1 Ilizwi likaSamweli lafikelela kumaSirayeli onke.Aphuma amaSirayeli, ahlangabezana namaFilistiya ukuya kulwa nawo. AmaSirayeli amisa e-Ebhenezere; wona amaFilistiya amisa eAfeki.
2 AmaFilistiya akha uluhlu ukukhawulela amaSirayeli, kwahlanganwa, zanqoza, aswantsuliswa amaSirayeli ngamaFilistiya, kwawa amawaka amane amaSirayeli kwelo dabi.
3 Ukufika kwawo ekampini amajoni asindileyo edabini akhuza amadoda amakhulu, athi: “Ngani ukuba namhlanje *uNdikhoyo asiyekele siswantsuliswe ngamaFilistiya? Masiye kuphuthuma ityesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo eShilo, ibe lapha phakathi kwethu, khon' ukuze isisindise esandleni seentshaba zethu.”
4 Kwathunywa izigidimi eShilo ukuba ziye kuphuthuma ityesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo onamandla onke, yena ongqongwe *zizithunywa ezimaphiko. Kweza noonyana bakaEli uHofeni noPineyasi, bekhapha ityesi yomnqophiso.
5 Atsho ngentlokomakazi enkulu amaSirayeli ukufika kwetyesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo ekampini, watsho wanyikima umhlaba!
6 Athi akuyiva loo ntswahla amaFilistiya, athi: “Yeyantoni na le ntsholo ingaka ekampini yamaSirayeli?” Athe akuva ukuba kufike ityesi kaNdikhoyo ekampini yamaSirayeli,
7 ankwantya kukoyika amaFilistiya, esithi: “Kufike uThixo ekampini yamaSirayeli! Yehaa! Ayizange ibekho into enjengale ngaphambili!
8 Sifile thina! Yaz'ba sosinda kanjani na esandleni salo Thixo unamandla? Asinguye na owabatshabalalisela entlango ngezibetho amaJiputa?
9 Yomelelani, maFilistiya! Yibani ngamadoda, hleze nathi sibe zizicaka zamaSirayeli kanye njengoko nawo ayezizicaka zethu! Kuf' ayayo, madoda!”
10 Alwa ke amaFilistiya, awaswantsulisa amaSirayeli, aya kutshona ngezindlu zawo. Kwajub' ugodo kwelo dabi, kwawa amashumi amathathu amawaka amajoni akwaSirayeli.
11 Yathinjwa ngamaFilistiya ityesi yomnqophiso kaThixo, oonyana bakaEli uHofeni noPineyasi basala apho itshoba lilel' umbethe.
12 Kwabakho mfo uthile wakwaBhenjamin owaxhina ukusuka edabini, waya kugaleleka eShilo kwangaloo mini. Izambatho zakhe zazikrazukile, intloko izele luthuli.
13 Ukufika kwaloo mfo uEli wayehleli ecaleni kwendlela, ejonge enkalweni, exhalele ityesi yomnqophiso. Loo ndoda yaziphalaza esixekweni ezo ndaba zimbi, kothuka wonke umntu, yaba sisikhalo sodwa.
14 Akusiva eso sijwili uEli wabuza wathi: “Yintoni unobangela wale ngxolo?” Loo ndoda yakhawuleza yaya kuEli. (
15 Wayeselemashumi alithoba nesibhozo ubudala uEli, selephants' ukuba yimpumputhela yexhego.)
16 Yamxelela loo ndoda uEli, yathi: “Ndibhungce edabini kwanamhlanje, ndaxhina okoko ukuza apha.”“Kwenzekeni, mfo wam?” kubuza uEli.
17 Wathi loo mfo ubhunce edabini ukuphendula: “AmaSirayeli aswantsulisiwe ngamaFilistiya, yaye kufe amaSirayeli amaninzi, noonyana bakho uHofeni noPineyasi baphakathi kwaloo madoda awileyo. Ndithi kuthinjwe nkqu netyesi kaThixo leyo.”
18 Uthe akuva kukhankanywa netyesi yomnqophiso uEli, waphequka kweso sihlalo sakhe ngasesangweni, wophuka ilungu lentamo, wafa. Kaloku wayeselaluphele, ekwanesiqu. Wayeyinkokheli kwaSirayeli iminyaka engamashumi amane.
19 Ngelo xesha umolokazana kaEli, umka-Pineyasi, wayekhulelwe, seleza kukhululeka. Wathi ke akuziva iindaba zokuthinjwa kwetyesi yomnqophiso kaThixo, nokuba uyisezala kunye nomyeni wakhe abasekho, wasuka waguqa, wazala. Zamongamela iintlungu zokubeleka.
20 Kwathi xa aqhawukayo, abafazi ababembelekisa bathi kuye: “Qina, mfazi; uzele inkwenkwe.”Yena wasuka akaphendula, akabahoya nokubahoya oku.
21 Wathi igama laloo mntwana nguIkabhodi, esithi: “Udumo lumkile kwaSirayeli,” kuba ityesi kaThixo ibithinjiwe, uyisezala nomyeni wakhe nabo babeswelekile.
22 Wathi: “Udumo lumkile kwaSirayeli, kuba ityesi kaThixo ithinjiwe.”