2 Yahlala ithuba elide ityesi yomnqophiso *kaNdikhoyo eKiriyati-yarim. Yaba ngamashumi amabini eminyaka ilapho. Ngelo xesha onke amaSirayeli ayezibika kuNdikhoyo ukuba awancede.
3 Ngoko ke uSamweli wathi kwindlu yonke kaSirayeli: “Ukuba ngenene nibuyele kuNdikhoyo ngentliziyo epheleleyo, kufuneka nahlukane *noothixo basemzini bonke, nilahle nemifanekiso yothixokazi uAshtaroti. Kufuneka nizimisele nizinikele kuNdikhoyo ngokupheleleyo, nikhonze yena yedwa. Yena ke wonihlangula esandleni samaFilistiya.”
4 AmaSirayeli ke ayilahla imifanekiso kaBhali noAshtaroti, akhonza uNdikhoyo yedwa qwaba.
5 Emva koko uSamweli wathi: “Onke amaSirayeli makahlangane eMizpa. Mna ke ndiya kunithandazela kuNdikhoyo.”
6 Kwayiwa ke eMizpa kuloo mbizo, kwakhiwa amanzi, aza aphalazwa, kusenziwa umnikelo kuNdikhoyo. Kwakuzilwe imini yonke, abantu besithi: “Sinetyala kuNdikhoyo.” (NguSamweli owaba yinkokheli yamaSirayeli eMizpa.)
7 Athi akuva amaFilistiya ukuba nâko amaSirayeli eqokelelene eMizpa, aphuma ekhokelwa ziinkosi zawo ukuya kuhlasela amaSirayeli. Zaya kufika kumaSirayeli ezo ndaba, atsho awoyika amaFilistiya,
8 athi kuSamweli: “Uze ungayeki ukusitarhuzela kuNdikhoyo uThixo wethu, khon' ukuze asihlangule kumaFilistiya.”