¹ Izwi likaSamuweli lafika kuye won ke u -Israyeli. U-Israyeli waphuma ukulwa namaFilisti, wamisa ngase-Ebeni Ezeri; amaFilisti amisa e-Afeki. ² AmaFilisti azihlela ukuhlangana no -Israyeli; impi yaqhubeka, u-Israyeli wahlulwa phambi kwamaFilisti abulala empini ngasendle kungathi abantu abayizinkulungwane ezine. ³ Kwathi abantu bengena ekamu , amalunga akwa -Israyeli athi : UJehova usibulaleleni phambi kwamaFilisti na ? Masithathe umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova eShilo , siwulethe kithi , ufike phakathi kwethu , usisindise esandleni sezitha zethu. ⁴ Abantu base bethumela eShilo , bathatha khona umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova Sebawoti ohlezi phezu kwamakherubi ; amadodana amabili ka-Eli, oHofini noFinehasi , ayelapho nomphongolo wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu. ⁵ Kwathi umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJeh ova ufika ekamu , wonke u - Israyeli wakhamuluka ngokukhamuluka okukhulu, kwaze kwaduma umhlaba. ⁶ AmaFilisti esezwa umsindo wokukhamuluka athi: Uthini umsindo walokhu kukhamuluka okukhulu ekamu lamaHeberu na ? Aqonda ukuthi umphongolo kaJehova ufikile ekamu. ⁷ AmaFilisti esaba, ngokuba athi: UNkulunkulu ufikile ekamu . Athi-ke: Maye kithina! Ngokuba akuzange kube khona okunje ngaphambili. ⁸ Maye kithina ! Ngubani oyakusophula esandleni salaba onkulunkulu abanamandla na ? Yilaba onkulunkulu abashaya abaseGibithe nga zo zonke izifo ehlane. ⁹ Qinani nibe ngamadoda nina maFilisti ukuba ningabi yizigqila zamaHeberu , njengalokho ebeyizigqila zenu. Yibani ngamadoda, nilwe! ¹⁰ AmaFilisti alwa , u-Israyeli wachithwa , babaleka, kwaba yilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe; kwaba khona ukuceka okukhulu, ngokuba kwawa ku-Israyeli abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu aba yimigundatshani. ¹¹ Umphongolo kaNkulunkulu wathathwa ; amadodana omabili ka -Eli, oHofini noFinehasi, abulawa. ¹² Kwaphuma umuntu wakwaBenjamini empini , wagijima w aya eShilo ngalolo suku, izingubo zakhe ziklebhukile, enomhlabathi ekhanda. ¹³ Ekufikeni kwakhe, bheka, u-Eli wayehlezi esihlalweni sakhe ngaseceleni komgwaqo, ngokuba inhliziyo yakhe yayithuthumela ngomphongolo kaNkulunkulu. Esengenile emzini lowo muntu , wakubika, wakhala umuzi wonke. ¹⁴ Lapho u -Eli ezwa umsindo wokukhala , wathi: Uthini umsindo walokhu kumemeza na? Lowo muntu washesha waya wamtshela u-Eli. ¹⁵ U-Eli wayeneminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesishiyagalombili; amehlo akhe ayequndekile, engenakubona. ¹⁶ Lowo muntu wathi ku -Eli: Nginguye owaphuma empini , ngibaleke empini namuhla. Wathi: Bekunjani, ndodana yami, na? ¹⁷ Owaletha umbiko waphendula wathi : U-Israyeli ubalekile phambi kwamaFilisti; kwakukhona ukubulawa okukhulu phakathi kwabantu ; amadodana akho omabili oHofini noFinehasi afile , nomphongolo kaNkulunkulu uthathiwe. Ukufa kuka-Eli. U-Ikabodi ¹⁸ Kwathi esaphatha umphongolo kaNkulunkulu , wawa nyovane esihlalweni sakhe ngaseceleni kwesango , kwaphuka intamo yakhe , wafa, ngokuba wayengumuntu omdala, esinda. Wayebahlulele abakwa-Israyeli iminyaka engamashumi amane. ¹⁹ Umalokazana wakhe , umkaFinehasi, wayekhulelwe esezakubeletha ; esezwile umbiko wokuthi umphongolo kaNkulunkulu uthathiwe nokuthi kufile uyisezala nomyeni wakhe , wakhonkobala, wabeletha, ngokuba wafikelwa yimihelo. ²⁰ Ngesikhathi sokufa kwakhe abesifazane ababemi kuye bathi kuye : Ungesabi, ngokuba ubelethe indodana . Kepha akaphendulanga , akakunakanga. ²¹ Wamqamba umntwana ngokuthi u -Ikabodi, ethi: Inkazimulo isukile kwa - Israyeli, ngokuba umphongolo kaNkulunkulu uthathiwe, nangenxa kayisezala wakhe nomyeni wakhe. ²² Wathi: Inkazimulo isukile kwa-Israyeli, ngokuba umphongolo kaNkulunkulu uthathiwe.