1 Ke kaloku uthe uSamweli akwaluphala wamisela oonyana bakhe baba ziinkokheli zamaSirayeli.
2 Unyana omkhulu wayenguJoweli, omncinci inguAbhiya. Babeziinkokheli eBheshebha.
3 Kambe ke bona babengamfuzanga uyise; bona babesemva kwenzuzo ngobuqhetseba, bengamathanda-kunyotywa, belamla ngesheyi.
4 Amadoda amakhulu ke akwaSirayeli aqokelelana, aya kutsho eRama kuSamweli,
5 afika athi kuye: “Sewaluphele wena ngoku, yaye noonyana bakho abakufuzanga mpela. Ngoko ke sityumbele ukumkani, khon' ukuze nathi sifane nezinye izizwe, sibe nokumkani osilawulayo.”
6 Samngena kakubi uSamweli isicelo sabo sokufuna ukumkani. Wabhenela *kuNdikhoyo,
7 waza wathi kuye uNdikhoyo: “Bek' iindlebe uyiphulaphule into abayithethayo aba bantu. Ababukuli wena; ndim lo bangamfuniyo ukuba abalawule.
8 Okoko ndaphuma nabo eJiputa, kude kube namhlanje, basoloko bendifulathela bekhonza thixo bambi; nangoku basayenza loo nto!
9 Siphulaphule isicelo sabo, kodwa uze ubaqononondise ibacacele impatho abaya kuyifumana kwabo kumkani babafunayo.”
10 USamweli wawaxelela ke amaSirayeli awayefuna ukumkani konke okwathethwa nguNdikhoyo,
11 wathi: “Ukumkani oya kunilawula uya kwenjenje: Woseka umkhosi ngoonyana benu. Abanye wobenza umkhosi weenqwelo, abanye babe ngumkhosi okhwela amahashe, abanye bagijime ngaphambi kwenqwelo yakhe.
12 Abanye boba ngabaphathi-mabutho, abanye babe ngabaphathi-maqela, abanye balime amasimi akhe, bavune nokuvuna, kubekho nabo baxhonkxa izikhali zokulwa kunye nezixhobo zeenqwelo zakhe.
13 Iintombi zenu wozenza zibe ngabaqholi nabapheki nababhaki bakhe.
14 Awona mahle amasimi enu, izidiliya, namabhoma eminquma, ukumkani wowahlutha awanike amaphakathi akhe.
15 Wobiza isahlulo sesishumi sengqolowa nediliya yenu, ayinike amagosa akhe.
16 Izicaka nezicakakazi zenu, neenkabi zenu, ezona zintle, kwakunye needonki zenu, wozithimba zisebenzele yena.
17 Isishumi semihlambi yenu wofuna siye kuye; lilonke niya kuba zizicaka zakhe.
18 Nakuba nimfumene kwanina niya kumkhalazela loo kumkani nimtyumbileyo. Ke yena uNdikhoyo akayi kuba saniphulaphula.”
19 AmaSirayeli akazange amphulaphule uSamweli, suka athi: “Hayi, sifuna ukulawulwa ngukumkani thina.
20 Xa kunjalo sofana nazo zonke ezinye iintlanga, sibe nokumkani osikhokelayo nasemfazweni.”
21 Wayiphulaphula yonke loo ntetho yabo uSamweli, waza waya kuyithetha ezindlebeni zikaNdikhoyo.
22 UNdikhoyo waphendula wenjenje: “Kulungile ke, banike ukumkani.”USamweli ke uthe kumaSirayeli: “Makhe nigoduke, madoda.”