1 Wasuka ke uSamweli, wabhekisa kumaSirayeli ephela, wenjenje: “Niyabona, into ebeniyicelile kum ndiyenzile, ndammisela ukumkani wenu.
2 Nanku; uza kunilawula. Mna sendaluphele ndaba yingwevu. Noonyana bam naba phakathi kwenu. Ndanikhokela ndisemtsha kude kuze kuthi gaa apha.
3 Ndim lo ke, ndithi ukuba ndakha ndanona ndimangaleleni ngoku apha phambi *koNdikhoyo naphambi komthanjiswa wakhe ukumkani. Ndakha ndahlutha bani inkabi yakhe yenkomo okanye idonki? Ndakha ndacinezela bani na; ingubani endakha ndamngcungcuthekisa? Ngubani owakha wandinyoba ukundivala umlomo? Ukuba ndakha ndayenza into enjalo, ndiya kuyenza imbuyekezo.”
4 Wahlokoma umzi wathi: “Akuzange wasicinezela nanini, ungazange wangcungcuthekisa bani nakanye; yaye akuzange wathatha nto mntwini.”
5 Wathi ke uSamweli: “UNdikhoyo nomthanjiswa wakhe ukumkani ngamangqina am ke ukuba kutsho nina ukuthi ndimsulwa.”“Ewe,” kutsho abantu, “nguNdikhoyo ingqina lethu.”
6 Uqhube wenjenje uSamweli: “Ingqina nguNdikhoyo lo watyumba uMosis noAron, waza wabakhupha ooyihlo-mkhulu eJiputa.
7 Sondelani ke, ndiniyale phambi koNdikhoyo ngokunikhumbuza ngemisebenzi yobulungisa ayenzele nina nooyihlo.
8 “Kwathi akuba seJiputa uYakobi nomzi wakhe, bazibika kuNdikhoyo, yena wathumela uMosis noAron ababakhuphayo eJiputa, beza kuma kulo mhlaba.
9 Bathi bakuba lapha abantu bamlibala uNdikhoyo uThixo wabo. Yena ke ngoko wabanikela esandleni sikaSisera umphathi womkhosi waseHazore, nakumaFilistiya, nakukumkani wakwaMowabhi, – zintshaba zabo ezo ezabahlaselayo.
10 Babuya bazibika kuNdikhoyo, besithi: ‘Ewe, sonile, kuba sikufulathele, Ndikhoyo, sanqula ooBhali nooAshtaroti. Sihlangule kwiintshaba zethu; sokhonza wena!’
11 UNdikhoyo ke wathumela uGidiyon, noBharaki, noJefta, waza wagqibela ngam. Wanihlangula kwiintshaba zenu macala onke, nahlala ngenzolo.
12 Kodwa nithe nakuqonda ukuba ukumkani uNahashe wama-Amon ufuna ukunihlasela, neza kum, nathi: ‘Sifuna ukumkani wethu,’ naxa uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu engukumkani wenu.”
13 Utyatyadule wathi uSamweli: “Nanku ke ukumkani enimkhethileyo. Ufunwe nini ke; uNdikhoyo uyanikhululela ke ngoku.
14 Kuya kuba hele, kube chosi, ukuba nje uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu niyamhlonela, nimkhonze, nimphulaphule, ningaphikisani nomyalelo wakhe, koko nimlandele nikunye nokumkani wenu onilawulayo.
15 Kodwa ukuba animva uNdikhoyo, niphikisane nomyalelo wakhe, wonichasa njengoko wenjenjalo kooyihlo-mkhulu.
16 “Ngoku ke, yimani ngxishi, khon' ukuze nikubone oko kukhulu aza kukwenza uNdikhoyo.
17 Naxa ilixesha lokuvuna ingqolowa eli, ndiza kutsho kuNdikhoyo ahlise imvula neendudumo. Niya kuqonda ke ukuba imbi kuNdikhoyo le nto yokufuna kwenu ukumkani.”
18 Wathandaza wabhekisa kuNdikhoyo ke uSamweli, kwaza kwangaloo mini kwafika iindudumo kunye nemvula, zithunyelwe nguNdikhoyo. Abantu ke ngoko bamoyika uNdikhoyo ngokunjalo noSamweli.
19 Bonke bathi kuSamweli: “Sithandazele kuNdikhoyo uThixo wakho, singafi, thina zicaka zakho. Kuzo zonke izono zethu ebesikade sizenza songeze nobu bubi bokuzicelela ukumkani.”
20 USamweli wathi: “Ze ningoyiki! Ewe kambe, naxa nenze bonke obu bubi, nize ningaphambuki nimke kuNdikhoyo, koko nize nimkhonze ngomxhelo uphela.
21 Nize ningarhorhozeli emva *koothixo abangento. Abanako ukuninceda, bengenako ukunihlangula. Kaloku bona zizinto ezingento nje.
22 Ngenxa yegama lakhe elikhulu uNdikhoyo akayi kubalahla abantu bakhe, kuba kwakholeka kuye ukunenza abantu bakhe ncakasana.
23 Mna okokwam andingekhe ndimone uNdikhoyo ngokuyekelela ukunithandazela. Ndizimisele ukunifundisa ukuhamba indlela ethe mbo.
24 Kodwa uNdikhoyo nize nimthobele nimkhonze ninyanisekile ngomxhelo uphela. Kaloku nizibonile ukuba zinkulu kwazo izinto anenzele zona.
25 Kambe ke, ukuba niqhubela phambili ukwenza ububi, uya kunitshabalalisa kunye naloo kumkani wenu.”