1 USamuweli 4

4 ¹Izwi likaSamuweli lafika kuwo wonke u-Israyeli. U-Israyeli waphuma ukuyokulwa namaFilisti, wamisa e-Ebeneri; amaFilisti amisa e-Afeki.

²AmaFilisti azihlela ukuba amelane no-Israyeli; impi yanda, u-Israyeli wehlulwa ngamaFilisti, abulala amadoda acishe abe ngu-4 000 enkundleni yempi. ³Lapho amabutho ebuyela ekamu, amalunga akwa-Israyeli abuza athi: “Kungani uBaba wethu evumele ukuba sihlulwe ngamaFilisti namuhla? Masithathe eShilo umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaBaba wethu, ukuze uBaba eze phakathi kwethu asisindise ezitheni zethu.”

⁴Ngakho abantu bathumela eShilo baletha umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaBaba wamabutho asezulwini, ohlezi ngaphezu kwamakherubi. Amadodana amabili ka-Eli, uHofeni noFinehasi, ayelapho nomphongolo wesivumelwano sikaBaba wethu. ⁵Lapho umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaBaba wethu ungena ekamu, wonke u-Israyeli wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu kangangokuthi umhlaba wazamazama. ⁶AmaFilisti ezwa lokho kumemeza abuza athi: “Yini lokhu kumemeza okukhulu ekamu lamaHebheru?” Ayesazi-ke ukuthi umphongolo kaBaba wethu usungenile ekamu. ⁷AmaFilisti esaba, ngokuba athi: “Kungene unkulunkulu ekamu!” Aphinda athi: “Sesishabalele—lokhu akuzange kwenzeke ngaphambili. ⁸Maye kithi! Ngubani oyosisindisa esandleni salaba onkulunkulu abanamandla? Yibo onkulunkulu abashaya amaGibhithe ngazo zonke izinhlupho ehlane. ⁹Qinani, maFilisti! Yibani ngamadoda, funa nisebenzele amaHebheru njengoba enisebenzele nina. Yibani ngamadoda—nilwe! ¹⁰AmaFilisti alwa; u-Israyeli wehlulwa, kwabaleka yilowo nalowo waya etendeni lakhe. Ukubulawa kwaba kukhulu kakhulu: kwawa amabutho akwa-Israyeli ahamba ngezinyawo angu-30 000.” ¹¹Umphongolo kaBaba wethu wathunjwa, amadodana amabili ka-Eli, uHofeni noFinehasi, afa.

U-Eli Uyawa, Inkazimulo Iyamuka

¹²Ngalolo suku indoda yakwaBhenjamini yagijima isuka enkundleni yempi iya eShilo, izingubo zayo ziklebhukile, kunothuli ekhanda layo. ^a a v12 Ukuklebhula izingubo nokuthela uthuli ekhanda kwakuyizimpawu zasendulo zosizi olukhulu nokulila. ¹³Ekufikeni kwayo, u-Eli wayehlezi esihlalweni sakhe eceleni kwendlela elindile, inhliziyo yakhe ithuthumela ngenxa yomphongolo kaBaba wethu. Le ndoda yangena emzini, yabika, umuzi wonke wakhala. ¹⁴Lapho u-Eli ezwa umsindo wokukhala wabuza wathi: “Uyini lo msindo?” Khona le ndoda yasheshe yeza yabikela u-Eli.

¹⁵U-Eli wayeneminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesishiyagalombili, amehlo akhe esefiphele kangangokuthi wayengasaboni. ¹⁶Le ndoda yathi ku-Eli: “Ngiphuma empini, ngibalekile enkundleni yempi namuhla.” U-Eli wabuza wathi: “Kwenzekeni, ndodana yami?”

¹⁷Isithunywa saphendula sathi: “U-Israyeli ubalekile phambi kwamaFilisti; futhi kube nokubulawa okukhulu phakathi kwamabutho; futhi amadodana akho amabili uHofeni noFinehasi afile; umphongolo kaBaba wethu uthunjiwe.”

¹⁸Kwathi lapho ekhuluma ngomphongolo kaBaba wethu, u-Eli wawela nyovane esuka esihlalweni sakhe eceleni kwesango, waphuka intamo, wafa—ngoba wayesemdala enesisindo. Wayengumahluleli ka-Israyeli iminyaka engamashumi amane.

¹⁹Umalokazana wakhe, umkaFinehasi, wayekhulelwe, esezobeletha. Esezwe ukuthi umphongolo kaBaba wethu uthunjiwe nokuthi uyisezala nomyeni wakhe sebefile, waguqa wabeletha, ngokuba ubuhlungu bamehlula. ²⁰Esezofa, abesifazane ababe seceleni kwakhe bathi: “Ungesabi, ngokuba uzele indodana.” Kodwa akazange aphendule noma anake. ²¹Wayetha umfana ngegama lokuthi u-Ikhabhodi, ethi: “Inkazimulo isimukile ku-Israyeli”—ngenxa yokuthunjwa komphongolo kaBaba wethu, nangenxa kayisezala nomyeni wakhe. ^b b v21 Igama elithi Ikhabhodi lisho ukuthi “ayikho inkazimulo” — ukukhala kukanina ukuthi inkazimulo kaBaba wethu isimukile ku-Israyeli kanye nomphongolo. ²²Wathi: “Inkazimulo imukile ku-Israyeli, ngokuba umphongolo kaBaba wethu uthunjiwe.”