8 USomnini uthi: “U-Efrayimu uhlangana nezizwe ukiniywa ngapha nangapha. U-Efrayimu sese afana nehlama engakaphendulwa phezu komlilo.
U-Eliya wajama phambi kwabantu wathi: “Kuzabe kube nini nilokhu nilotjha amakhosi amabili? Nangabe uSomnini nguye onguZimu, mlandeleni; kodwana nangabe nithi nguBhali onguZimu, mlandeleni-ke.” Kodwana abantu bathi du.
Emva kokobana izintwezo zenziwe, iinkhulu zeza kimi zafese zathi: “Abantu bakwa-Israyeli, abaphristi namaLevi, abakazihlukanisi emikhubeni eziinyenyiso zabantu ababazombelezileko, okutjho amaKanana, amaRhithi, amaPerizi, amaJebusi, ama-Amoni, amaMowabi, amaGibhide nama-Amori.
Yeke ningendiseli amadodakazenu emadodanenabo, kanti nani ningathatheli amadodanenu amadodakazabo. Ningalingi nikhanukele ukuba nobudlelwano nabo begodu ningaze nifune ipumelelwabo. Ngalokho nizakuba namandla, nidle okuhle kwenarha beniyitjhiyele abantwabenu bona ibe lilifa labo nini nanini.’
Kodwana bakhozisana nazo bebafunda ukwenza imikhubazo.
Lokha u-Efrayimu nakezwa ukugula kwakhe, noJuda nakabona inceba lakhe, yeke u-Efrayimu waphendukela e-Asiriya, wabawa isizo ekosini ekulu. Kodwana abe ayinamandla wokunelapha, nokunipholisa emancebenenu.
Abathembeki phambi kwakaSomnini, babeletha amavezandlebe. Nje-ke, uSomnini uzobatjhabalalisa ngenyanga eyodwa nje; kuzabe kungasenalitho emasiminabo.
U-Efrayimu ukghakghathwe miqhamuka, kodwana yena akakuboni lokho. Sese akhunile, kodwana yena akakuboni lokho.
Abantwaba abazukuhlala enarheni kaSomnini; U-Efrayimu uzakubuyela eGibhide nanyana adle ukudla okuzilwako e-Asiriya.
Ngizakuphelisa labo abalotjha iinkwekwezi phezu kwephahla lezindlu nabaguqa phasi bafunge uSomnini bajike godu bafunge uMilkomu.
UJuda akhange athembeke. Kwenziwe ameswe kwa-Israyeli neJerusalema: UJuda usilaphaze okucwengileko nokuthandwa nguSomnini ngokuthatha umlobokazi olotjha abosingazimu.
“Akakho ongasebenzela abaphathi ababili. Uzakuzonda omunye athande omunye namkha azinikele ngokupheleleko komunye bese unyaza omunye. Anikwazi-ke ukulotjha uZimu khibe ngapha nilotjhana noMamoni.”