaburutsa areka yaJehovha, pamwe chete nebhokisi raiva nezviumbwa zvegoridhe, vakazvigadzika padombo guru. Musi iwoyo vanhu veBhetishemeshi vakapa zvipiriso zvinopiswa vakabayira zvibayiro kuna Jehovha.
16 Iziphathamandla ezinhlanu zamaFilisti sezikubonile, zabuyela eEkhironi ngalolosuku.
Vatongi vashanu vavaFiristia vakaona zvose izvi vakadzokera kuEkironi musi iwoyo.
17 Lala ngamathumba ophayo egolide amaFilisti awabuyisela abe ngumnikelo wecala eNkosini, eleAshidodi elilodwa, eleGaza elilodwa, eleAshikeloni elilodwa, eleGathi elilodwa, eleEkhironi elilodwa.
Aya ndiwo mamota egoridhe akatumirwa navaFiristia sechipiriso chemhosva kuna Jehovha, rimwe kuAshidhodhi, rimwe kuGaza, rimwe kuAshikeroni, rimwe kuGati nerimwe kuEkironi.
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.
Uye uwandu hwembeva dzegoridhe hwaienderana nouwandu hwamaguta avaFiristia akanga ari avatongi vashanu, maguta aiva namasvingo nemisha yawo yomumaruwa. Dombo guru ravakagadzika areka yaJehovha, riripo nanhasi sechapupu mumunda waJoshua weBhetishemeshi.
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.
Asi Mwari akauraya vamwe vavarume veBhetishemeshi, akauraya vanhu makumi manomwe vavo nokuti vakanga vadongorera mukati meareka yaJehovha. Vanhu vakachema nokuti Jehovha akanga auraya vanhu nokuuraya kukuru,
20 Ngakho abantu beBeti-Shemeshi bathi: Ngubani olakho ukuma phambi kweNkosi, lo uNkulunkulu ongcwele? Uzakwenyukela kubani esuka kithi?
uye varume veBhetishemeshi vakabvunza vachiti, “Ndiani angamira pamberi paJehovha, Mwari uyu mutsvene? Areka iyi ichaenda kuna ani ichibva pano?”
21 Basebethuma izithunywa kubahlali beKiriyathi-Jeyarimi besithi: AmaFilisti asewubuyisile umtshokotsho weNkosi; yehlani liwenyusele kini.
Ipapo vakatumira nhume kuvanhu veKiriati Jearimi vachiti, “VaFiristia vadzosa areka yaJehovha. Dzikai kuno muzoitora kuti muende nayo kwenyu.”
