< 1 USamuyeli 7 >
1 Njalo abantu beKiriyathi-Jeyarimi beza, benyusa umtshokotsho weNkosi, bawungenisa endlini kaAbinadaba phezu kwaloloqaqa, bangcwelisa uEleyazare indodana yakhe ukuthi agcine umtshokotsho weNkosi.
2 Kwasekusithi kusukela ngosuku umtshokotsho uhlala eKiriyathi-Jeyarimi, insuku zanda; ngoba kwaba yiminyaka engamatshumi amabili; lendlu yonke yakoIsrayeli yakhala ilandela iNkosi.
3 USamuweli wasekhuluma endlini yonke kaIsrayeli esithi: Uba libuyela eNkosini ngenhliziyo yenu yonke, susani onkulunkulu bezizweni phakathi kwenu laboAshitarothi, liqondise inhliziyo yenu eNkosini, likhonze yona yodwa, ngakho izalophula esandleni samaFilisti.
4 Ngakho abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesusa oBhali laboAshitarothi, bakhonza iNkosi yodwa.
5 USamuweli wasesithi: Buthanisani uIsrayeli wonke eMizipa; njalo ngizalikhulekela eNkosini.
6 Basebebuthana eMizipa, bakha amanzi, bawathela phambi kweNkosi, bazila ukudla mhlalokho, bathi lapho: Sonile eNkosini. USamuweli wasesahlulela abantwana bakoIsrayeli eMizipa.
7 Kwathi amaFilisti esezwile ukuthi abantwana bakoIsrayeli babuthene eMizipa, iziphathamandla zamaFilisti zenyuka zamelana loIsrayeli. Abantwana bakoIsrayeli sebekuzwile bawesaba amaFilisti.
8 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesithi kuSamuweli: Ungathuli ukusikhalela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu ukuze asisindise esandleni samaFilisti.
9 USamuweli wasethatha iwundlu elimunyayo, walinikela lonke eNkosini laba ngumnikelo otshiswayo. USamuweli wakhalela uIsrayeli eNkosini, iNkosi yasimphendula.
10 Kwathi uSamuweli esanikela umnikelo wokutshiswa, amaFilisti asondela empini loIsrayeli; kodwa iNkosi yaduma ngelizwi elikhulu phezu kwamaFilisti ngalolosuku, yawachithachitha, asetshaywa phambi kukaIsrayeli.
11 Amadoda akoIsrayeli asephuma eMizipa axotshana lamaFilisti, awatshaya, kwaze kwaba ngaphansi kweBetikari.
12 USamuweli wasethatha ilitshe, walimisa phakathi kweMizipa leSheni, wabiza ibizo lalo iEbeni-Ezeri, wathi: Kuze kube khathesi iNkosi isisizile.
13 Ngakho amaFilisti ehliselwa phansi, kawabe esaphinda ukungena emngceleni wakoIsrayeli. Njalo isandla seNkosi samelana lamaFilisti zonke izinsuku zikaSamuweli.
14 Imizi amaFilisti ayeyithethe-ke koIsrayeli yabuyiselwa kuIsrayeli kusukela eEkhironi kuze kufike eGathi; lomngcele wayo uIsrayeli wawukhulula esandleni samaFilisti. Njalo kwaba lokuthula phakathi kukaIsrayeli lamaAmori.
15 USamuweli wasesahlulela uIsrayeli insuku zonke zempilo yakhe.
16 Wahamba iminyaka ngeminyaka wabhoda eBhetheli, leGiligali, leMizipa; wahlulela uIsrayeli kuzo zonke lezozindawo.
17 Lokubuyela kwakhe kwakuyikuya eRama, ngoba indlu yakhe yayilapho; wahlulela uIsrayeli khona, wayakhela lapho iNkosi ilathi.
