1 USamuweli 6

6 ¹Umphongolo kaBaba wethu wahlala ezweni lamaFilisti izinyanga eziyisikhombisa. ²AmaFilisti abiza abapristi nezangoma athi: “Sizakwenzenjani ngomphongolo kaSimakade? Sitsheleni ukuthi siwubuyisela kanjani endaweni yawo.”

³Zathi: “Uma nibuyisa umphongolo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ningawuthumeli ungenalutho, kodwa nakanjani umbuyiseleni umnikelo wecala. Khona-ke nizakusiliswa, nazi ukuthi kungani isandla sakhe singasuki kini.”

⁴Zabuza zathi: “Yimuphi umnikelo wecala esizawubuyisela kuye?” Zaphendula zathi: “Amathumba egolide amahlanu namagundane egolide amahlanu, ngokulingana nenani lababusi bamaFilisti, ngokuba inhlupheko efanayo yanishaya nonke kanye nababusi benu.”

⁵“Yenzani izithombe zamathumba enu nezamagundane acekela izwe; nimdumise uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. Mhlawumbe uzawususa isandla sakhe kini, nakonkulunkulu benu, nasezweni lenu. ⁶Kungani niyazenza lukhuni izinhliziyo zenu njengoba kwenza iGibhithe noFaro? Abazange yini, emva kokuba esebaphethe kabuhlungu, bagcine ngokuyeka abantu bahamba ngendlela yabo?”

⁷“Manje thathani inqola entsha nezinkomazi ezimbili ezisancelisayo ezingakaze zibophwe ejogweni. Boshani izinkomazi enqoleni, kodwa nisuse amankonyane azo kuzo niwavalele esibayeni. ⁸Thathani umphongolo kaSimakade, niwubeke enqoleni, nifake ebhokisini eliseceleni kwawo izinto zegolide enizibuyisela kuye njengomnikelo wecala. Khona-ke niwumukise. ⁹Buka: uma uqonda ngomgwaqo oya ezweni lawo, eBheti Shemeshi, nguye osehlisele le nhlekelele enkulu kithi. Uma kungenjalo, sizakwazi ukuthi isandla sakhe asisishayanga—kwaba yingozi nje.”

¹⁰Amadoda enza njalo: athatha izinkomazi ezimbili ezisancelisayo, aziboph enqoleni, avalela amankonyane azo ekhaya. ¹¹Abeka umphongolo kaBaba wethu nebhokisi elaligcine amagundane egolide nezithombe zamathumba awo enqoleni. ¹²Izinkomazi zaqonda ngqo zibheke eBheti Shemeshi, zihamba ngomgwaqo munye, zibhonga, zingaphambukeli ngakwesokudla nangakwesokunxele. Ababusi bamaFilisti bazilandela kwaze kwaba semngceleni waseBheti Shemeshi. ¹³Abantu baseBheti Shemeshi, ababevuna ukolweni esigodini, baphakamisa amehlo, babona umphongolo, bathokoza ukuwubona. ¹⁴Inqola yafika ensimini kaJoshuwa eBheti Shemeshi yama eceleni kwetshe elikhulu. Baqhekeza izinkuni zenqola, banikela ngezinkomazi njengomnikelo wokushiswa kuBaba wethu. ¹⁵AmaLevi ehlisa umphongolo kaBaba wethu nebhokisi elaliseceleni kwawo eligcine izinto zegolide, akubeka etsheni elikhulu. Ngalolo suku abantu baseBheti Shemeshi banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangemihlatshelo kuBaba wethu. ¹⁶Ababusi abahlanu bamaFilisti bakubona konke lokhu babuyela e-Ekroni ngalolo suku. ¹⁷Amathumba egolide amaFilisti awabuyisela kuBaba wethu njengomnikelo wecala yilawa: elilodwa ngalinye emadolobheni ngawodwa: i-Ashidodi, iGaza, i-Ashikeloni, iGati, ne-Ekroni. ¹⁸Amagundane egolide ayelingana nawo onke amadolobha amaFilisti ababusi abahlanu—amadolobha abiyelwe ngezindonga nemizana evulekile ngokufanayo. Itshe elikhulu lapho ababeka khona umphongolo kaBaba wethu limi njengofakazi kuze kube namuhla ensimini kaJoshuwa waseBheti Shemeshi. ¹⁹Kodwa uBaba wethu wabulala amanye amadoda aseBheti Shemeshi ngokulunguza emphongolweni wesivumelwano, wabulala kuwo amadoda angamashumi ayisikhombisa. Abantu balila ngokuba wayebashayile ngesishayo esikhulu kangaka. ²⁰Amadoda aseBheti Shemeshi athi: “Ngubani ongema phambi kukaBaba wethu, lo Nkulunkulu ongcwele? Uzakwenyukela kubani umphongolo uma usuka kithi?”

²¹Bathumela izithunywa kubantu baseKiriyati Jeyarimi bethi: “AmaFilisti awubuyisile umphongolo kaBaba wethu. Yehlani, niwukhuphulele kini.”