1 USamuyeli 7 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

¹ Abantu baseKiriyathi‐Jeyarimi beza, bawuthatha umtshokotsho weNkosi, bawusa endlini kaAbinadaba entabeni. Bagcoba uEleyazare indodana yakhe ukuba agcine umtshokotsho weNkosi.

USamuweli wahlulela uIsrayeli

² Ngakho okwesikhathi eside umtshokotsho wesivumelwano wawuseKiriyathi‐Jeyarimi; kwathi ngemva kwesikhathi esingaba ngamatshumi amabili eminyaka, kwaba khona umoya kuye wonke uIsrayeli wokulandela iNkosi.

³ USamuweli wakhuluma kuyo yonke indlu kaIsrayeli wathi: Uba ukubuyela kwenu eNkosini kungokwenhliziyo yenu yonke, khuphani onkulunkulu bezizweni lezithombe zikankulunkulukazi uAshitorethi phakathi kwenu, liqondise inhliziyo zenu eNkosini, likhonze yona yodwa, izakulophula kumaFilistiya.

⁴ Ngakhoke abakoIsrayeli basebekhupha izithombe zikaBali lezikaAshitorethi, bakhonza iNkosi yodwa.

⁵ USamuweli wasesithi: Buthanisani wonke uIsrayeli eMizipa; ngizalikhulekela eNkosini.

⁶ Babuthana eMizipa, bakha amanzi, bawathela phambi kweNkosi, bazila ukudla mhlalokho, bathi: Sonile eNkosini. KuseMizipa lapho uSamuweli wayesahlulela uIsrayeli khona.

⁷ Kwathi amaFilistiya esezwile ukuba abantu bakoIsrayeli babuthene eMizipa, izikhulu zamaFilistiya zaphuma ukulwa loIsrayeli. Abantu bakoIsrayeli sebekuzwile lokho bawesaba amaFilistiya.

⁸ Abantu bakoIsrayeli bathi kuSamuweli: Ungayekeli ukusikhulekela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu ukuba asikhulule kumaFilistiya.

⁹ Ngakhoke uSamuweli wathatha iwundlu elenyisayo, wanikela ngalo eNkosini laba ngumnikelo otshiswa wonke. USamuweli wamkhulekela uIsrayeli eNkosini, iNkosi yamphendula.

¹⁰ USamuweli esanikela umnikelo wokutshiswa, amaFilistiya asondela ukulwa loIsrayeli; kodwa iNkosi yaduma ngelizwi elikhulu phezu kwamaFilistiya ngalolosuku, yawachithachitha, ahlulwa nguIsrayeli.

¹¹ Abantu bakoIsrayeli baphuma eMizipa baxotshana lamaFilistiya, bawabulala, baze bafika ngaphansi kwaseBetikari.

¹² USamuweli wasethatha ilitshe, walimisa phakathi kweMizipa leJeshana, walibiza ngokuthi yiEbenezeri, esithi: Kuze kube khathesi iNkosi isisizile.

¹³ Ahlulwake amaFilistiya, kawabe esaphinda ukungena futhi elizweni lakoIsrayeli. Isandla seNkosi samelana lawo amaFilistiya zonke insuku zikaSamuweli.

¹⁴ Imizi ayeyithumbile amaFilistiya yabuyiselwa kuIsrayeli kusukela eEkroni kuze kufike eGathi; uIsrayeli walithatha ilizwe lakhe kumaFilistiya. Njalo kwaba khona ukuthula phakathi kukaIsrayeli lamaAmori.

¹⁵ USamuweli wahlulela uIsrayeli insuku zonke zokuphila kwakhe.

¹⁶ Iminyaka ngeminyaka wayenquma ehambela iBetheli, leGiligali, leMizipa; wahlulela uIsrayeli kuzo zonke lezindawo.

¹⁷ Wayebuyela eRama, ngoba umuzi wakhe wawulapho; wahlulela uIsrayeli khona, wayakhela lapho iNkosi ialtare.