1 USamuyeli 6 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Umtshokotsho wesivumelwano ubuyiselwa koIsrayeli

¹ Umtshokotsho weNkosi wawuselizweni lamaFilistiya inyanga eziyisikhombisa.

² AmaFilistiya asebiza abapristi labavumisayo, athi: Sizakwenza njani ngomtshokotsho weNkosi na? Sitsheleni ukuba singawubuyisela njani endaweni yawo.

³ Bathi: Uba lingawususa umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli, lingawuhambisi uze, kodwa libowubuyisela ulomnikelo wecala. Ng’khonake lizasila, kubonakale kini ukuba isandla sakhe kasisuki ngani.

⁴ Bathi: Uzakuba yini umnikelo wecala esizakuwusa kuye na? Baphendula bathi: Izithombe zamathumba amahlanu zegolide lezamagundwane amahlanu zegolide, ezilingana lobunengi bezikhulu zamaFilistiya; ngoba kuyisifo sinye ebesiligulisa lonke lezikhulu zenu.

⁵ Yenzani izithombe zamathumba enu lezithombe zamagundwane alonayo ilizwe, limnike udumo uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli; mhlawumbe angaxegisa isandla sakhe phezu kwenu laphezu kwabonkulunkulu benu lelizwe lenu.

⁶ Lenzelani inhliziyo zenu zibe lukhuni njengabaseGibithe loFaro bazenza inhliziyo zabo zaba lukhuni na? Ngemva kokuba esedlale ngabo kabavumelanga yini abantu ukuba bahambe, lempela bahamba na?

⁷ Ngakhoke lungisani inqola entsha lamankomokazi amabili enyisayo angazanga abotshelwe ejogweni; liwabophele amankomokazi enqoleni; liwabuyisele ekhaya amankonyane awo.

⁸ Lithathe umtshokotsho weNkosi, liwuphanyeke enqoleni, lifake ebhokisini izithombe zegolide elizithumela kuye zibe ngumnikelo wecala, lilibeke eceleni kwawo; liyiyekele inqola ihambe.

⁹ Liqapheleke; aluba ihamba ngendlela eya elizweni lawo eqonda eBeti‐Shemeshi, viyo iNkosi esenzele lobububi obukhulu; kodwa uba kungenjalo, sizakwazi ukuthi kakusiso isandla sayo esisitshayileyo, sehlelwe yingozi nje.

¹⁰ Abantu benze njalo; bathatha amankomokazi amabili enyisayo, bawabophela enqoleni, bawavalela amankonyane awo ekhaya.

¹¹ Bawuphanyeka umtshokotsho weNkosi enqoleni kanye lebhokisi elilamagundwane egolide lezithombe zamathumba abo.

¹² Amankomokazi angena indlela, aqonda eBeti‐Shemeshi, ahamba ngomgwaqo ehamba ekhala, engaphambukeli ngakwesokunene loba ngakwesokhohlo; izikhulu zamaFilistiya zawalandela aze afika emngceleni waseBeti‐Shemeshi.

¹³ AbaseBeti‐Shemeshi babevuna amabele abo esigodini; lapho bephakamisa amehlo abo, bawubona umtshokotsho, bathokoza ukuwubona.

¹⁴ Inqola yangena ensimini kaJoshuwa waseBeti‐Shemeshi, yema khona. Kwakukhona lapho ilitshe elikhulu; basebeyibanda inqola yaba zinkuni, basebenikela eNkosini ngamankomokazi aba ngumnikelo wokutshiswa.

¹⁵ AmaLevi awethula umtshokotsho weNkosi lebhokisi elaliseceleni kwawo, okwakukulo izithombe zegolide, bakubeka phezu kwelitshe elikhulu. Abantu baseBeti‐Shemeshi banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa, bayihlabela iNkosi imihlatshelo ngalolosuku.

¹⁶ Izikhulu ezinhlanu zamaFilistiya zakubona konke lokhu, zasezibuyela eEkroni.

¹⁷ Mayelana lezithombe zamathumba zegolide amaFilistiya azithumela zibe ngumnikelo wecala eNkosini, esinye sasingeseAshidodi, lesinye singeseGaza, lesinye singeseAshikeloni, lesinye singeseGathi, lesinye singeseEkroni.

¹⁸ Amagundwane egolide ayelingana lobunengi bemizi yonke yamaFilistiya eyayiphethwe yizikhulu ezinhlanu, ngitsho imizi yonke ebiyelweyo lengabiyelwanga. Ilitshe elikhulu lapho ababeka khona umtshokotsho weNkosi limi ensimini kaJoshuwa waseBeti‐Shemeshi kuze kube lamuhla.

¹⁹ Amadodana kaJekoniya kawathokozanga kanye labanengi baseBeti‐Shemeshi lapho besamukela umtshokotsho weNkosi; yabulala phakathi kwabo amatshumi ayisikhombisa. Abantu balila ngoba iNkosi yababulala abantu abanengi kangaka.

²⁰ Ngakhoke abantu baseBeti‐Shemeshi basebesithi: Ngubani ongema phambi kweNkosi, loNkulunkulu ongcwele na? Sizakumusa kubani ukuba asuke kithi na?

²¹ Basebethuma izithunywa kwabaseKiriyathi‐Jeyarimi besithi: AmaFilistiya asewubuyisile umtshokotsho weNkosi, wozani liwuthathe.